Finished Backsplash - Bill V look out

15 years ago

Finsihed my backsplash this weekend. Bill, look out I may give you some competition. LOL. Seriously, while it turned out fantastic, I have a lot of respect for the work you tile guys do. I installed the tile on one wall on Thursday, the other wall on Friday - probably about 5 hours each day. Sealed it with 511 Impregnator Friday evening and grouted on Saturday with Laticrete Marble Beige Sanded Grout and caulk. Put another coat of 511 Impregnator on this morning. Not sure how you pro's get it done so fast.

Anyway - thanks for all teh advice - here are some pics:

When I have a chance, I will post pics of the complete finished kitchen and more details for the FKB

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Comments (36)

larrylwill
15 years ago
the pictures are not showing up.
Jodi_SoCal
15 years ago
Waaahhh, all I can see are red rectangles.

Jodi-
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I can see why it might be advisable to remove the left/rt portions of tile, but I would be inclined to wait until ithe kitchen is completed before deciding. If, as your gut tells you, it "needs" to come down, nothing is really lost except a little more time with it up. Perhaps knowing you are not "locked-in" or committed to it, will help give the perspective to view it more objectively while deciding for sure. This way you will not only have the chance to see it with everything else in place, but you will also have the opportunity to get used to it, before deciding if you truly dislike it, or just haven't gotten used to it being there. As subtle (in color) as our tile is, after months of looking at white painted Sheetrock, it still looked "different" and stood out when we looked at our kitchen. Once we became accustomed to it, we couldn't imagine our walls without it. That's how I am with many things--after living with a blank wall or empty space for any period of time, even a long awaited piece of furniture or decor item jumps out at me, and almost seems like too much, until I get used to the vacant space being filled. Thanks for the compliments on our backsplash Laura and andreak100! It's the Opera Glass tile from Artistic Tile (Stilatto pattern) in Wolfgang White. It does read greenish-blue(-grey) in certain lights or times of day. We had to think about that one while deciding if we wanted to use it, and obviously decided to go for it! Good luck Laura! Honestly, whatever you decide will look terrific!
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hostagrams - Ouch! I am so sorry that sounds incredibly painful! I don't know if you saw my follow-up but Oceanside is having a really big problem with their Geologie line. My new tile came in and the rep at the tile showroom called to tell me it was cleaner than the original but still had something on it when she held it up to the light. She called her Oceanside rep who she says was mortified and asked her to get it wet and see if it was sticky. It was. She asked him what they are doing differently since this has never been a problem before. He admitted the line has always been a problem because the paper doesn't adhere well to the slate tiles and so they have been trying new adhesives - obviously it is not working ;-) THey are paying to have the tile shipped back so they can clean every sheet of my tile by hand. I inspected my other mosaic and it also does have something that shows through - but it is a brown glass tile so it is not as obvious. Anyway, since the one of your choices has very light tile if you do go with it inspect it VERY carefully! THe good news is they are taking responsibility and will pay for installation. EVeryone thinks the backsplash is stunning at first glance and I love the overall look - but this has been a bit of a pain. It seems like the cost for getting my perfect bathrooms was a number of issues with my kitchen - the countertop was fabricated incorrectly of the last 2 slabs of a discontinued Ice stone color - I managed to get the fabrication cost deducted which will help my frame of mind considerably every time I notice the problem :-) I am waiting for the cabinet maker to remake ALL of the integrated appliance fronts - he did not bother to re-measure after the appliances were installed and made them all too short - fridge and wine cooler edges/hinges show - big gap between the dishwasher and the cabinet - just nuts. He had too measure anyway and now he has to do the work again - what a waste of time. THe joys of remodeling - but at least I didn't break anything. Hope you are up and around soon!
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berryberry
Original Author
15 years ago
Hmmm - showed up on my PC but when I used a different web browser they did not. Seems to be a problem with Snapfish pictures.

lets try this:
remodelfla
15 years ago
FIRE AND ICE!!!! On my short list for backsplashes... same as jodi in ca used. Looks absolutely stunnning!

Jodi... didn't you change out one of the glass insert colors for something else?
deedee-2008
15 years ago
Gorgeous....love the rest of the kitchen, too...especially the faucet.
berryberry
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks

Yes - the tile is Jeffrey Court's Fire and Ice. Jodi's backsplash was my inspiration. Was initially going to go with Fallingwater slate but changed to Fire and Ice based on Jodi's pics making me look at this tile.

And I followed Jodi's lead in changing out some off the glass inserts to a darker shade. Purchased a couple sheets of #39 Burnt Umber glass tiles from Morena Tile (had them ship it to me) and switched out some of the clear / light amber glass for the darker Burnt Umber to tie in with the cabinets.

