My First Tile Job - A Backsplash

I know most of you think I have just been playing all of August

and into September, but I have been working on the 

other

summer building project (that I had mentioned.)

 As soon as we finished the

houseboat project

we turned to a remodel of our condo in St. George.

My husband had promised me granite countertops there for

my birthday five years ago.  He should have come through

then because five years later it became a complete remodel!

(Actually, I am glad he didn't as it needed the remodel.)

He started his bathroom business

Whitewater

and his newest international imaging productsbusiness

Tyvarian 

(which I featured on the houseboat post)

as a tile setter.  It was to get him through college.  That

first summer we were married a cultured marble 

manufacturer contacted him and they went into business

together and the businesses grew from there.  While we

were newlyweds I would go on tile jobs with him but

never learned to set tile.  I changed that with my oldest

daughter and she learned and then taught her husband

(a very handy skill to have!)

So as we began this backsplash job I took over and laid almost

every tile (while hubby did the cutting on the tile saw).  Setting tile

is a very satisfying creative project.

My husband had tested out this wonderful product we

found at 

Home Depot.

It is called

The Tile Setting Mat

"The quickest, easiest, cleanest way to install tile."

(www.thesimplemat.com)

You apply it kind of like contact paper, peeling the backing off

and then applying it to the wall, pressing it on firmly and then 

peeling the front plastic off.  You can easily cut it with a blade

or a scissors.  I agree, it was quick, easy, and clean!)

He had tried it on the houseboat backsplash 

and figured if

it could stand the heat of Lake Powell it could take just

about anything.

I wanted a classic look using tumbled travertine,

 with a touch of modern,

 so I included a stripe of glass tile and put glass tiles in the

medallion. Once you

press the tile on, it really sticks.  If you have made a mistake

you can get it off, but you really have to pull.

Here is a completed section, missing a few cuts.  We finished

everything except the medallion behind the stove and grouting

but we had to hurry home.

NOW.........

the instructions do say to grout 

WITHIN 24 HOURS!

BUT.........

we had to go home!!!!

A few weeks later when we were able to get back down there -

it is four hours from our home-

some of the tiles had buckled and popped off.

Hubby's first reaction was that we would have to start again.

NOPE!

Just press it back on.  A few pieces, especially the small pieces

needed a little premixed mastic and then we were ready to grout.

Grouting is messy and takes time to apply and then clean off

but it is all easy and very doable.  

We taped off the edges with painters tape first and put paper

 down on the counters to help with cleanup.

Here is just a sneak peek at my completed tile backsplash,

 new countertop, new cabinets and my new aqua Kitchenaid.

We are almost done with the remodel and I will show you the

rest then.

Now you know why I haven't had time for tablescaping and much

visiting, but I have tried to have at least two posts a week so you

don't forget me completely!

We have guests coming soon so I am furiously

sewing pillows and curtains, etc., etc., etc.!!!

Need a vacation after that!

I will be posting with

Metamorphosis Monday

Feathered Nest Friday