Backsplash Installation: How to Tile a Kitchen Backsplash Step by Step

A backsplash is one of the smallest tile jobs in a house and one of the most visible. It sits at eye level, under bright lights, next to cabinets and counters that show every crooked line. This guide covers kitchen backsplash installation in the order the work is done. It explains the choices to make before the first tile, how to install backsplash tile neatly around outlets and windows, and which parts are easy to get wrong.

Decide where the backsplash starts and stops

This is a design decision, but it changes the installation. Settle it before buying tile, because it decides the quantity and how the edges are finished.

To the underside of the upper cabinets. The most common choice. The gap between counter and uppers is often about 18 inches, so the tile height is fixed and easy to plan.

Full height to the ceiling. Popular with open shelving, range hoods and walls without uppers. It uses more tile and makes the top cut and the layout around windows more visible.

Around windows. The tile can stop at the window trim, or wrap into the window return. A return needs finished edges and careful cuts, so it adds time.

At the ends of the counter. Where the counter ends short of a wall corner, the tile usually stops in line with the end of the counter or the side of the upper cabinet. Stopping at a random point looks unfinished. Wherever it stops, the edge needs finishing.

Behind the range and hood. Many kitchens tile this section higher, up to the hood or the ceiling, as a feature. Check the range and hood makers' installation instructions for clearances first.

For styles and patterns, see our kitchen backsplash ideas. The backsplash normally goes in after the countertop is installed, because the tile sits on the finished counter.

Prepare the wall for backsplash installation

A kitchen backsplash is a dry area, so sound, flat drywall is a good base. It doesn't need cement board. Our guide on whether you can tile over drywall explains where drywall works and where it doesn't. The wall needs to be clean, solid and flat.

Clean off grease, which is always present near a cooktop, with a degreaser, then rinse. Lightly scuff glossy paint so the mortar can grip. Patch holes, remove loose paint and knock down high spots. Check the wall with a straightedge, because a bowed wall shows as uneven edges, especially with long subway tile or large tile. If there is an old tile backsplash, it can sometimes be tiled over if it is solid and flat; see can you tile over tile. Removing it usually damages the drywall, which then needs repair before tiling.

Protect the countertop with cardboard or a drop sheet. Stone counters scratch, and dried mortar is hard to get off a matte surface.

Outlets, switches and box extenders

Turn off the power to the kitchen circuits at the breaker before removing any cover plates, and test that each outlet is dead. Then remove the plates.

Tile adds thickness to the wall, so the electrical boxes end up recessed behind the new surface. Box extenders (sometimes called box spacers or extension rings) bring the device and its plate out to the finished surface. Without them, the outlet sits too deep and the plate doesn't sit flush. The right type depends on the box and how far it ends up recessed; if in doubt, ask an electrician. If the wiring has to be changed, or outlets moved or added, that is work for a licensed electrician, with an ESA permit where required. Agora tiles the backsplash; it does not do the electrical work.

Plan the backsplash layout

A backsplash has a few strong focal points, and the layout is centred on one of them. Usually that is the range and hood, or the window over the sink. Find the centre and decide whether a grout line or the middle of a tile falls there. Lay out tiles with spacers on the counter, or mark a story pole, to see where the cuts land at each end.

Avoid slivers at the ends of the wall, at the side of the window and under the upper cabinets. A thin strip is hard to cut, breaks easily and looks like a mistake. Shifting the layout by half a tile often turns two slivers into two reasonable cuts. For subway tile, herringbone and other patterns, see tile patterns and layouts.

Next, the first row. It is tempting to start right on the countertop, but counters are not always level, and the error carries up every row. Check the counter with a level. If it is out, set a level line about one tile up from the lowest point and support the first full row there, with a ledger or spacers. The bottom row is then cut to fit the counter. Leave a small gap at the counter, about the width of a grout joint, for the sealant.

Thin-set or premixed adhesive for a backsplash

Cement-based thin-set suits almost every backsplash tile. A non-sag modified mortar holds wall tile in place while it cures. Premixed adhesives (often called mastic) come in a pail ready to use. They are only for the tile types and sizes their maker allows, which generally means small, light wall tile in dry areas. They dry slowly under dense or larger tile, and they don't suit every tile.

Glass and translucent tile need a white mortar, ideally one made for glass. Grey mortar or a premixed adhesive shows through the tile, and ridges show as lines. Light marble and other light natural stone also go in white mortar so the stone doesn't darken. Large porcelain panels need a mortar made for large and heavy tile, and full coverage on the back. Our guide on which thin-set to use covers the details. Follow the tile maker's recommendation where it gives one.

