The backsplash faded away! When I am working with standard ceramic tile, I prefer to use both a wet saw and a grinder with a diamond blade. Contacting the builder tonight. Nope, I’m not at all concerned about my ballooning budget.”, But seriously, just buy it. I agree with all the great suggestions here. I LOVE the herringbone pattern we chose. Again, a test board should have been done and approved anytime a colored grout is used. You will see it every time you go in that bathroom. I could have used subway tile wallpaper, but that runs about $30 a roll! Salesman, sir, I will take the $100 wet tile saw too. This post will walk you step-by-step through how to install a subway tile backsplash – even if you’ve never tiled before! Today, we can talk about grouting, plus you can learn how to fix it if you mess it up like I did! When you come back, you’ll be thinking much more clearly. How to properly caulk your subway tiles Many good grouts are epoxy-based for your application. Subway tile seemed perfect! It would look cleaner. You can find a similar product at Home Depot. I've always felt that the virtue of subway tile was its ability to be set with the smallest possible grout lines. Sorry this happened to you! Ceramic Tile: A Five-Scenario Showdown, Ideas needed for kitchen eating area space. The joints are SOoo crooked! Apparently, they didn't they didn't think their layout through or even do a dry layout.......the 2"+/- pieces could have and should have been avoided..........solution: rip it out and start over and this time I would watch as they start laying it up to make sure they do it right this time......... Trudy, I'm so sorry about the mistake! I will chose a darker grout. The grey will lighten and white will darken. Unfortunately for us, it was late and the home improvement store was closed, so we had to improvise. They’ve probably got 10,000 things on their minds and as much as they want to give you their undivided attention, it’s not likely. I personally don't think the problem is with the grout color, it's your tiler! Subway tile really looks bad (like a literal dirty subway hallway underground) unless it is set in with matching grout. I forgot to figure out how I was going to finish off the cut edge of where my subway tile stopped, which means the ceramic underneath the glaze (the not so pretty part) is showing. If you are thinking about hanging shelves on top of your subway tile backsplash, I would consider spacing out the brackets away from the end of your tile more than I did. It is quite striking. I don't like when the grout draws the eye instead of the tile. You’ll probably have more adhesive on the floor and in your hair than on the wall, and that’s ok. All jokes aside, if you are struggling to get the adhesive on the wall cleanly, try applying it directly to the back of the subway tile. I personally think he tried to put caulk in the grouts place from the way it looks. Uneven spacing and worse is too narrow a spacing. The backsplash faded away! I laugh too loud, love knocking down walls, bold paint colors, and spending WAY too much time looking at homes I can’t afford on Pinterest. I bet you’ll learn a lot (I wish I had!). White tile = white grout. The wet tile saw that I purchased isn’t available anymore, but here is another great and inexpensive option. I consider myself a pretty competent DIYer, but everybody has their Achilles heel. - Kitchens Forum - GardenWeb Here's our white glass subway Gallery - White Kitchen Backsplash - Subway Tile Outlet White Glass Subway Tile White Glass Subway Tile - Compare to Lush™ Cloud - Subway Tile Outlet White Glass Subway Tile 95 shares. They smooth out all the imperfections and make it look like you actually know what you’re doing. Mar 14, 2018 - Learn about these six common and avoidable kitchen design mistakes from an interior designer. I did it! I present to you: The do’s and don’ts of installing a DIY subway tile backsplash! Gloss-Finish Glass: Great for your shower wall. patterned squares; patterned hexes; solid shapes. And yes any flat horizontal surface should be a solid slab (marble, granite, repeat your countertop material here, ect.). shop all cement; getting into shape; cement artist patterns; new west; cement 2x2 color samples; patterns. I don't have an answer for you, but I suspect there are professionals here that can give you advice. When you think of spaces needing tile work — functional or decorative — you usually think of the bathroom and the kitchen, but today we’ll focus on the bathroom. He mentioned we will like a much lighter (or darker)grout for the same reason Josephcairns! Thank you all for your knowledge! I would be very upset, too. Classic White Subway Tile: Pair with an octagon bathroom floor tile and pedestal sink for a retro look. I used these for a lot of my project, but REALLY wish I hadn’t. I would do it differently. This is the problem with copying inspiration pics...unless you very carefully study all the little details that made the original work and incorporate those you might end up with a disappointing result. I agree with Chadwick Hunter KBA about using putting a stone (marble, granite, quartz) on the tops of the curb and half wall. In some spots it looks like the grout is still wet ,then there are places where the tiles don't properly meet . Double-check the tools they recommend are what you actually need. They even help with getting the tiles level height-wise! The good news is, it’s definitely the edge subway tiles that had this problem – out of the 12 holes we had to screw the lag bolts into, only 5 of them cracked (all on the edge tiles). But with each turn they got larger. Supplies Needed. If you’re intimidated by tiling but want to go for that harder pattern, maybe go pick up some super cheap clearance subway tile from your local home improvement store and practice before you do the real thing. You can actually even use a Sharpie, but why?eval(ez_write_tag([[468,60],'diywithoutfear_com-leader-2','ezslot_10',168,'0','0'])); Embrace your inner child and break out the art supplies you’ve been neglecting (or just go steal some from your kid’s