Tiling above a kitchen worktop and splashbacks

[HartGranite]

Hi all,

I am new to this forum - I have read a few of the posts here and it looks like I am in heaven

I am a granite worktop fitter by profession, so if anyone has any questions related to this subject, then I am sure to lend an ear, maybe a few tips and I will defo ask around my buddies..

If you are interested, I recently wrote an article on the subject of (broken link removed) that gives a little information on this process and what is involved - it could be a simple DIY job for the right person, although you may want to get an interior designer to handle it for you.

My advice, would be (and this all depends on your DIY ability level) to do some of the work your self, and when it comes to say laying the tiles and shaping them, you could use a specialist - this way you are able to shed some of the costs, whilst still getting a good job done..

In fact, you could spend the same money and invest the extra cash into an even better designer - there are ways..

Anyway, if you are interested in chatting about kitchens or granite, then wud love to hear from you..

Cya, Andy

 

[mayhem]

What a coincidence! I just did this to my kitchen this summer. Fun project and the results are very satisfying. While I was ripping the place apart I opted to add some undercabinet lighting too, so no more dark kitchen.

 

[HartGranite]

Hi there,

I like the pics - have you got a front view of the tiles (just for a closer look).

From what I can see, the tiling looks good

Take care, Cya

 

[mayhem]

Here you go, thanks for the compliment.

We did alot of tiling around the house as we finished it off, so its become a bit of a hobby for me. Fun work, sometimes making an interesting challenge and very satisfying when its done.

The dimmer photo was done wihtout a flash so its tinted a bit browner than actual. The closeup showing the base diamon pattern is a more accurate color.

I started my pattern by lining up with the centerline of my cookstove and the seam of the overhead cabinets above the stove and went left and right from there. I just started replicating the pattern above the main cabinets just to tie it in and should have that buttoned up in the next week or so...like I said, this is strictly spare time for me.

Any suggestions from someone who actually does this for a living for how to improve my work for the future would be greatly appreciated. I've done all of this learning on my own. I'd venture that I've probably got about a thousand or so square feet of tile work behind me at this point (kitchen, dining room, hallway first and second floor batth floors, hearth pad, master shower and sink surround and now the kitchen backsplash and wall)...all of it has been self taught. Happy to say I've only discarded one tile in the whole house.

 

[HartGranite]

Hi Again

Thanks for send the front-on pics of your tiles.

Just wondered how you did the pebble effect above the tile? Are they real pebbles?

Speak soon dude!

 

[mayhem]

They're real pebbles, but thhey're also cheater tiles. Its a bunch of stones that have been smoothed and epoxied to a backing mesh so you can make an easy border. I opted to trim the ends and assemble them like a jigsaw puzzle so the seams between tiles don't show up as a straight edge, but the work is nowhere near as complex as the results imply.

They do tie in quite nicely with my stove hearth though, which is where I first used them. This photo was taken shortly before I started on the kitchen wall, but you can see it just on the far left edge of the frame.

 

[HartGranite]

However you did it, it's a pretty cool effect!