How to tile a backsplash: setting tile and sheets

Mix the mortar to the bag's instructions and let it slake. Key a thin coat into the wall with the flat side of the trowel, then comb it with the notched side in straight lines. Backsplash tile is usually small, so the notch is smaller than for floors: often a 3/16" V-notch for mosaics and a 1/4" square notch for subway tile. Spread only a small area at a time.

Start at the level line and work up and out from the centre. Press each tile in with a slight twist and keep the joints even with spacers. Step back every few rows and look along the wall. Small drifts are easy to correct while the mortar is soft and impossible later.

Mosaic sheets have a special risk: the joints between sheets. Each sheet is evenly spaced on its backing, but sheets set by eye drift apart or crowd together, leaving a visible grid. Set sheets with the same joint as the tiles on them, and don't stretch or squeeze the mesh. Press each sheet in with a flat float so every piece is bedded. Rake out mortar that squeezes into the joints before it sets. Our mosaic tile installation guide covers this in more detail.

Cutting around outlets, switches and windows

Outlets are where most backsplash cuts happen. Hold the tile in place, mark the box edges, and cut a notch or an opening. The cut only has to be neat enough for the cover plate to hide it, but it must clear the box and any extender. Where the box falls between two tiles, a notch in each tile is easier than a hole in one.

Notches are made with a wet saw, or with an angle grinder fitted with a porcelain-rated diamond blade. Ceramic cuts easily; porcelain needs better tools and patience. Holes for pipes or a pot filler are drilled with a diamond hole saw. At windows, the cuts around the sill and side trim are measured piece by piece, because window openings are rarely square. Our guide on how to cut porcelain tile covers each method and how to avoid chips. Do any dry cutting outdoors with dust control, eye and hearing protection and a respirator.

Finishing exposed edges

Wherever the backsplash ends in mid-air, the edge of the tile shows. That happens at the end of a counter, beside a window, and at the top of a backsplash that doesn't reach the cabinets. The cut edge of glazed tile shows the clay body and chips easily.

There are three common ways to finish it. A metal or PVC edge profile is set into the mortar as the end tiles go on. Many ceramic wall tile lines include bullnose or pencil trim pieces. With colour-body or through-body porcelain, the edges can be mitred. Choose the method before tiling, because a profile goes in with the tile. Our guide to tile edge trim vs mitred edges compares them.

Grouting and caulking a backsplash

Grout once the mortar has cured, usually about 24 hours for standard thin-set. Remove spacers first. Unsanded grout suits the narrow joints common on wall tile and won't scratch glass or polished stone. A backsplash collects grease, coffee and tomato sauce, so stain resistance matters. Epoxy and high-performance grouts resist staining best; see epoxy vs cement grout.

Two joints are not grouted. The joint where the tile meets the countertop is filled with flexible sealant. So are the inside corners where two walls meet, and the joints against cabinets and window trim. These surfaces move slightly differently from the tile, so rigid grout there cracks. Use a silicone or sealant colour-matched to the grout, applied after the grout has cured. The tile movement joints guide explains why.

Natural stone backsplashes

Marble, travertine and limestone backsplashes are beautiful but porous. Many stone and grout makers suggest sealing the stone before grouting, so grout pigment doesn't stain it, and again once the grout has cured. Use a grout that won't scratch a polished face. Kitchen acids such as lemon, vinegar and wine etch marble, so wipe spills quickly. Our natural stone care guide covers cleaning and the water test for sealing.

Tile behind the cooktop and range

Ceramic and porcelain tile are non-combustible and handle the heat behind a range well. Use a cement-based thin-set here rather than a premixed adhesive. Follow the range and hood makers' installation instructions for any clearances to the wall. Behind a slide-in range, plan where the tile stops, since the back of the range and the counter edge both affect it.

How long backsplash installation takes

For a typical kitchen, the tile work is often one to two days. Day one covers prep, outlets, layout and setting the tile. Day two covers grouting and sealant once the mortar has cured. A full-height backsplash, a mosaic or glass tile, a herringbone pattern or many window returns can add a day. The kitchen is usable again quickly, but grout and sealant need time before heavy cleaning. See how long before using new tile.

DIY or hire a pro for your backsplash?

A simple backsplash with ceramic subway tile, few outlets and no windows is one of the friendlier DIY tile jobs. Take the time to set a level line, keep the joints straight and finish the edges properly.

Some backsplashes are better left to a professional: glass tile, natural stone, large porcelain panels, herringbone and other patterns, and walls with windows and many outlets. Mistakes there are very visible, at eye level next to new counters. Agora installs backsplashes in homes across Ottawa and installed the food-station backsplashes at Teraanga Commons at Carleton University. See our kitchen backsplash installation page for how we work.

Frequently asked questions