backsplash - which tile

radha5

7 years ago

Hi! Love this backsplash! What did you use here? Thanks!

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Featured Answer

lwfromny

7 years ago

Yes, for sure. They have to be sealed repeatedly either before or right after install. And they need to be thoroughly wet down before the sealer is applied. How many coats they need will depend on how much they suck up the sealer. I think mine were sealed two or three times. Often people seal them before install, and you should especially do this if you plan to use dark grout, because the tiles are porous so if they aren’t sealed before grouting the grout will get into the surface of the tile and discolor it. They are really different from other tiles and it’s highly recommended that they be installed by someone with experience with them. I had a hard time finding someone but finally found a guy who had never used them but he was excited about using something new and researched them a lot. He was diligent about following the correct instructions, and worked closely with me to plan the install of the design before putting anything up. After the job was done he said they weren’t a problem to install at all, and the sealing wasn’t a pain. They were tough on his saw blades though and he went through a few.

If you decide to go encaustic and hire someone to install them, I recommend you read how to install them and insist that the tiler follow the instructions. I talked to several people who I could tell thought they knew better and I didn’t trust them to follow the correct steps.

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Comments (6)

lwfromny
7 years ago
Hi :). This is from the Cement Tile Shop. The name of the tile is Cannes III (link below). They have awesome customer service and I couldn’t be happier with them and the product. You can see a lot of their tile patterns on Instagram by searching their hashtag - this allows you to get an understanding of how things look when fully installed.

One hard thing about dealing w cement tile for a backsplash is that when you order samples you need four to see the full pattern, and it’s not possible to put four of them up on the wall so you can see if you like how it looks, because they fall over. I solved that by going to Home Depot and having them cut me a piece of luan that was a little bigger than the size of the four tiles. Then I attached the tiles to the wood with duct tape, and that allowed me to lean the wood up against the wall. Just be sure to protect your countertop when you do it - the tiles are heavy and could damage the counter if they fell.

https://www.cementtileshop.com/collection/CannesIII.html
lwfromny
7 years ago
One more thing - there are not a lot of trim pieces that match cement tiles. So if you are using it for a backsplash, you have to really figure out before you order where your install will end and if there will be raw edges what you will do. This is one reason I chose to run mine to the ceiling.
radha5
Original Author
7 years ago
Thank you so much! I’m wondering if it’s worth it bc we don’t have that much area to tile and it’s for our weekend place. Do you have to seal the cement tiles?
radha5
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks so much for the detailed response. I think due to living 2 hours away and not having the bandwidth, I may skip this beautiful tile in that case.
lwfromny
7 years ago
Yeah I get that for sure. This is a second house for me also, and due to massive flood
It had to be completely gutted and rebuilt, top to bottom. There were many decisions I made where I would have done something differently if I could have been there to oversee what was happening. This tile was one of the things I made an exception for, because it really is one of the most important features of the kitchen. So I took a day off and spent the whole first day there with the tiler. I hope you find something you love that doesn’t require too much oversight!