Backsplash Marble subway tile question

11 years ago

I saw a polished "statuary" marble subway tile and I fell in love with it, but my DH is not careful about tomato sauce and grease when he is cooking. (He is a really good cook.) I have been told you can seal it, but will I be sorry I did this white marble? I could also choose polished carrera.

My second choice is just plain ceramic white subway with white grout. Again tomato sauce on white grout will I be sorry?

My third choice is frosted glass. Does it clean up well or does it show grease stains?

If anyone has any experience with these types of tile. I would love the feedback.

Thanks, Sue

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Comments (14)

dseng
11 years ago
Epoxy grout would address your fears from that quarter - it won't stain.
texaspenny
11 years ago
I have the same question as the OP. We are planning to have soapstone countertops, and it seems like the prettiest backsplashes are always the Carrera marble ones. But, if you splash grease or tomato sauce on it and let it sit overnight, will it stain? The one reply here only addresses the grout question. Any additional info from the marble backsplash people would be great.
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Thank you pllog! According to my admittedly limited research, white subway tiles were primarily what was used during 1913 (not colored tiles just yet), or else white or cream-colored wainscoting. I know the colorful tile was used on fireplace faces though, as is the case on ours - but I think the whole sterile kitchen and bathroom look was going on in 1913 (?). I know my house originally had it cause not only is 2x6 white subway tile in the original bathroom upstairs, but the previous owners, who I am friends with, remember it having been in the house at one time. The previous owner now in her 80's moved in with her parents in the '40's when she was a teenager. There was only one family that lived in the house before them, which is kind of neat to know. I'd love to find out more about them someday if possible. All that said, if I had the time further to obsess (I'm already taking LOADS of time away from my kids to obsess over every detail that I am already!), and the eye/confidence/creativity, or a designer, and the money, I'd do something much more fun and much more "me" in a NY heartbeat. But alas, I don't. Maybe someday. The following cut/paste link is to absolutely inspiring backsplashes, which you'd probably love: http://finishedbacksplashes2.blogspot.com/ It would be impossible for me to do if the tile were to get up to $100/SF. How did you come up w/ that calculation? Oh dear - I'd better do the math again! I was told that by going to a fabricator with big machinery, it wouldn't take that long at all for a back splash my size - but that was just one person who said that; he could have been wrong. One consideration for a backup plan for me has been white or off-white minibrick. I think with a non-matching grout - e.g. a noncommittal but darker sand color (sand having both tan and grey in it?), all those little lines would be more interesting w/ the stainless than the bigger subway tile (or, maybe that would also be the case w/ standard 2x6 tile w/ darker grout?). I wish I could find the link I've lost to ceramic minibrick (if that's the word for it) that's attractive to me. I imagine they didn't have that size in 1913 though (does anyone know?) but it's still a nice classic look. If I find it on my other computer I'll post it! I've looked at Thassos which does seem too white. The in-person samples of calcutta are too grey from a distance (I don't want it to match my stainless counter so precisely) but yes I have time to keep looking. I also still pine for the Walker Zanger lightly crackled and glazed 2x6 tile I was all excited about when I thought I would do a honed black counter. haven't ruled that out completely, but it's $25/SF. Thanks!
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FWIW, here are my tips for working travertine, which should also work for marble: to prevent cracking when you cut your tile, stick masking tape on the tile where you propose to cut it, mark your cut line, and cut the tile with the tape in place. Pull the tape off afterward. Also helps prevent cracking if you need to drill a tile. It's trading a lot of time to save some money, but if you have the time and need to save the money, you can do bevelling yourself: start with a belt sander and a rough grit sanding belt. Rough in the shape of your bevel. Follow the rough sanding with a medium grit belt, then move to an orbital sander with fine grit (180 or 220) and then a super-fine grit: 440 if you can find it, 320 if you can't. Finish by buffing/polishing with stone enhancer/sealer. For DIY bevelling on 3x6" tiles, I'd suggest you use a vise to hold the sanders in place upside-down. That way you can hold the tile to the sanding surface (much lighter) rather than the other way around. You can make an assembly-line type of operation out of it by roughing all your 3x6's in one pass, then the medium grit sanding, then the fine and so on. Do NOT try this with a hard stone like granite, however: you'll be there for months! Good luck!
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2LittleFishies
11 years ago
Etching does happen on backsplashes especially around the cooking area, however most say it's barely noticeable to other people. Honed would probably work better than polished as far as the etches being noticeable. Polished makes the etches stand out in the right light.

Staining is certainly possible but if the marble is sealed well most don't really have that issue from what I understand...
fivefootzero
11 years ago
I have soapstone with carrera marble backsplash. It was put in a year ago. No issues with staining or anything. We sealed with the 5-1-1 sealer. Here's a pic.
sewnice50
Original Author
11 years ago
fivefootzero,
Your counters and backspash are gorgeous. Did you use the epoxy grout dseng mentioned?
Thank you for posting the pictures.
sewnice50
sewnice50
Original Author
11 years ago
fivefootzero,
Your counters and backspash are gorgeous. Did you use the epoxy grout dseng mentioned?
Thank you for posting the pictures.
sewnice50
francoise47
11 years ago
Hi Sewnice:

I know several people with marble backsplashes.
The only ones with trouble from staining
are the ones with pro-style ranges that vent
on the top/back of the range,
emitting heat and steam directly onto the marble backsplash.
sewnice50
Original Author
11 years ago
Francoise47,
I have an old Thermador dual fuel that vents at the back top of the range. I will have to explore this further.
It's so good to have your input. I never would have guessed that to be an issue.

Thanks,
Sewnice50
francoise47
11 years ago
My friend with the problem with staining has an all gas range, not a dual fuel.
So perhaps yours will be OK?
fivefootzero
11 years ago
FWIW, I have an all gas range. It has a vent in the center on the top towards the rear. No issues (could also be because I have that tray there...but the tray doesn't have any staining or residue on it either).

And no, I didn't use epoxy grout.
sewnice50
Original Author
11 years ago
fivefootzero,

The oven we have does emit what looks like steam when we cook, the oven is electric, the burners are gas.

I think my main concern would be my husband's French frying everything except pasta. How does one successfully clean grease off of polished carrera marble? I don't want to become a nag if the carrera is going to be hard to keep looking beautiful.

I want the look of your kitchen, it's so beautiful.
fivefootzero
11 years ago
Sewnice: You might be able to get the best of both worlds if you maybe find complimenting tiles...in different materials. Maybe for the majority of the kitchen do the carrera and then for behind the stove you could use a different but complimentary stone that wouldn't have the staining properties that marble does. I know they make soapstone subways at M. Tex (I saw them when I was there). You could maybe put those behind the stove, with the marble everywhere else. Or, you can put a tray behind the stove like I did. I didn't put it there for that reason, but I think if I ever did splash something like tomato sauce or the like, it would be better protected than with nothing there. But again, I did seal mine...which should provide some level of protection.

Thanks so much for the compliment...I walk in to our kitchen and smile...I never thought with all the different components involved that it could turn out exactly how I pictured.
blackchamois
11 years ago
FiveFootZero - Where did you get your tiles? Just lovely!
karyn123
11 years ago
I have a wolf gas range that sits up against white carerra marble and it has burned-where the oven vents. interested in any information as to why this happens and how to fix!! saw this post from above:

Posted by francoise47 (My Page) on Mon, May 21, 12 at 11:07
Hi Sewnice:
I know several people with marble backsplashes.
The only ones with trouble from staining
are the ones with pro-style ranges that vent
on the top/back of the range,
emitting heat and steam directly onto the marble backsplash.

please help!

Backsplash Marble subway tile question

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