How To Replace A Tile Backsplash

In this video, This Old House tile contractor Joe Ferrante shows how to install a mosaic-tile backsplash.

Project details

Steps:

Use hammer and flat bar to pry existing tiles—one at a time—from backsplash wall.
Scrape the bare wall clean with a wide-blade scraper.
Mix thin-set mortar and apply to wall with trowel, fill all holes and depressions. Wait 30 minutes.
Rub the thin-set perfectly smooth using a wet sponge and flat trowel.
Lay out the tiles, then measure backsplash wall width and height.
Cut tile to size, if necessary, using a manual tile cutter or wet saw.
Apply thin-set mortar to the prepped wall with trowel.
Press the first tile sheet into the mortar, repeat for subsequent sheets.
Allow mortar to cure, then fill the joints with grout.
Once grout is cured, protect it from staining by applying a liquid silicone sealer.