How To Tile Over A Laminate Backsplash

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If you have a laminate backsplash, you may prefer to update it. Laminate, which includes Formica, is comprised of press wood and topped with a plastic coating. Laminate backsplashes grew in popularity for a while, but now they have faded out of style. 

However, you don't have to remove the backsplash. Tiles are a popular way to cover your backsplash without the hassle of removing it. Tile over the backsplash by following these tips:

Prepare to Tile the Backsplash

To tile the backsplash, gather:

  • work gloves
  • cloths and sponges
  • chalk or carpenter's pencil 
  • drop cloths
  • scrub brush
  • degreaser 
  • tape measure
  • straight edge 
  • coarse sandpaper (50-80-grit)
  • orbital sander 
  • rubber mallet and beating block
  • spackle knife
  • grout and grout float
  • tile snips or tile wet saw 
  • thin set mortar tiles

Scrub the surface with a degreaser and sponge, then use clean cloths to rinse and dry. Spread a drop cloth over the sink, countertops, and over other areas that you don't want to be touched by materials, and tape it down to secure. 

Apply painter's tape to outlets and trim. Keep the area ventilated by raising a window, or running an exhaust fan 

Sand the Backsplash

Attach coarse sandpaper to an orbital sander and run it over the surface, until it no longer feels smooth, taking care not to damage the wall. Use the sink sprayer or wet sponge to rinse sand dust, and dry the area with a cloth. If you prefer, apply a de-glossing agent.

Tile the Backsplash

Measure the lowest point of the backsplash, and mark two tiles above the lowest counterpoint. Use the straight edge and chalk to snap a reference line from these points all the way across the backsplash. Set the tiles on the floor in an area about the same size as the backsplash to create a pattern including outlets, and dry fit tiles to determine a natural ending point.

Cut tiles to fit around outlets and edges using the tile snips or saw. Mix the thin-set mortar and apply it over the surface beginning at the bottom center with the spackle knife or trowel. Push the tiles in the mortar at a slight angle following the pattern you made earlier starting at the lower left or right, then give them a light twist to spread mortar. 

Use the mallet and beater block to make the tiles even, then let it dry twenty-four hours. Mix the grout, then spread it between the tile seams using a grout float at a 45-degree angle, and turn it 90 degrees to dab access. Let the grout dry for ten minutes, then run a damp grout sponge over the grout in a circular motion until tiles are clean.

Contact a kitchen remodeling company for more information and assistance. 

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