DIY Sink Backsplash?

[Kaspian]

Hey all!   

I need to make a backsplash for my kitchen sink.  I wash my dishes by hand and man, the wall gets messy sometimes! 

Initially I thought the best thing to do would be to just buy a nice piece of stainless steel and mount it with that liquid nails adhesive moulding stuff.  Well, turns out Home Depot in Canada doesn't sell plain pieces of cut steel.  (They do in the US.)  I looked up various local machine shops and they're all way hell and gone a half an hour away.  They also seem to close on weekends and close early weekdays (no way I could make it after work).  The US has some great web sites where you can pick the type of steel, the dimensions exactly, and they'll ship it to you right away.  No luck finding a Canadian equivalent.  Or maybe someone out there knows of one?

So, (my small city) doesn't have Craigslist, but we do have Kijiji.  I started looking up tiles and the few that are available there people are delusionally wanting pretty much what they paid for them.  I'm not sure about tiles in the first place, I don't want to have to glue 200 of the little suckers in place anyway.   I looked at ceiling tiles--they're bigger, but they seem almost two big to accurately place in a sink alcove.  Many ceiling tiles also seem to have some sort of plaster/spackle involved and I'm pretty sure that wouldn't last long getting splattered with dishwater every day.

Does anyone have any other creative backsplash ideas?  Something that's waterproof, wipes off easily, without too many crevices?

[zataks]

Concrete would be my number 1 pick.  You can fancy it up and make it pretty or make it plain and simple.

Or simple tiles 6"x6" or 12"x12" and cut to desired size/shapes.  even at $2-3/sqft this would cost very little to do.

[Spork]

 I started looking up tiles and the few that are available there people are delusionally wanting pretty much what they paid for them.  I'm not sure about tiles in the first place, I don't want to have to glue 200 of the little suckers in place anyway.   I looked at ceiling tiles--they're bigger, but they seem almost two big to accurately place in a sink alcove.  Many ceiling tiles also seem to have some sort of plaster/spackle involved and I'm pretty sure that wouldn't last long getting splattered with dishwater every day.

I don't want to derail you from thinking out of the box, because you're likely to come up with something cool...

But gluing 200 of the little suckers isn't that bad.  If you go with the smaller tiles, they are normally in sheets.  You can slap (with care!) a square foot up in a few seconds.   I did the tile portion of my kitchen in about half a day (with a few hours followup for grout and then for sealer).

Yes: there are specialty tile stores that will charge you the price of your first born for tile.  We went to one of those.  After I choked on my own tongue at the price, we went across the street to Home Depot and found pretty reasonable look-a-like's for what we saw in fancy tile store. 

[orbix]

I'd argue that tile is probably the ideal way to go. It holds up well, is easy to clean (if you choose your style appropriately), and looks good. If you have any friends or relatives that are handy, ask around, or just do a bit of reading around about how to do the installation the right way and you'll be fine.

I started looking up tiles and the few that are available there people are delusionally wanting pretty much what they paid for them.

Here's part of the trick to any site like Craigslist: Look at how old the post is. People may be optimistically asking for a ton of money, but once the post has been up for a few weeks to a month or more, you'd be amazed how flexible the price is. Find something you like, then look for an older listing for it, then offer something like half what they're asking (assuming that's more in line with your budget). If they push back too much, just walk away and look at the next listing. Leftover building materials are a really hit-or-miss kind of thing to find, so if you set yourself a long timeframe for actually acquiring the materials, you can drive a hard bargain *and* get what you want.

Good luck!

[orbix]

One other thing to consider- if you have an architectural salvage yard, ReSource center, or the like anywhere near you, you can often find assorted materials there for cheap. If you walk in with an open mind (which you clearly already have given how you've asked the question at hand!), there are likely to be several solid options for backsplashes to be found.

[sleepyguy]

Your checklist...

1. low maintenance
2. low cost
3. looks looks nice
4. easy install (this is relative

I would say go with small grid pattern porcelain.  YOu don't have to seal it like natural stone and the install is quite easy.  Grouting will be easy (choose a darker colour so it doesn't show dirt easy)

I PERSONALLY would put hardiboard/rockboard behind and tear out the existing drywall, but that's just me.  This way I know the tiles will never come loose or fall out even with the harshes use.

I did the this to both our kitchens... each taking a weekend but most of the time is waiting.

[horsepoor]

Keep an eye out for clearance tile and go with that.  I did a big backsplash in our kitchen for under $100, and that was because I spent $50 for epoxy grout (which I recommend; doesn't stain or chip like regular grout and very waterproof).  Anyway, the main tile I used was a plain 6" off white biscuit tile that was on clearance for 7 cents apiece, then I found some of the 6"x12" mosaic tile marked down from like $10 to $2, and did a strip with that to fancy it up, and just had to pay full price for a couple linear feet of bullnose (I brought the backsplash all the way up to meet the bottom of the cabinets/window sills most areas so this was minimal).

A good trick for adding an expensive-looking accent is to get one or two of the 12"x12" mosaic tile sheets and cut them into strips to incorporate into your design.  For instance, if you get 1" mosaic tile, you've got potentially 12 linear feet of decorative accent for about $10.  Did this around our fireplace and it came out really nice.

[Greg]

Do you have an Ikea close by?  I ask because I have a stainless sink table thing that came with a couple of different stainless backsplashes.  Maybe you can find one that would work for you there?

