I actually had to dig this photo out of my computer’s recycle bin.
I was embarrassed at the gaps and, while I had faith in grout and caulk, I wasn’t eager to share the full frontal shot of my first tile job. So, instead I showed shots where my imperfections weren’t so in-your-face.
Well, here’s what that same wall looks like after it has been grouted. (I still need to caulk around the edges.)
Amazing, right?! I was a little nervous that I had too much faith in caulk and grout, but it exceeded my expectations in making my amateur tile job look great.
Here are some things I learned in my inaugural grout-applying project.
1.) Grouting is a not-fun job. When I looked longingly at the bucket of grout on my counter before my trip to Arkansas, I imagined I would smooth the grout over the tiles in one swoop, sponge the excess off and be done in an hour at most. Yes, laugh. I had no idea how much arm muscle and back bending and time was involved in applying grout.
2.) Grouting is messy and gravity works against you when applying it to a back splash. I finally caught onto that and used a piece of cardboard to catch the clumps of grout that fell. I also still have grout in my fingernails and will be wearing gloves tomorrow.
3.) It takes a little time to get used to the tools. The grout float tool felt very cumbersome to me when working on an 18″ back splash, especially around the corners…
…so, I used a rubber spreader around the edges and outlets. It was easier for me to control and there was less mess.
4.) Mosaic tile requires a lot of grout! I had a gallon of grout and I ran out about halfway through my project. My sweet hubby made a run to Home Depot after work to get some more, so I can finish in the morning. We live in the middle of orchard, farm and civil war battlefield country, so a run to Home Depot is no small trip.
5.) Grouting is messy and not fun and all of those things mentioned above, but it’s all worth it when you wipe all of the grout away and step back to look at your work.
Sigh.
Today we picked up our counters (well, the raw butcher block) and the finish for the counters and range hood insert were delivered. My freelance articles on the kitchen and bedroom have to be submitted in a few weeks and the finish line is getting closer…
I absolutely love your herringbone backsplash, it is to die for!
Hi MMM. You can use the grout all the way up to the wood. Then you won’t see the gap and no need to trim. I like the tile A LOT. Blessings!
You did an amazing job!
so so beautiful! imperfections are good to remind us that we did it ourselves!
(even if they are barely noticeable)
Fiona x
It’s so beautiful, and you’re so brave to do it yourself. The white grout looks great.
In the quilting world there’s a legend that old-time quilters would purposely make an error in one block. It was in homage to God as only he is perfect.
I love that! My dad and I actually joked that I was making a theological statement with my tiling about the imperfection of man. 🙂
speaking of theological statement: did u know that religious jews in israel leave a square the size of 40cm or so of unfinished wall at the entrance of the house-inside-not outside-not painted and not covered, just exposed cement- to remind us of the destruction the temple…so yes, non perfect is definitely the way to go:):)
with that said-u did a fantastic job and the tile looks superb:)
My perfectionist husband likes to questions my imperfections (in reno’s, redo’s, diy’s, etc) but I keep reminding him that nothing on this earth is perfect and the sooner he accepts that, the happier he’ll be. 😉 He’s always told me he is a perfectionist and I wasn’t seeing it till I looked it up. And found that he is the kind who doesn’t do many diy’s because he KNOWS they will not be perfect and wouldn’t be able to handle it. 🙂 And that’s ok with me. Only when I get to heaven will my home be perfect. 😀
Looks beautiful! I did our backsplash myself and I fully sympathize with your grouting woes. It was the part I hated the most. Such a mess but so worth it in the end.
The white grout was a good choice….it allows the tile to *shine*. 😉 Everything is looking awesome! Can’t wait to see it all come together!
Hugs,
Gail
love the look very classy, we did our Kitchen last year, totally different but I like it…
Your going to have to do a before and after on your house,,you have really made a lot of changes…
Dear MMS, It’s absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for the tips on grouting. Hugs, Anne Boykin
You should be proud : )
The tile looks great!
