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BILL V - backsplash tiling question

kitchenconfidential2

14 years ago

Bill, would you please help me once again. I bought my backsplash tile (sheet, small honed calacatta rectangles) and the store told me to be sure that I do not put up the tile and grout on the same day. They said the tile needs to settle before grouting. I'm afraid my GC is going to want to grout and tile all in the same day. He's already asked me for a portion of the final payment before the job is done, so I wanted some input as to all the reasons why backsplash should be installed in two days vs. one.

TIA

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Comments (5)

agnesm
14 years ago
Yes, you should wait one day to grout as the store told you.The mortar needs to dry properly.
azstoneconsulting
14 years ago
Kitchenconfidential2:

The tile you want to use for your backsplash (IMHO) CAN be set and grouted
in one day - provided the setting material has enough time to set up once
it's applied. In many cases - backsplash tile is "set" in the early morning - say
around 8 or 9AM - then grouted around noon or 1PM. When the tiles are set
on a wall or vertical application - the mortar has a tendency to set up faster,
as the moisture in the thinset is drawn out of the mortar into the wall substrate,
and out through the joints. Adding to this - that your tile guy will NOT have to
walk on the tile (as he would if it was set on a floor application) the bond
of the thinset to the wall will not be broken as easily.... does this make sense?

IMHO -the advice your tile store gave you is WAY MORE relevant for a flooring application
in which I'd agree with them 100% - than for a backsplash application...

anyways - I wouldn't freak out over this - Again -IMHO - your backsplash
tile could very well be set AND grouted in one day - without incident.... I have
done this thousands of times over the last 30+ years without a problem....

hth

kevin
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kitchenconfidential2
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you, both.
bill_vincent
14 years ago
I'm sorry, but I have to disagree, Kevin. Although alot of installers WILL grout same day, the only way to do it safely is if he uses a fast setting thinset. The problem with grouting same day isn't so much with movement of the tiles. That's not a problem after a couple of hours, as Kevin pointed out. The problem is due to the polymers used to "modify" the thinsets. They tend to migrate to the surface of the grout causing a hazy appearance, and in the worst of cases, it's been mistaken for efflourescence if the thinset hasn't fully set. Go to John Bridge's site, and do a search on the term "latex migration". You'll see what I mean.

The one way he might get away from that is by using mastic. But being this is marble, that's even worse, because now you're taking a big risk on having an oily type stain in the stone that could literally last for a couple of months before it dries out.
kitchenconfidential2
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you again.

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