Also, instead of white thinset - I used grey - which gave a slight grey undertone to the clear glass a little (tested a few samples first and liked it)
houseful
15 years ago
Very, very pretty! You did a fantastic job! I've done a bit of tile work and it's so rewarding, isn't it? I'll bet you are already thinking of other things you could tile, LOL!
Jodi_SoCal
15 years ago
Wow, looks great!

That is a lot more tile than what we have. And you installed it yourself? I'm truly impressed!

Gray thinset ... that explains it! My husband and I were looking at your photos and he commented how yours looked grayer than ours. I'll have to go tell him why.

Though once I compared ours with yours it really doesn't look all that warmer.

Jodi-
remodelfla
15 years ago
Did either of you guys use an enhancer/sealer? I truly do love love love that tile.
Jodi_SoCal
15 years ago
No enhancer on ours, just sealer.
berryberry
Original Author
15 years ago
Houseful - yes, it was fun doing the tile and I have caught myself a few times standing and admiring my work - but not sure I want to do a lot more.

Jodi - thanks. Yes, the install went well. I was pleased with how my $49 Tile Saw from Harbor Freight cut the tile so well. And thanks to this forum and Bill V, I had lots of tips / instructions to follow that made it easy. As to the pics - it also could be the lighting or grout shade that is making a difference. I do know the clear glass and light amber glass do show a little darker with grey thinset vs white (from my test) but thats the only place where there really is any difference you could see

Remodelfla - no enhancer - I just put on 2 coats of Miracle 511 Impregnator sealer - one before grouting, one after grouting
remodelfla
15 years ago
This might be a dumb question... but is there any concern about the Miracle 511 getting on the glass? do you have to be careful, tape it off, not care?
berryberry
Original Author
15 years ago
About 5 minutes after I applied Miracle 511 - I had my daughter wipe each glass square with a clean cloth to remove any of the sealer on the glass
bluekitobsessed
15 years ago
Wow! That coordinates so beautifully with the cabs, faucets, hardware! I really like slate and the darker glass inserts are a very, very nice touch. Does this mean that you are done?
bill_vincent
15 years ago
Very nice work. :-) Wanna job? :-)
gneegirl
15 years ago
Now that's a compliment coming from Bill - I've seen pics of his work. But, it is much deserved! You must have a lot of patience; I would have quit probably after the 2nd row. What a wonderful job - kitchen and backsplash!

Jodi - how do you like your faucet? It looks like mine!! I'm really having 2nd thoughts about it but not sure why. It does look great in my kitchen, but I'm seriously thinking about switching it out. It looks great in your kitchen though. After looking at that backsplash - both of them, I may have to check it out to go with my crema bordeau. I have a vision of what I want and those colors are perfect.
Jodi_SoCal
15 years ago
Gneegirl. I do not like the faucet. It's too high (I'm 5'1") and for some reason the water pressure is not the same as our previous faucet.

BerryBerry, I keep going back and looking at all that tile you installed. Pretty incredible for someone who doesn't do that for a living.

Fire and Ice really is a versa"tile" isn't it? ... It goes great with your granite, your dark cabs, your white cabs and yes, even your faucet. I hope you are extremely please with yourself.

Jodi-
gozalyn
15 years ago
berryberry - your backsplash looks awesome! I have hope that I can DIY the backsplash as well. Any lessons learned that you can share?

It'll be at least 2 weeks before I can even start. I'm waiting for my countertops at this point. I think I'm going to try and seal the backsplash, so we'll see how that looks. Thanks for the info regarding the color of your grout. I'm can't decide what color to get because I don't know how the stone will look once it's sealed and enhanced.

Quick question - I also have a curved light rail. How did you deal with that connection near your stove? I'm not looking forward to that.
muscat
15 years ago
Nice job and nice tile! I agree with you- tiling my own kitchen was a great experience, but certainly made me respect those that do it professionally and WELL.
berryberry
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks everyone - hope I don't miss answering any questions / comments:

Bluekit - thanks - yes, I really like ho wthe tile fit well with everything and yes, this means we are done. I hope to post a full write-up / pics later this week

Bill - Thanks, I appreciate it although couldn't have done it without your advice.

Gneegirl - thanks - yes, two things I have learned with various DIY projects over the years. patience and the right tools are important

Jodi - Thanks. Yes, I agree with you on the versatility of this tile. That shade variations in the tile really help it blend well with a lot of different colors

Gozalyn - thanks. Lessons I learned. First, take your time and follow the instructions Bill V has laid out. Second, use the right tools. I purchased an inexpensive 7" wet saw from Harbor Freight for $49 (including the blade). It cut like a champ and was easy to use. I also mentioned on another thread - get the couple dolor 'perfect bead" caulk tool. When you caulk between the tile and the granite or cabinets, use this tool to give you a great lookings caulk line. Third, lay out the tile (at least a row at a time) on a table / island and make sure it fits well and elements match up like you want them to (for instance, I didn't want 2 glass squares right next to each other in the same row). Fourth, a paint mixing attachement that attaches to a drill helps a lot when mixing your thinset and grout. Fifth, I was worried initially about measuring precisely when mixing the lightweight thinset and grout - but after starting using it found I probably went to light on the liquid and added more till the consistency just felt and looked right. Finally, seal the stone before you grout - it will help a lot with releasing the grout from the stone face.