stash).eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'diywithoutfear_com-leader-3','ezslot_11',169,'0','0'])); eval(ez_write_tag([[468,60],'diywithoutfear_com-mobile-leaderboard-1','ezslot_14',170,'0','0']));And don’t worry about the marker staining the subway tile and ruining your backsplash. ), and make sure you’ve got the right kind of spacers. (If only I had read an article like this that listed do’s and don’ts when installing a DIY subway tile backsplash before we got started!). Create a functional, aesthetically pleasing cooking space. Copyright DIY Without Fear © 2021 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I present to you: The do’s and don’ts of installing a DIY subway tile backsplash! Their discussion of how to space your tiles to avoid the common mistakes of placing them either too close together or too far apart is the perfect example of what we mean. Here's what to know before you buy, Heading into darker territory, subway tile offers a graphic new look for kitchens, bathrooms and more, Drugs, sex, excess — the home design industry is rife with stories that will blow your mind, or at least leave you scratching your head, Accessories conjuring the beach often start innocently enough, but if you've framed your flip-flops, it may be time to reconsider, Get a polished, high-end look from subway tiles old and new, It repels water. Houzz inspiration gone wrong... $10,000 wrong. It looked horrible. White tile = white grout. Smaller scale projects that will leave you more satisfied than stressed. But guys, I let my love blind me. For example, if we had looked closer, the tile spacers he recommended were wrong. Stone Age- agree 100%. I get upset with people who need to be more responsible for their mistakes. DO consider subway tile Subway tile is a classic that many interior designers swear by, especially in white. Kitchen Tile. Here are some beautiful kitchen designs with no backsplash. Will eventually get a desk for the corner of the room so we can both work from home if needed. A lot. The best choice comes down to which tile you settle on. I found MUCH more success that way, and I swear I was just a little bit hotter. I will be calling the builder and ask him to use a different tile guy for new job. I drew all the “grout lines” with pencil first so I wouldn’t have mistakes in permanent marker. Imagine this: it was the eleventh hour. If you review the picture that "judyg" posted, the grout line is fairly thick and looks great. When my gf moves in the furniture will move around a bit since she has a dining room table that we will put by the window and am going to move the recliner to the other side of the room. We like to use "Fusion". Thank you. There may have been a few things that led up to this mess...I can't tell from the pics but irregularities in shape of the tile itself can cause sloppy grout lines.. possibly the walls are also not square or plumb, a bad over all tile plan and inexperienced labor. I think this will look more modern. I am also not a fan of the traditional subway tile running pattern so I am going to stack it. Something about the oyster colour makes it look aged or dirty? So be very careful as you are laying your tile – small mistakes or sloppy tile lines will be even more apparent once the job is finished. I like the white with the oyster gray grout. While 3” x 6” is the standard size, subway tiles come in other sizes such as 2” x 4”, 4” x 6”, and even 3” x 12” (among other dimensions). The glaze is hard to get through, but once you get that out of the way, the rest kind of just disintegrates.eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'diywithoutfear_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_8',166,'0','0'])); I’m a pencil person. Have dinner. Glad I saw your post as I was just about to use oyster gray grout on subway in my kitchen. The shower should be completely water tight behind the tile! Like too much. Honestly I'm beginning to depose subway due to this situation. Colored grout is very very tricky. “Yes, please, Mr. How you just wanted to fall into their big, sweaty arms? I have a completely white subway tile shower with white grout and aqua accent tiles An industrial chrome frameless shower door, and if I do say so myself it is sensational! When shopping for thin-set for larger tiles make sure the bag has terms such as “medium bed,” “large tile” or “large format” on the bag label. Yes it will look crappy over time like anything unless you keep it very clean. Measuring twice is only part of the equation – talk through it with yourself or your tiling buddy, sometimes just saying what you’re about to do out loud can help you realize what you might be doing wrong.eval(ez_write_tag([[728,90],'diywithoutfear_com-large-mobile-banner-1','ezslot_1',160,'0','0'])); If you and your tiling buddy can’t figure it out, take a break. I decided to hire a tile guy and ask to be his assistant so that I could learn how he completed tile projects. I used 2 different sized levels. The rug is something I picked up this weekend. Insight and Inspiration for Endeavoring Homeowners. In this most-important room, both smart, intuitive design and attractive aesthetics are equally important. Kitchen. Also, a little bonus tip to this one – clean your notched trowel (Amazon, Home Depot) frequently. 2) grout is usually chosen to blend with tile, not stand out from it. Insist on a totally different installer ... don't even try it again with the same person who did this job. Until. ). I'm 30, by the way. Take time to think, don’t cheap out on tools, slap that adhesive on the back, figure out how to finish the edge before you start, steal your kid’s craft supplies, don’t drill into a lonely edge tile, build up those outlets, choose an easier pattern (or get the right tool! I meant cement board! All by myself! Doesn't look like the shower corner is straight to begin with though. But if I could do it again? I would do it again in a heartbeat. If you even do half of those things, I guarantee you your first tiling experience will be light years better than mine. A nitty-gritty, day-in-day-out, REAL AUTHENTIC look at renovations (and how to make yours go smoothly! 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