Believe it or not, I didn’t start this project with the intent of installing a split face travertine tile backsplash. The original plan involved the simple task of removing the old microwave and installing the new stainless steel one. But like many of my DIY projects, this one took on a life of its own!
Since we spend so much time in the kitchen, we splurged for all brand new stainless steel appliances. The refrigerator and stove installation went quick and easy, but the microwave… Well, let’s just say, the microwave swap led to an unexpected upgrade for our kitchen!
The plan was to take down the old microwave and prep the area for the new one to be installed. I thought it would be a good idea to remove the backsplash from behind the old microwave before we installed the new one. My thinking was that if I went ahead and did that, I wouldn’t have to take the microwave back down later on when Jacque decided that she wanted a new backsplash .
Here’s a good look at the old backsplash.
I figured I would be able to break the old tiles apart and easily remove them from the drywall… That idea was grand in theory, until I found that over the years, the old backsplash had grown quite fond of the drywall… At one point during my attempt to separate the two, I swear I heard the drywall tell the backsplash, “You go, We go!”
So here I was, the old microwave had been removed, the new microwave waiting to be installed, and an uncooperative backsplash and wall standing in my way. I did what any DIY’er would do… I embraced the situation and I took it all down! And by all, I mean I stripped the wall of EVERYTHING, all the way to the studs.
Now, keep in mind, Jacque thought that my plan was to just swap out the microwaves…She didn’t have a clue about the backsplash demolition or the cabinet removal. As a matter of fact, she lay sick on the couch in the family room about 25 feet from where I was working. She wasn’t kept in the dark too long… It was kind of hard to disguise the sound of breaking tile. Luckily, she’s a trusting wife! I get the feeling that nothing really surprises her anymore when it comes to me and projects! So with her blessing I continued the carnage, knowing very well that I was going to pay for disturbing her much needed rest… After all, we still had to go shopping for the new backsplash!
The remainder of that day involved installing new drywall and mudding the joints. As partial payback, since I had the cabinets off the wall, Jacque asked if I would reinstall the cabinet above the microwave higher then where it originally had been. She had been brainstorming and I knew I was in trouble. That request led to me having to not only raise the cabinet height, but I also had to raise the electrical box and plug for the microwave!
(All of this out because I didn’t want to have to take the microwave down a second time later on… When will I learn???)
After a few days of mudding and sanding on the drywall, Jacque was feeling better and decided it was time for payback to go shopping. We had seen travertine split face tile at our friend’s, the Johnsons’ house and we fell in love with it! And as luck would have it, we were able to find the tile we wanted at Lowes, literally 5 minutes from our house! Jacque wanted to find something to add that “something special” to the backsplash, so we scoured the isles looking for the right look. I ran across some decorative tiles and after some healthy discussion, this is what we decided on!
Now, on to the how this all came together!
(Unfortunately, I started the installation when Jacque had gone back to work, there wasn’t anyone to take progression pics for me.)
Since I had just installed new drywall, there wasn’t much surface prep required before I began the installation. I did take the time to clean the area of dust and debris by wiping the surface down with a damp cloth. Next I measured and marked out guidelines for my tile. I found the center of the wall and measured out 6 inches on each side, as to guarantee that my first sheet going up would be centered. The only other mark I made was the countertop height, so I’d know where the install the tile to meet up nicely with the countertop.
Next I began to apply the mastic. (the adhesive designed to adhere the tile vertically to the wall). I used a v-notched trowel and spread the mastic on the wall surface in a fan like sweeping motion, covering just enough wall to place 2 sheets of tile at a time. The split face tile sheets are made to be pieced together like a puzzle side by side without a gap, so there were no spacers in between to worry about. Placing the tile was as simple as finding my reference marks and pressing the tile firmly into place. I installed the entire bottom row first and the only cutting I had to do was for the 2 outer sheets of tile to fit against the wall. For most of the project I used a wet tile saw for cutting, but in some instances, I found that peeling off the individual stone from the mesh backing and shaping it with a bench grinder came in pretty handy too! Once that bottom row was set, the remainder of the installation was simply repeating the same process over again.
The next step was to seal the backsplash with a product called Aqua Mix Gold. I went with this sealer because it advertises that it can be used as a pre-grout sealer and a stain protection. There is some debate about whether or not it’s necessary to grout split face travertine tile. Originally, I didn’t plan on grouting the split face tile , but after some reading and discussion with some tile experts, I’ve decided that I will grout it in the very near future. But, for the time being, I went ahead and applied the Aqua Mix Gold with a sponge and waited 24 hours to let it fully cure. Once the sealer had cured, I finished off the backsplash by adding some recessed plugs (So the kitchen appliances wouldn’t stick so far out on the counter top) and touched up the side wall with paint.
The project that started out as a simple microwave swap led to the installation of a gorgeous split face travertine tile backsplash!
Here’s what we ended up with!
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Fantastic post!! Looks stunning Matt! Is this type of backsplash easy to clean? We need to redo our backsplash too and I was wondering if a tile like this is easy to clean (grease ect) compare to a flat tile like a subway tile? I might come up as a no reply blogger so here is my email: settingforfour@gmail.com Thanks!!!
Nope Heather, all your info came up! It does clean really easy, but the key is to make sure it is sealed properly. We still need to grout it, but I keep getting distracted by newer projects! Thanks for stopping in!
Love it. I so want to replace our kitchen back splash.
Thanks Danielle, you TOTALLY should! Testing the waters on a smaller area like our backsplash was a great way to get comfortable with tile installation! Be sure to let me know if you decide to retile yours! We’d love to see before/after pics!