On the curved light rail - what I started to do was try to cut a slight curve with the wet saw. That was futile. So I ened up just cutting a diaganol straight line (like a 45 degree angle) to account for the curved light rail and then filled in with grout. It looks very good. And if you make sure the tile piece that goes next to the light rail is very similiar in color to your grout (like I did on one side), it will blend in even more

muscat - thanks
ksoxgrl
15 years ago
absolutely in LOVE with your backsplash, berry & jodi, i've seen admiring this tile for several months since beginning a minor kitchen reno and it's my favorite since seeing it in jodi's kitchen. one question, do either of you, or anyone else, know of any online sites that sell it? price per square foot here in MA is $17.95. Just curious where you purchased through and if it was a better price. thanks :)
mlraff53
15 years ago
I love your tile! Well I love the whole kitchen. Great Mates too!
berryberry
Original Author
15 years ago
thanks

ksoxgrl - no, I couldn't find anyplace online that carried the tile. Bought it locally for something like $17.10/sq ft plus shipping. Shipping was expensive
gozalyn
15 years ago
I think they make the Fire & Ice tiles out of Southern California. I bought my Fire & Ice for $13.65/sq ft from the Coliseum Tile and Stone in Oakland, CA. They didn't charge us shipping. We picked it up at the store.
Kathryn Bunn
13 years ago
Your backsplash looks fantastic.

I know it's been 2 years since you tiled. How is it holding up? Are you able to make a "grocery list" of the supplies used?

-Tile
-Grout (sand or unsanded?)
-Tile saw
-Thinset, what specific brand and such?
-Spacers, what size?
-Trowel
-Miracle 511 Impregnator
-Caulk
-Dolor 'perfect bead' caulk tool

Am I missing anything?
elizpiz
13 years ago
Berry, yours was one of the first kitchens I clipped way back when I became addicted to GW :-). I always thought you did such a great job with your space. The backsplash looks great!

Congrats!
Eliz
kitchenaddict
13 years ago
berry...That looks so gooooood......I love your choices of granite, cabs, and faucet. Love it, Love it, Love it!

jodi..I can see why yours was the inspiration. I really like the cubby behind your stove. Very cool and functional too!

KA:)
boxerpups
13 years ago
OMG

Berryberry, You did that yourself? Not hired out?
Knock down gorgeous work. Dazzling!!!!

I wish I had that kind of talent.
~boxer
kitchenkrazed09
13 years ago
Beautiful job! Very impressive. Love the colors. What type of granite did you use?
chicagoans
13 years ago
That looks great! I'm impressed.

I like your granite too - what kind is it?
rhome410
13 years ago
Great job! And the PERFECT choice with your granite and cabs. I like the inclusion of the deeper colored pieces. Congratulations! You have every right to stare and admire your work. :-)
momand3boys
13 years ago
Love the fire and ice. Saw it on Jodi's and brought the picture of it to the KD and said I want this kitchen! You did a great job on it! I'm too afraid to DIY it. Congrats!
jeri
13 years ago
Great job! I too like this fire and ice very much. It will not go with our kitchen though, so what to you guys think of my using it for the fireplace?
gsciencechick
13 years ago
Congrats! It looks fantastic! Everything just looks like it's made to go together.
starpooh
13 years ago
berryberry ~ looking forward to your details for the FKB!

jodi_in_so_calif ~ just a friendly reminder to get your kitchen in the FKB soon. :-)
kks_kitchen
13 years ago
This is the most recent thread I have found. Hope I am posting correctly. I am a newbie here. My Fire & Ice arrived today. I hung a couple of squares on the wall. The right side enhanced with only water & the left one without. I ordered some black (cocoon) tiles from Cool Tiles and illusion brown ones from Modern Tile Studio to try out to replace the dreadful peach color that clashes with my tile floor. Please disregard the mess and the mismatched vases in the pic. My cabinet doors have temporarily been removed for color and glass inserts. I guess I am looking for some feedback. My cabinets are cabernet, hardware is pewter, countertops are black pearl granite and floor is ceramic with gray and pink tones. I hope to list pics later when project is complete. I hope to hear from Jodi So Cal, BerryBerry and others who have use Jeffery Court Fire & Ice for their kitchens. I have viewed many. All look great. I know Jodi's kitchen started the buzz but all I have seen pics of look fantastic. Congrats to all of you.