Hexagon Tile Backsplash

Finally one of those daunting tasks that has been on my to-do list for the longest time is complete!

When I shared my kitchen progress a few weeks back I told you I had a few more projects to complete, one of those was to install a tile backsplash.  The kitchen started off green, green, green and a little dated. I didn’t hate the green granite counters but the green everywhere else really brought the green out so the first step was to tame some of the green.

Fresh paint and new appliances were a great first step but I wanted to add something to bring this kitchen up to date on a budget and since I’d already torn off the old splashes I has to commit to something. My first thought was subway tile just because it is so economical but I really wanted to do something a little different.

So when I ran across this 4 in White Hexagon Tile  for just $4.49 a square foot I was sold… That is, once I accepted that there would be a lot of more difficult cuts.

With this in mind I decided to upgraded my tile saw (affiliate link) to one with an adjustable miter gauge and since I’d had my old one almost twenty years I didn’t feel too guilty about buying a new one.

Now with my tile selected and my new tile saw in hand I was ready to get the party started!

Although this is not a How-To post, I will show you some of my process and give you a few tips I’ve learned in my years of tiling.

• For a more modern look try an aluminum tile edge instead of bullnose.
• Many of the smaller bath tiles and subway tiles have built-in spacers or nubs on the edges (check your tile first) so unless you want a thick grout line or are going to use them in a really wet area, no spacers are required.
• Getting your first course straight and level is key so take the extra time to draw some level lines to get you started.
• If you have cut tiles in your first course cut them all ahead of time so you don’t have to reset your saw.
• Cut the top course of cut tiles under the cabinets as you go since the cabinet line may not be perfectly level or you courses may have gone a little off course as you tiled.
• Apply mortar as you work, in tight spots you can apply it to your tiles instead of the wall.
• Be sure to loosen your outlets so they sit over the tile not behind, depending on the depth of your tile you may need to add longer screws.
• Clean as you go, grout and mortar are much easier to get off when wet than once they dry.
• For small areas I recommend using premixed grout it’s easy to use. You can close it up and come back later without wasting it and most are stain and mildew resistant and don’t require sealing.
• Choose grout color based on skill level. A contrasting grout will show every error so if you have flaws in your tile work go with a matching grout to help camouflage the errors.

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Using my own advice I competed the first wall and taped the edge strips for extra support while they dried.

The continued around on the opposite wall.

In the corner I cut the tiles to look like they wrapped the corner rather than starting the new wall with a whole tile. This will keep the pattern going so your eye doesn’t go directly to inconsistency in the corner.

And since I was feeling good about my tile work I decided on a gray grout.

Caulking along the counter top and top edge in a shade matching the grout finish off the look and seal the deal.

And now we are ready to get the real party started!

I mean that literally because this was the project I wanted to get done before we invited anyone over.