It looks beautiful guys!! The tile is so pretty and the listello tile you selected is stunning! Just gorgeous. I bet you just stand and stare at it right?
Enjoy! and Happy New Year.
Shannon, you are absolutely correct! I could sit at the kitchen counter and just look at that backsplash all day! But Jacque, that’s another story, if she stares too long, she starts thinking about painting cabinets and changing out the countertops!
I appreciate you taking the time to leave us such great feedback! Happy New Year!
So pretty! Great job!
Thank you Lucy! It really warms up the kitchen and makes it feel more welcoming!
Looking good! I would want to cook cook and cook some more if I had a fun backsplash to stare at! Nice work!!
Jen, I’m lucky that Jacque likes to cook and is really good at it! If it was left up to me, I don’t think she’d be very happy! We loved the split face tile the first time we saw it, but the accent tile really helped personalize the look!
Wow! I love that beautiful tile, and how you raised the cabinet. Jacque, you might need to get sick more often! ha!
Thanks Kelly! Jacque is totally not allowed to be sick in the middle of any projects anymore! I wish I had a camera ready to capture her reaction when she saw the demolition that had occurred!:)
So I know from experience the amazing things a firefighter can accomplish on their four days off. (Married to one for 16 years!) Love every square inch of your backsplash reno! Or perhaps tile is measured more in feet… in which case I love every square foot. Just amazing what a new backsplash can do for a space. It looks so fresh; great choice and execution! Found you on HomeTalk… glad to be following!
Julia, Welcome! 16 years of being married to a firefighter is quite an accomplishment! Sometimes, I’m surprised Jacque hasn’t killed me yet! Thanks for the feedback, we love how the tile really warms up the kitchen!
Holy amazing! I am super jealous of your backsplash…maybe one day I will lose my fear of tiling…
Jessica, After all of your projects that I’ve seen on Mom4real.com, I’m sure you won’t have any problems with tile! Thanks for the comment!
that looks great, such a huge change. i’m having major kitchen reno envy…ours needs some updating and back splashing, too. oh well. maybe this year?
Just wait and see what we’ve got in store for the rest of the kitchen! It’s going to be a busy year!!! Thanks for the feedback!
Looks SO great! That is the exact same tile we picked out to use for our backsplash but we are adding a green and brown glass subway tile instead. So I assure you that I will DEFINITELY be picking your brain in the near future…
Thanks Susannah, just let me know if I can be of any help!
I love it, and just pinned it!
Beautiful job on the whole project! The tile is incredible but honestly, I think I’m in love with the microwave. Ours is at least 20 years old and I would LOVE a new one. Yours is stunning. :o)
Gorgeous! Don’t you love it when the dust clears, and then you have a beautiful finished project right before your eyes! Thanks for sharing at Pinworthy Projects.
This looks gorgeous! I love it. Thanks for sharing at the party.
Your back splash is absolutely beautiful! {and the picture of you two at the top with your pups…oh my goodness ~ just perfect}
Have a wonderful weekend!
~Mary Beth~
You are featured this week on Busy Monday! Hope you will stop by and snag a Featured button from the button box. Thanks so much for linking on Busy Monday!
Thank you SO much Charlene! I’m headed over right now to grab a button!
Thanks so much for coming by and visiting DianaRambles.com. I appreciate you comment. I just love your blog and am pinning this post because I really want a back splash. I am following via G+, Facebook, Pinterest, & Twitter!
Thanks for the follows and the pin Diana! The backsplash has made the kitchen feel much more “us” You should definitely go for it!
I love the tile choice, I think it’s so beautiful and adds so much texture and character to the kitchen! You guys did a great job!
Well We are redoing our backsplash and we were looking for that exact insert, but we ciuldn’t find it when you said that it was at lows i clicked on the link and it only showed up with the main tile not the middle pice. Please help!
Vicky, I searched the Lowes online stock of tile and didn’t see the insert that I used. I’ll shoot over to Lowes in the next couple of days and see if I can find the name of the one I used. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can!
Hi Matt,
Ran across this post when looking for ideas on how to put up a 1 x 2 split faced travertine backsplash and see that I chose the exact same tile ( I think) that you did! Your writing was very funny and I laughed and read out loud parts of your post to my husband. I am carefully researching how to do this backsplash, as I am planning on DIY ing it and have never done tiling before. A little afraid but I”m always game. So, I have a question for you. Do you think I could cut the individual tiles with a hand held cutter or one of those non mechanized tile cutters, without it crumbling and falling apart? I do not have a wet tile cutter saw and would rather not deal with it, if I don’t have to. Also, do you know anything about those sheets of adhesive used instead of mastic, by chance? They seem so much cleaner than putting the mastic on the wall but I’m worried they won’t be strong enough. Have been reading very mixed reviews on them. Thanks for your blog… and your time! Jennifer
Hey Jennifer! So, in regards to cutting the individual tiles, I think an angle grinder or even a bench grinder with a concrete/masonry wheel would easily cut them/grind them down if you don’t have access to a wet tile saw.
As for the adhesive sheets, they work great for larger tiles, but when it comes to mosaic and split face tiles, it’s not the best option because, in my experience, the adhesive doesn’t cover out to the edges of the sheet, and since the split faced tiles are so small, the top and bottom rows of tiles wouldn’t actually come in contact with any adhesive. But, the good news is, mastic is SUPER easy to use and actually isn’t that messy!
Good luck with your install and if you have any more questions, just let me know! If I don’t have the answer for you, I’m sure I know someone who will!