Backsplashes
One of the most popular elements of any home is often the kitchen backsplash. Backsplashes are practical and desirable because they protect the walls from stains and water damage. But the benefits of a tiled backsplash don’t stop there.
Installing a kitchen or bathroom backsplash can make a real impact on the look and feel of your home, here are several things to consider when shopping for a tile backsplash.
A backsplash adds a personal touch to the room’s style
Your walls are open canvases and you can add your style to them with paint but nothing adds a stylish and personal touch like installing a backsplash with unique tile that speaks to you and your personality. There are endless tile choices, let your imagination and creativity be your guide and you can have something truly unique to you and your home.
Not all tiles will eliminate stain risks or be easy to maintain
If you love to cook and hate to clean be careful which tiles you choose for your kitchen backsplash. Not all tiles are great at reducing maintenance and certain tile choices could actually add to your maintenance workload and schedule instead of reducing it.
For instance, while we love the look of natural stone, stone and marble are naturally porous materials so they are susceptible to staining and require scheduled maintenance with specialty cleaners and sealers. Small tiles may also end up needing more maintenance because they will have more grout joints and that’s where grease and dirt like to take up residence.
If maintenance is a high priority for you, we recommend ceramic, porcelain glass or even metal tile. Because these materials are non-porous, stains will not be able to penetrate the surface of the tile. We also recommend an upgraded grout for backsplashes, one that has stain-resistant technology built-in. One last thing to consider if you are concerned with less maintenance, the larger the tile the less grout joints and therefore the less maintenance needed.
Think long term
Whenever you are investing in your most valuable asset (your home) you should make sure you are considering the long term impact. For example, if you plan to live in your home for a very long time you most likely do not want to be remodeling every few years due to rushing a decision as large as tile selection or which tile contractor you hire. It would be a shame to choose something just because it is on sale only to later find out there was a reason it was on sale or you really did not like it and are now either stuck with it or have to spend more money to change it out to something you will truly enjoy.
On the other hand, if your home is temporary and you plan on putting it on the market within a few years, tile choices should be less about what you want and more for the general public. Choose neutral colors and tile that appeal to a larger group of people, think subway tile instead of mosaics. Subway tile is a classic look that has stood the test of time and is always in style.
When considering a tile contractor to install your backsplash, do not rush to make your decision or choose based solely on something as fleeting as price. We understand HGTV makes it appear as if something like a kitchen backsplash can be installed, grouted and ready for action in just a couple hours, but that is not the case! They call that TV Magic in Hollywood but in the real world there is a lot more involved in producing quality work that will last for generations to come.
Ask contractors what methods and materials they will be using. What grout and why? How about silicone caulking, will they use it in between the wall and the countertop? Or will they be grouting that joint? If they are removing an old backsplash, how will they protect the cabinets and countertops? How about protecting the rest of the home from fine dust? These are all valuable points to consider and make sure you get the answers you need.
Recent Tile Backsplash Projects
We had WNA Tile & Design renovate two of our bathrooms and we are super happy with the results. The tile work in both walk in showers are amazing and are show home worthy. Thanks for the great work.
Trevor did some Reno’s for me. It is an Old basement that he made new again, very professional job. He is Coming back again for more updates. Highly recommend Trevor.
We got Trevor to install our subway tile in our shower and he did an amazing job! He is very professional and easy to deal with. He did exactly what we had envisioned. We liked his work so much we got him to come back and install floor tile in the same bathroom. The floor also turned out perfectly. We will be using him to do our kitchen backsplash as well in the near future. I would 100 percent recommend Trevor !
Trevor at WNA Tile and Design did an amazing job on our kitchen tile backsplash! Right from the beginning, he was professional and reliable. He had many options to choose from for grout color and schluter and offered his opinion on what would look best and what would really draw someone's eye to a focal point in the kitchen. It is very obvious that he kepts attention to detail and takes pride in his work. Even after the work was completed, he came back to touch up what he "felt" was not perfect but wasn't even noticeable to us. When guests see our newly renovated kitchen, they comment first on how stunning the backsplash is. He did not disappoint and we certainly are very pleased that we decided to go with him. Highly recommended!
Trevor and his team installed a heated floor system and laid a complicated tile pattern in our porch area and it looks and feels amazing. We love having the additional heated floor space for family and friends and for us of course 😉 They exceeded our expectations delivering what they promised...on time and even a bit below the estimate he provided. We highly recommend Trevor and WNA Tile design.
Great company to deal with, very professional and organized. Awesome tile work!
First time using this company, and will definitely use them again. We needed two bathrooms redone with tile. Quoted price was very reasonable and ended up being accurate. The work was completed when they said it would be, and the results are perfect. We were very impressed with the attention to detail displayed. They are also very helpful with suggesting designs or options that we would not have thought of but turned out great. It’s very helpful to have someone with a lot of knowledge to discuss and plan the project with for those of us who don’t know much about tile work, design or renovations in general. The fact that there is a lifetime warranty on the shower tile installation is an added bonus. Really I can’t say enough good things about this company and their work. Highly recommended.
I have used Trevor twice now. Each job was completed on time and on budget. The crew was very courteous as we were home during one of the projects. We barely knew they were working while we were in the house. The quality and attention to detail proved that they take pride in their work. They even went out of their way to seek options and warranty possibilities as one of our project was fixing a leaky shower installed by another contractor. In the end they saved me thousands off of the job. The bottom line is; I would use them again and again. In this day and age it is hard to find reliable help. Here it is. The only short fall I felt was on my part. I feel we could have helped Trevor decide on some design options, but we trusted his judgement. The showers turned out amazing!
The quality in the work, and attention to detail is immaculate and really speaks for itself. Always professional and will always stand behind the quality of his work. I picked a more “complicated tile” for the base but he spent the time figuring out how to make it work as I had my heart set on it. I really cannot say enough good things and would highly recommend.
WNA have remodelled various rooms in my house. The latest was a complete bathroom renovation. The tile work in the walk in shower is flawless. It is outfitted with rain and telephone shower heads including overhead LED lights and heated tiled floor. I am a repeat customer and will be calling them up for the next project. So I highly recommend them for your next project.
