Do you ever feel like you’re working on a project with no end? That’s what our kitchen remodel has felt like, but we are finally in the home stretch! The backsplash tile was one of the last big projects, and pretty soon, after a little dressing up, I’ll be showing you the whole kitchen!

I’ve installed tile before – a kitchen floor and a bathroom shower – both of which were done with ceramic tile and a wet saw. Messy, messy. This time, for our kitchen backsplash, we went a simpler route. I partnered with Aspect Peel & Stick Tile for our beautiful backsplash, and I want to show you how easy it is install!

I was given glass tile from Aspect Peel & Stick Tile in exchange for a blog post, but all opinions are completely my own.

Ok, let’s start at the beginning. If you’ve never installed tile before, let me explain a little bit. Typically, when you install ceramic or glass tiles, you have to use a wet saw to cut them. A wet saw is similar to a table saw, but water is run through as it cuts so as not to shatter the tile. What’s left is a smooth piece of tile and a wet, muddy mess.

The upside to using a wet saw is that you can make intricate cuts and angles, but for something like a simple, straight backsplash, you can skip the mess and do something a bit simpler. That’s where peel & stick tile comes in handy!

HOW TO INSTALL ASPECT PEEL & STICK TILE

Aspect Peel & Stick glass tiles are 3″ x 6″ and come in boxes of 8 tiles in various colors. For our kitchen, I chose a combination of Frost (white) and Steel (grey).

After choosing your tile, you have to take accurate measurements. Now, I’ll be the first to admit that, while I’m good at math, I suck at calculating square footage. I almost ordered 160 square feet of tile, instead of 16 square feet! (Can you imagine a pallet of tile being delivered by semi truck to my house?!? My husband would have fainted!)

When measuring, be sure to add in a little extra for cuts and mistakes that are bound to happen. You are playing with glass, after all!

SETTING UP TO INSTALL TILE

Make sure you have a fresh, clean, and primed wall to apply the tile. If you are applying the tile over a painted wall, use a sanding block to scuff it up a bit, then wipe the wall clean. You’ll also need a glass cutting tool. I purchased a ceramic tile cutter from Home Depot and it made scoring and cutting the glass tile very easy.

While you won’t be using a wet saw and making a muddy mess, you will still have a bit of a mess to deal with, so it’s best to lay a towel under your tile cutter to easily clean up the little bits of glass that will come off each piece as you cut.

INSTALLING THE TILE

Ceramic tile requires grout. The Aspect Peel & Stick glass tile only requires that you peel off the sticky backing and apply it to your wall. And let me warn you – that stuff is seriously sticky. Be sure you place your tile properly before sticking each tile to the wall because once it’s on the wall, it’s not coming off!

For most rows, we were able to place a full tile, one after the next, but there were several cuts that had to be made, like around the outlets and to finish off the end of the rows. When making cuts, measure twice, cut once.

TIP: Grab a wet erase marker to draw a line along the surface of each tile marking the cut location. After cutting each tile, simply wipe the line off with a damp paper towel.

To cut each tile with the tile cutter, place the tile along the raised seam, lining up your mark with the center mark on the cutter tool. Hold firmly in place with your left hand while firmly scoring the tile with your right hand, then use the tool to snap the tile along the cut. If done properly, you will get a clean break.

Peel off the backing and carefully place the tile in its location and press firmly to seal it to the wall.

That’s it. Simple as that!

THE FINISHED BACKSPLASH

We installed the Aspect Peel & Stick tiles under both sets of cabinets, behind the stove…

…and above the dishwasher.

Now that the tile is complete, all that’s left to do is decorate and put things back together!

Check out everything Aspect has to offer on their website.

FOR MORE OF OUR KITCHEN REMODEL, VISIT THESE POSTS: