DIY PROJECT GUIDE
Tile a kitchen backsplash
Plan a clean backsplash installation with the right tile quantity, layout, adhesive, grout, and finishing steps.
What you will need
- Tile plus extra for cuts and future repairs
- Approved adhesive or thinset
- Grout and sealant if required
- Spacers or leveling clips
- Notched trowel, float, sponge, and buckets
- Tile cutter or wet saw
Step by step
- Measure the backsplash area and subtract large openings where appropriate.
- Prepare a clean, flat, sound wall surface and protect counters.
- Dry-lay a sample row to plan cuts around corners and outlets.
- Establish level reference lines before spreading adhesive.
- Set tile in manageable sections while keeping spacing consistent.
- Allow the adhesive to cure, remove spacers, and apply grout.
- Clean grout haze and finish edges or seal joints as required.
Plan for cuts
Backsplashes contain outlets, corners, cabinet edges, and trim pieces, so a waste allowance matters even on a small wall. Complex patterns generally create more offcuts than a straightforward grid.