White spots on backsplash all cleared up!!

13 years ago

I just wanted to check back in and let everyone know that my tiler's 20 year old son came out today and replaced both of the tiles that I had a problem with and it took all of 20 minutes. It really could not have been easier. I have no idea why the tiler said it could not be done and why he was so upset when I asked him to do it. But, all is well that ends well! I'm much happier with the white tiles removed and it makes the entire backsplash look better!

Thanks Bill V and everyone else who weighed in with their opinions!

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

bayareafrancy
13 years ago
Hooray!

Thanks for the update!

I think the "it's too difficult and it will damage your entire backsplash/counter/cabinets/floors/walls/self-esteem/whatever" line is their first attempt at getting the consumer to learn to live with the mistake.
bill_vincent
13 years ago
Glad to hear it all worked out for you. :-)
Related Discussions
HELP - White spots on tumbled marble backsplash
Q
Comments (28)
I do not like this white spot, either. I do not think you are being unreasonable to want to fix it. I think that we are just trying to help you think about other solutions. My first experience with stone was my 2003 kitchen remodel. tumbled marble. I remember looking at the finished backsplash and thinking why didn't my contractor set aside those dark ones that popped up every once in a while. After all, I had three boxes of tile left over. To me, it seemed a no-brainer. I also had no idea there was this much variation. But my contractor did. He knew what the tile looked like and how much variation was there. To him, the dark tiles were not something undesirable, or even something to ask me about. He had more experience, and I had not looked through the tiles to see what they were all like and pulled out the dark ones. Come to think of it, I helped him do tile on the second day. I put extra mastic on the back of the tiles that needed to be set forward a bit. On that day, I did pull out some tiles that were "too dark" for my taste. My expectations were different from Jim's. Now I am doing a second, different kitchen. I have an island that will be topped with 19" porcelain tiles that look like stone. I know from watching HGTV that some people lay tiles like this with no thought to the direction of the streaks of "grain" in the color. I hate that look. SO I am taking off a few hours on tiling day to give my input on the placement of the tiles and cuts. I would not know to do this if I had not seen other tile jobs I did not like, or see the dark tiles on my old backsplash. Since the sealer wears off in time, and since it is a liquid, I bet it has a solvent that will remove it. You may be able to do a "faux" finish on the white spot, then reseal it. It is possible that taking out that tile could hurt your wall and mean that the whole thing has to come down. Try something else first. After Bill Vincent jumps in and gives advice. There is a thread here somewhere about people hiring painters to faux finish outlet covers and other obstructions so that they cannot be recognized and ruin the flow of the backsplash. I would try that before taking out a tile and risking tearing the paper off the drywall underneath. Here is a link that might be useful: Painted outlets
...See More
Help! Did I go to dark on the backsplash in an all white kitchen?
Q
Comments (49)
Oh, I am just noticing your red mixer. Do you leave it out? Do you want red to be your accent color? A few bits of red judiciously placed would be marvelous without giving anyone a headache. Le Creuset makes all kinds of spatulas, scoops, etc with red silicone ends, and several in a crock with your other tools would look great. A floor mat in front of the sink a modern swirl of black, gray, white and a touch of red with dish towels and place mats with the same colors would be great, too. But not everything all the same pattern, that's too matchy-matchy. Or if the red all over is too intense, you could still do green as your accent color, that is very calming, and you still get to keep your mixer:) I do think the room need a live plant somewhere .Decide first what you want as your accent color and what you want to do in the corner. If you are going to do a wall unit like IKEA's you can put a plant in there. I wouldn't put a live plant on top of your cabinets, it will be too hard to water, and you run the risk of water damage, too. I was initially thinking of doing some sort of fabric valance on top of the window, but another thought was to have two big bushy hanging plants. They can be all green like swedish ivy or pothos, or have some color, such as coleus or tradescantia. The top of the pot should be at the top of the window or the top third of the pot should be at the top third of the pot should be above the window. Depending on how high that is, you can either reach them to water them, or you can get a special mechanism that lowers them to water them. I think should hang them low enough to be able to reach them, but not obstruct your view, and this way, you don't need a window treatment., and they bring life and color and oxygen to your room. You should lower the clock then closer to the window approximately 6 inches over the window so it relates to it, the way you hang art over a piece of furniture, and the plants on either side. You can purchase or make yourself sturdy but beautiful white macrame hangers, yes they are back. Keep in mind that you want the focus to be the plant, not the hanger. If you don't want to do the hanging plant, then think about a large floor plant if you can, or something in the wall unit if you get one, or a plant for the counter, or even some lucky bamboo (mix straight and curly stems) in a cylindrical vase with pebbles in the base on the counter.
...See More
Backsplash all the up the windowless sink wall?
Q
Comments (6)
I have seen before in these forums that contractors sometimes don't scribe the counter to the wall (meaning, they allow gaps between the counter and wall in some places), because they assume a thick backsplash will cover the gap. I know that it's not the counter you are asking about, but I would really want the contractor to assure me that the wall panels will look great against the wall..... even if there is no backsplash. I'd just want to hear that explanation again, to make sure your contractor is planning on doing things the right way. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/3881761/how-to-correct-a-gap-between-granite-and-wall
...See More
What type of backsplash for all white kitchen?
Q
Comments (1)
Everything is white? Cabinets, countertops, flooring, appliance, etc.? Lighting? Natural lighting? Surrounding rooms if visible? Help us help you, post up pics.
...See More
chris45ny
13 years ago
So happy for you. That pic you posted with the glaringly obvious spot would have bugged the ___ out of me. How about posting a new pic??
dianalo
13 years ago
I love a happy ending!
alwaysfixin
13 years ago
Yes, pics please! So glad that it all worked out. We have often seen on this forum where builders or contractors balk and make a big deal about fixing something. If they took the same energy and time they spent on balking to actually fixing the problem, it would be done!
crazyhouse6
13 years ago
Excellent news. Great job sticking with it and getting it fixed.
apbnash
Original Author
13 years ago
Ok, here is my after shot. Then, I will post a pic of the kitchen from farther back so you can see most of the reno.
apbnash
Original Author
13 years ago
Here is a faraway shot of 1/2 of the kitchen. This was a complete reno - cabinets and everything but the floor! Hope you like it!
chris45ny
13 years ago
I had to find your other post so I could compare the pics. What a difference!! Looks great. Aren't you glad you persisted and had those tiles changed. You spend so much time by the sink-that one spot would have driven me crazy. Really digging the richness of the cabinets, granite, backsplash.
apbnash
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks Chris! It would have driven me nuts because I spend my life by that sink. And, I love what you said about the kitchen because that was exactly what I was going for. Richness and warmth!! Glad you like it!!
dianalo
13 years ago
You would never know there ever was an issue!

