Tumbled Marble Backsplash

A great way of beautifying your walls is by installing a backsplash. Mostly, this method is used for kitchen walls or bathroom walls. Tumbled marble backsplash, with their soft surfaces, subtle colors, and worn edges can increase the visual appeal of your kitchen. Choosing the right color, material, and design is important, before you install these tiles. The color should go with your other kitchen decor.

Since tumbled backsplash is available in marble or granite, decide on the material as well. You can also incorporate other materials like ceramic tiles or hand poured glass and elevate the design to an altogether new level. Spend time in selecting the right design, as you will be spending a decent sum of money and you do not want it go waste.

You can use any of these ideas for your kitchen to enhance its beauty:

• Old World: This is a simple and cozy look, which is easily achievable by using tumbled marble or any other material in subtle tones.
• Mediterranean: This is a more colorful and vibrant look, which is achieved by using bright colored tiles.

• Contemporary: This look is clean and sleek without any rough textures or effervescent colors.
• Customized: There are no hard rules for designs and you can easily come up with your own creation giving a unique and distinct look to the entire place.

To start with, you need to measure the area where you wish to install the marble. Measure the length and breadth and multiply these figures to get the total area. This will help you to know how many tiles to purchase as you will get the area in square feet.

After measuring the area, you have got to prepare the area for installing. Rough up the surface area you are going to work on with a sandpaper. Doing this will breakup the paint on the wall and ensure that the surface holds the tiles better.

Sealing the marble tile is vital before installation or else the tile would be damaged by the settling materials. You need to pick up a penetrating sealer, which is specially designed for sealing stones like marble. Use a piece of cloth to apply the sealer properly on the tile surface and leave it to dry.

With the help of a measuring tape, determine the center of the surface area. Mark this area out using a leveler by drawing a cross. This is important for you to know where to start laying tiles from. The first tile will be placed on one of the corners of the demarcated areas.

Next, you need to spread the adhesive. Use mastic, as it is stronger and will hold the tile better on a vertical surface compared to a thinner adhesive. Spread the adhesive using a v-notched trowel, ensuring the adhesive is evenly spread on the entire surface.

Pick up one tile and place it on the surface. Press it hard into the adhesive at the place you marked earlier. Then fix another tile besides this one. Keep repeating the process till you have covered the entire surface.

Tiles will have to be cut a little around the edges near the cabinet areas. Use a wet saw to cut the tiles after measuring the extra areas properly. Leave the tiles in place for 24 hours or till the adhesive dries, whichever is later.

At the grout joints of the tile, apply unsanded grout. Remove excess grout by wiping the surface with a sponge dipped in water. The grout shall dry out in 24 hours and your job is done.