Backsplashed
!2 January 2012
We are fearless Do-It-Yourselfers. The Prince Consort and I have had some pretty impressive successes. Some were easy. Some were, shall we say real learning experiences.
After months of leading The Prince Consort to the tiles section of the home improvement store and staring at all the pretty back splashes, he folded. We came home with a box of granite tiles to match the countertop, a couple of webbed mats of small glass and stone tiles to cut into accents, and all the appropriate accoutrements. Well, over a week’s time we went back to the store enough times to get all the accouterments.
We got home, opened the box of thick granite tiles, and set them up against the walls. This was going to be gorgeous. Then we looked at the two electrical outlets on the backsplash wall, looked at the heavy granite tiles, looked at the wall outlets, looked at the thick tiles that would have to have outlet holes cut into them, looked at each other. Oh oh.
I admit it. I came up with Plan B. We could buy more of the little webbed mats of small glass and stone tiles. I’d seen it on TV. The mats of small tiles would be easy. We’d return the granite. Uh huh.
Photo one: electrical outlets-the challenge.
TPC divided the wall in half. The first half took between four and five hours. As we applied the last row to the first side, the light bulb went on. We figured it out. One hour, four straight cuts, and no more piecing tiny tiles into empty spaces later, we had the second half done.
Photo two: tiles on. Thinset drying. Painters tape in place to keep everything neat and tidy.
Let it be known that:
the home improvement store guy was dead on serious. Thinset must be peanut butter thick, not just the consistency, but how much you slather on. Forget a slimming thin coat, slog that stuff on or those mats of little tiles will sure as shooting slide back off onto the counter. Which I suppose is why TPC had covered the countertops with cardboard?
painter’s tape will become one with the grout if it’s not pulled off before the grout dries.
black grout stains. We will be wearing gloves for a while, mild winter or not.
Photo three: Voila’
Kath who loves the new backsplash and promises to not clutter the counter.
BTW, the tea kettle on the stove top has a dragon spout. I told you I was surrounded by dragons.