I also have to compliment your cabinets. That color and look is the exact one I had in mind when we started looking for our kitchen stuff. I kept seeing close, but never the right shade and then we morphed towards white and that was it.
If I ever do a kitchen again (after winning Lotto and moving), I'd ask for this exact color. It is so warm and just so right! Not too dark... not too light....
apbnash
Original Author
13 years ago
I am so glad you like the cabinets. I stressed out over the finish. I like the look of cherry but they darken over the years and also can sometimes be too red. So, I went with Coastal Maple instead as they are supposed to remain a constant color. These cabinets were 100% custom, made by a family owned cabinet shop in Shelbyville, TN. Since everything was done right in their shop you could literally pick any stain under the sun. I showed them a picture of a cherry kitchen I liked and then they created the stain to match the pic as closely as possible.

White spots on backsplash all cleared up!!

Comments (12)

bayareafrancy

bill_vincent

Related Discussions

chris45ny

dianalo

alwaysfixin

crazyhouse6

apbnash
Original Author

apbnash
Original Author

chris45ny

apbnash
Original Author

dianalo

apbnash
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

White spots on backsplash all cleared up!!

Comments (12)

Related Discussions

apbnashOriginal Author

apbnashOriginal Author

apbnashOriginal Author

apbnashOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

apbnash
Original Author

apbnash
Original Author

apbnash
Original Author

apbnash
Original Author