[citrine]

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/7d/7d1db705-e747-42ba-9d7a-a84b31a920f1_300.jpg

We used the above in our kitchen and it came out awesome!  It is minimal work, holds up really well, and is very easy to clean up.

[Kaspian]

Great answers--thanks all!  Totally reconsidering going with tiles now.  Also love the idea of rockboard backing.  ...But since I rent, there's a good chance the landlord could overhear me skillsawing a giant piece of drywall out and come screaming at me.

I have to learn patience with things like this--it became a bit of a priority because I've been spackling up the holes/dings in the walls and painting the rooms one-by-one.  I'm one of those people who likes to get the job done.  ...But maybe the best scenario for backsplash is just sit on my hands and watch the classified.

Thanks again!

[Spork]

so... if you're renting... you might want/need to ask permission.  (I am sure it depends on your rental contract.)

If the owner doesn't care if you put up tile, I doubt he/she would care if you put up backer behind it.  Backer is always better... though I think in a kitchen backsplash it isn't 100% required like it would be in a shower surround.

[Bob W]

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/300/7d/7d1db705-e747-42ba-9d7a-a84b31a920f1_300.jpg

We used the above in our kitchen and it came out awesome!  It is minimal work, holds up really well, and is very easy to clean up.

These are very cool and relatively inexpensive.  You can install in less than an hour.   I've considered them many times at Home Depot.


 I on the other hand,  being a home remodeler, am too lazy and cheap to do that.  I'll wait until we put the house on the market.   

My solution? 

 Paint.  It is just about free and perfectly matches your painted walls.  Use something with a little gloss made for kitchens.  Wipes up easy, resists water.   (I don't find that much water even using the hand sprayer?)

The bonus,  if your paint backsplash starts looking dirty,  simply pull out the rest of the paint can you reserved and labeled and spend 45 minutes repainting. 

I've had my up for 4 years without repainting though.

Cost per sq. foot about -- 25 cents

Time including driving to store -- 2 hours

I also think that the tiles aren't a bad idea.  But once again,  I'm too cheap and lazy to give that much thought.  By the time you price out the trim pieces and fancy pieces you might want to add, it can add up pretty quick. 

Best of luck!

[Jane]

If you are renting, I would get permission before doing anything. And really, why are you footing the bill and material and labor to upgrade to somebody else's property?

But to answer your original question, go with tile. It isn't that expensive and will look nice. You don't have to do a backer board on a backsplash if your walls are drywall.

[orbix]

And really, why are you footing the bill and material and labor to upgrade to somebody else's property?

^^This.^^

[Goldielocks]

Think about back painted clear glass, especially if the area is easy to cover with one or two medium rectangles.

Looks nice, easy to cut glass for cheap that you paint the back of with your choice.

You can install with retainer clips, silicone , or like you would a mirror. It may come off easier too as you are renting.

Also look at wall frp panel cut to fit like restaurants use.  Not as pretty but very functional.

[Kaspian]

And really, why are you footing the bill and material and labor to upgrade to somebody else's property?

^^This.^^

Hard to explain that.  Slumlord.  They like me as a tenant because I pay on time but they're also not quick to do me any favours either because I'm rent-controlled going back to 1998.  You should see the absolute mess of concrete they (the superintendents) made replacing the toilet a few years back.  It still looks like shit.  They had to fix the fluorescent lights in the kitchen this year, broke one of the ballasts (it still hangs down four months later), they also broke the plastic cover (lens) over the fluorescent light (that was supposed to be replaced the next day but still isn't either).  Anyway...  I'd rather do the work myself because they totally fuck everything up almost more than what they were fixing.  For $530/month where most one-bedrooms go for $900, I decided that I don't mind throwing $20-30 in home improvements once a year for my own comfort.  ...It's better than having Heckle and Jeckle come in and destroy the place.

Permission?  Screw that.  I've lived there longer than this management has owned it.  ...They won't care--they're used to tenants who punch fist holes in drywall, not tenants who actually fix or improve things. 

Discovered and bought a box of nice unused Brazilian wall tile which was hiding at the back of the opportunity shop.  $6.  I think that's a good deal?  :)

[Simple Abundant Living]

Another idea is peel and stick floor tiles.  You can get them in all kinds of looks and colors.

[Kaspian]

Just finished grouting last night!  Thanks for all the advice, folks!  (I'll seal the bottom with caulk eventually.)

Cost breakdown was slightly higher than I wanted, but cheaper than a custom cut sheet of stainless steel.

  $  5.50   Tiles from used opportunity shop
  $28.64   Supplies from Home Depot (mastic, grout, edged trowel, grout float)
  $  9.01  Doh!!  Had to buy new grout because I added too much water to the first batch
----------
=$43.15 Total

..Which might be $10 higher than if I'd just bought one of these "Wall Tile Installation Kit"s from Wal-Mart ($29.96 + $3.89 tax)
http://www.walmart.ca/en/ip/glass-mosaic-wall-tile-installation-kit/6000087479360

(I found out about these while I was halfway through the project.  But it appears they don't come with the tiles and a proper float?  So maybe I am ahead overall?  Who knows with Wal-Mart stuff anyway? It could fall off after a year.)

But hey, I guess I learned how to tile, huh?  Fun little project. ...Except the grouting--that shit is nasty.

[Greg]

Looks pretty good.  Grouting is the hardest part I think.