Nice job! We have a grout job coming up but I’m not looking forward to removing the old grout around little tiny hex tiles! Yours looks great!
Susan
It’s beautiful. Several years ago we used the 4″ slate tile as a backsplash. When it came time to grout, because of the irregularity of the tile, a float didn’t really work and we wound up using our fingers for the most part. We literally rubbed the skin right off our fingertips. It’s beautiful today, but I don’t think I’d use that tile again. Yours is gorgeous!
Very lovely. The herringbone pattern is very striking. Nice job. Think how healthy and toned your arms are now with all that work!! No gym for you. I’m not sure about how your back feels though.
Grout is the reason why I don’t tile! Every once in a while I catch myself daydreaming about a tiled back splash in my kitchen and then I think about grout (and keeping it clean) and remember a high quality paint is good for many years and wipes clean. 🙂 The changes you are making to your home are timeless! As long as your house stands, generations will love this tile.
LeeAnn, I felt the same way about grout. We tiled our backsplash with tumbled marble a few years ago. After Grouting, we sealed the grout. Splashes of food wipe right off. I made spaghetti sauce from scratch this summer and splashed tomato sauce all over the area behind the stove. It wiped right off.
Go for it.
Rebecca: Good to know and have a sauce endorsement!
But that ‘big girl’ feeling of knowing you did it yourself? That feeling is the best feeling! I still remember, many years ago, my first meeting with that feeling and how proud I was about fixing my own dryer. A dryer is important when you have four young children!
Well done! You did a great job!
That herringbone really is fab. We’re looking to redo our bathroom floor, and hex tiles were in the lead, but now I think they have a challenger!
But yes, it really is amazing what a difference grout makes, especially for small tiles. We did a penny tile backsplash and it looked so weird in the in-between stage.
Are the wonders of grout like the power of cheese? Ah, the wonders of grout. 🙂
It’s gorgeous!
Yes, very much. 🙂
Beautiful job, I love it!! The pattern is lovely. I hope to do a project like this soon, so I really appreciate this post, thanks! XOXO ~Liz
I’m so jealous! I want to redo my kitchen SO bad. I live in a nice manufactured home with those fake cabinets in the kitchen. I love my kitchen because it’s huge but oh how I wish I could afford to replace the cabinets, or do tile, or get stainless steel appliances, or…… 🙂
That tile is amazing! I inherited perfectly fine tile when I moved into this house. Now I want to smash it all out and install something gorgeous like yours! Beautiful work, looking forward to seeing those counter tops too.
lookin GOOD !!!!! I just can’t wait untill the counters are done [instant gratification] also ART is not perfect and this is kitchen art ha ha . Oh did want to share with you a hand scrub that does wonders on dry hands/feet got this off Pinterest . works really good even my husband uses it ; 2 1/2 c sugar 1 c olive oil and 4 T lemon juice. use a glob and rub in until crumbly, wash hands= enjoy. I made this for gifts last yr was a huge hit ;).
BEAUTIFUL back splash! And I can’t wait to see your butcher block counters as I am about 99.999% sure I am putting them in my kitchen soon (so much cheaper than other options!) Watching you — and others — in the blogosphere take on all these DIY projects gives me so much confidence that I, too, can conquer just about anything in my house! Thank you.
The backsplash looks So beautiful! I love the herringbone look and am now doubly jealous; hex bathroom tile AND herringbone in the kitchen! LOVE : )
The backsplash is looking good! WTG you for doing it yourself (with your Dad). I’m waiting for hubby to do ours…I’m a big fraidy cat with power tools!
Shannon
Looks especially pretty with the existing countertops!
Wow, a little (or a lot) of grout really makes a difference. I’ll be doing my first grouting job this week on tiles on a wall in the bathroom. Thanks for the tips!
It looks beautiful! 🙂
I LoVe IT! Inspiring………..
