Kitchen backsplash, wall prep

Hello again, and welcome!

Let's get started on preparing your backsplash wall to receive your tile.

Generally speaking, you are going to want a smooth, clean surface to apply the tile to.

Some backsplashes will have an existing wall covering on them. Such as, laminate, tile, or wall paper. These will need to be removed prior to installing your tile.

Removing laminate (Formica, or other): Please observe safe practices when removing laminate from your wall, as it is very sharp and can cut you. Wear safety glasses, and gloves.

Begin by carefully prying up a corner of the laminate, if you don't have access to a corner, pry up at an edge, or at an outlet or switch. Use great care not to damage areas of the wall which will not be covered by tile, but if you do it's not the end of the world, those areas will simply need to be repaired and repainted. After removing the laminate, scrape as much of the adhesive off of the wall as you can, using a 4" razor scraper. Don't worry if you damage the wall a little.

Removing existing tile from a backsplash is a little more challenging. Use a small pry bar or chisel to get under the edge of a tile, with a little luck and elbow grease, the tile will pry off somewhat easily. If, however, you are unlucky, the tile and drywall will come off together. If this happens, don't worry, you can replace the damaged drywall with new after you are done with the tear out. In fact, some pros prefer to gut to the walls and replace the drywall. That way, you have a clean flat surface to tile over. If you manage to get the tile off without taking the drywall with it, scrape the wall as clean as you can.

If your surface is painted, your job SHOULD be much easier. I say should, because homes built before 1978 are more likely to have lead in the paint. If you are certain your paint does not contain lead, all that is needed to prepare the surface is to sand it with a medium grit sand paper, to remove any loose paint, and rough up the surface. If you do suspect that your paint contains lead, you will need to take special precautions. I should think gloves, a respirator, safety glasses, and wet sanding the wall should suffice.

Some homes will not contain drywall at all, but lath and plaster. The prep for these walls is similar. However, bear in mind, if you need to gut a wall of this type, it will be much more difficult to repair due to the nature and thickness of the material. If you need extra help in this regard, or have any questions for that matter, post your comments and I will answer them the best I can.

If you damaged the wall while removing the existing covering you will need to repair the damage. Small holes that go all the way through the drywall, should be taped with an alkaline resistant mesh tape. Larger holes will need to be cut square, and patched with a piece of drywall, and the mesh tape. You can then go over the holes, dings, peeled paper, and small amounts of left over adhesive, with a good quality polymer modified thinset mortar. Do not use regular drywall joint compound or spackle, as the setting material you'll use to stick the tile to the wall will not adhere to these very well. The best way to fix a lot of imperfections is to apply a thin coat of thinset mortar, or skim coat, to the entire wall. Use the flat side of a notched trowel, or a drywall knife 6" or larger.

If you did tear out to the studs, you may want to consider replacing the drywall with 1/2" cement board. Although not necessary, it will provide a superior surface for tiling. Be sure to tape all seams and corners with the alkaline resistant mesh tape, and thinset mortar.

There you have it. You should now have a surface that is ready for tile!

Coming next, we will begin tiling the backsplash.

Thanks for listening, see you next time.