How I saved money by tiling my own kitchen backsplash, using subway tile.
If you want to build confidence, do something you’ve never done before.
This was my approach to tiling our kitchen backsplash for the first time. I must admit, I was a bit scared to get started initially, but after receiving a few quotes, all averaging out to around $3,000, I figured it was time for me to put my DIY tights on and get to work.
I wanted to be lenient and give myself grace, so I gave myself two weeks to complete the project. My husband travels a lot for work, so I wanted to go about it like I’d be the only one working on the project - and if / whenever he could join in, would be great too!
That said, I’m going to break down this DIY the way I learned. I watched two youtube videos, and researched the materials I would need to get started.
Along with a list of materials, and the links to the videos, I’m also going to leave a few tips (knowing these tips will help the process and leave less room for errors). Before I get to it, I want to encourage you to go about this with an optimistic attitude. Give yourself time (don’t rush). It’s important to have patience when you are laying subway tile. It is a tedious-sort-of-work, but there is so much beauty in these details.
Alright, let’s start with watching the videos first!
Two videos I’m encouraging you to watch before getting started:
Video Number One:
(TILING)
Video Number Two:
(Grouting)
Here’s a list of what you’ll need:
Adhesive
Grout
Sealant
A Spirit Level
Measuring Tape
A Tile Bead
Grout Finisher
My Tips To You:
Be as patient with yourself as you can and make this a fun and enjoyable project. Play music and have a good time.
Try to keep your space clean as you go along. A clean space, is a safe space.
You can never have enough drop cloths.
Make sure to buy a 15% overage of tiles - you can return the extra boxes you don’t use once you’ve finished the product. Would suck to get into the groove of things only to have to run to the store because you’ve ran out of tile.
Prepare to use quite a few tubes of caulk. I used seven caulk tubes for my project.
Make sure your caulk matches your grout.
When it’s time to grout, do it in small sections.
Our kitchen has come such a long way, and we still have a few things to do before we can call it complete. Tiling the backsplash knocked out a BIG to-do for us. I really enjoyed this project and am so proud of the work we did on this kitchen. We’ve been smiling non-stop every time we pass by this room. Not to mention, we saved $2,600 by doing it ourselves. The materials came in a little under $400.
Now let’s be clear, I understand that there are experts who could’ve done this job, and I believe in leaving most of the work to the experts. However, we are first-time home-buyers and had to remodel the entire kitchen, update our plumbing and electric, along with plenty of other things around the house. Thus, we decided to take matters into out own hands for some of the cosmetic projects we were confident and skilled enough to do.
For anyone willing to brave it out and save on such an expensive project, I am hoping you have just as much fun as we did tiling our kitchen. If you decide to be brave and tile your backsplash, I’d love to hear about how it came out. please come back and share under this post to encourage all of the other tile-DIYers!
XoXo,
Ajai @truhome_