I have mentioned this in a prior post, but want to again because it is so important. Please remember to seal the white grout. Any kind of colored substance, (coffee, spaghetti sauce, jello, etc.) will stain it. It has to be re-sealed periodically. I re-seal mine annually just to be sure. Once stained, the grout has to be dug out and re-applied.
The tiles look great! I love how the imperfections are “hidden” with the grout. I have never used the sticky stuff you used to attach the tiles. I have always used adhesive and a v-notch trowel. Love the flexibility with being able to move it around. Again, great job!!
It is BEAUTIFUL!!
Marion, it looks Beautiful! You did an amazing job. Grouting is hard enough on the floor, but you did a great job! blessings
Absolutely gorgeous!. You did a great job.
Grout and Caulk– the airbrushing of DIY jobs! This looks SOOOO good. I’ve never tiled but really appreciate your input on the good and bad.
My, that was quite a job. It is looking wonderful and you should be very proud of yourself, and your Dad. I have done a little grouting in my time, and I remember it being a bearcat.
Looks fabulous! And the white grout was the perfect one to use! I can’t wait to see your finished rooms!
You’ll never doubt the power of grout again! lol. Great job. I think if we were honest, we would all admit that at some time or another, we all have those moments of doubt. It’s nice when things come together just like you thought they would – such a great feeling of satisfaction…and relief! 😉 It looks bee – you – tiful.
It came out great and looks beautiful!
Okay, I’m going to step right up and say I was very skeptical about this whole herringbone pattern, white grout and pretty much the whole concept. This only goes to show what an amateur I am and I can honestly say the results are just stunning. I am so glad you point out what went well and more importantly what doesn’t, so we can learn from your experience. Good job you!
Thank you so much for sharing the tips with us as I have never tiled before either. They of course make it look so simple on the decorationg shows. When I finally tile my kitchen, I will feel much better knowing what I will be up against. Inspiring as always Marian. It is lovely!
The backsplash is beautiful. I’ve done quite a few tiling jobs and would much rather grout than measure and cut the tiles. I found a float to be cumbersome as well and have always ended up using my fingers and hands – even on 1″ grout lines. I highly recommend gloves for sanded grout, though, or you will end up with raw finger tips. One piece of advice that I wish someone would have given me – don’t allow the haze to dry longer than the instructions recommend. I decided to eat lunch in the middle of re-grouting 4″ tiles in a shower and almost had to sand the haze off. The grout should be moistened once a day for four days and then sealed. There is an additive now which allows you to skip the sealing part, but I can’t testify to its effectiveness. Good luck with the countertops.
Wow, fantastic job, love it!!:)
Backsplash is looking great. You should be very proud.
Blessings,
Audrey Z.
Timeless Treasures
This looks amazing, though I’m still scared and think I’m going to paint mine on at first 🙂 I can’t wait to hear all about your butcher block tops and how you treat them, I’m itching to get some for us!
I’m so glad you shared…you had too…I’m getting ready to tile and I know I would not have been thinking grout covers a multitude of sins…I would have been in tears and knew I was a loser…but now I’ll I move ahead confidently and boldly with my tile project!!! Thanks for blazing the trail!!! Btw the back splash looks fabulous:)
That tile is lovely and your hard work paid off. We’ll be tiling a shower soon, so I’m glad to know what to expect!
is that white grout that you used? i’m gathering ideas for our kitchen redo and i love your backsplash. i’d like to do mine the same so i want to be sure i’m doing it right. 🙂 would you mind emailing me? i’d really appreciate that! jydardeau at yahoo dot com
I believe I have the very same tile in my kitchen and we are trying to decide on grout colors right now (my google search led me to you:)
What color did you use? We are thinking and antique white as our cabinets are an off-white shade, but are undecided.
Thanks for sharing! Can’t wait for ours to get to this stage….so close!
Hi Thank you so much for posting. I’m super nervous that my small herringbone will look too busy with my quartz. I came across this and saw what grout does. Here’s hoping it looks better grouted!