Using Self-Adhesive Wall Tile for our Kitchen Backsplash

This post has been sponsored by Tic Tac Tiles. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Back at the beginning of the year, we revealed part of our kitchen makeover. Really, a huge part of it! It was our biggest project to date since we painted all the cabinets and added shiplap to the back of each exposed cabinet. It was worth every hour spent sanding, priming, and painting! Now, we’re back with another update. We’re slowly marking things off our project list and this time we crossed off backsplash. 

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And would you believe me if I told you installing this backsplash only took me a little over two hours? Not even kidding and that’s because we went with self-adhesive 3-D wall tiles by Tic Tac Tiles. You guys, this product is magical because all you do is peel and stick. I know, I know. I couldn’t believe it either. Do you know how much time and money this could have saved others?

We decided on the Subway Mono White for our design and love how the gray grout ties in with our countertops. I’m amazed at the texture, design, and overall look these tiles provide for our kitchen. We applied Tic Tac Tiles above all the counters and continued around the kitchen window.

So, why did we decide to give Tic Tac Tiles a try in our kitchen? For so many amazing reasons!

1. Time

With a toddler running around full of energy, time is very limited to focus on a huge project like installing backsplash. We needed something that was going to be fairly quick, easy, and with great results. Tic Tac Tiles took a little over two hours to install in our entire kitchen.

2. Budget Friendly

When installing real tile, you need a lot of materials and tools. Not to mention hoping you install it correctly if you’re attempting it yourself. The labor cost if you decide to hire someone can also add up quickly. All these things combined, it can take a huge chunk of your renovation budget. With Tic Tac Tiles, you pay for the amount you need and that’s it. Plus, you do it yourself. Very budget friendly and saves money in the long run.

3. Quality and Appearance

The quality of these adhesive tiles are so much more than I expected! They’re created out of eco-friendly materials, feel like real tiles, and give the appearance of real tiles. Also, don’t worry, the seams disappear once you press them on the wall. And I’ve got to include they’re heat resistant, mildew and mold resistant, and can be cleaned. 

4. Permanent and a Semi-Permanent Solution

These adhesive tiles aren’t going anywhere! Once they’re on, they’re on to stay. Which is what anyone would want. But! We’re planning to turn our counter tops into concrete countertops in the future. We can easily remove the tiles if we need to with direct heat from a hair dryer.

Warning: If you need to remove the tiles for any reason in the future, use a hairdryer! I can’t stress this enough. The direct heat from the hairdryer will allow you to easily remove the tiles (may take a little paint with them). If you don’t, simply ripping them off the wall will result in drywall coming off also. 

5. Do-It-Yourself

We’re obviously big on do it yourself projects and this is one where I knew the whole family could get involved. The hardest part was cutting out areas so that the tiles could go around outlets. But even then we were using a pair of scissors and an X-Acto knife to cut out those pieces. So simple!

So, with that, I’d love to share the process of installing the Tic Tac Tiles. It’s too easy not to share and I’m hoping to inspire you to give your kitchen a mini-makeover (or somewhere else in your home). We’re thrilled with the results and even more excited to knock off one more thing on our kitchen makeover list!

How to Install Tic Tac Tiles

Materials:

Tic Tac Tiles 
Xacto Knife
Scissors
Ruler 
Cutting mat or a flat surface to safely cut the tiles on

The How-To:

Preparation before installing: Make sure the temperature of your tiles and walls you’re adhering the tiles to are 70°F 12 hours prior to installation and 24 hours after installation. If you apply cold tiles or apply them on cold walls, they won’t adhere very well.

Step 1: If the wall your applying the tiles on has a glossy finish, you’ll want to give your wall a light sand using a fine grit sandpaper. This will allow the tiles to adhere better. Here’s a guide from Tic Tac Tiles on what surfaces you can and can’t apply the tiles on.

Step 2: Wash your walls with TSP to get rid of any grease, residue, and to give a clean surface to start on. You’ll do this step even if you didn’t have to sand your walls. Allow your walls to fully dry.

Step 3: Starting from the top, peel down 1-2 inches and evenly place the tile on the wall and press. You can use a level or draw a level line to make sure you’re applying them straight. Slowly peel the rest as you press the tiles and all the grout lines firmly. If you peel the whole sheet off at once, it becomes harder to align the pieces evenly. They’re very difficult to get off the wall once they’ve been applied.

TIP: When starting, you’ll have to trim the left side of the tiles for an even edge. This is easiest with a pair of scissors but you can also use an X-Acto knife. Remember to save the pieces you cut off. You’ll use them at the end of the wall to fill in a few areas that need to be filled in. That is, if you use the subway tiles like me.

Step 4: You’ll keep going until you fill the entire area where you want tile. With every new sheet, make sure you overlap the grout line. Don’t worry, you won’t see the crease.

The only tricky areas will be cutting out parts of the tiles to leave an open space for the electrical outlets and light switches. You’ll use the X-Acto knife to cut these areas out as you hold the tiles firmly on a cutting mat. It’s always better to order a few extra sheets of tiles just in case you mess up. Trim where necessary but always make sure your tiles are lining up evenly.

After completing this project, I’m amazed at the results and 100% recommend trying Tic Tac Tiles! Will you be giving them a try in your home? In my opinion, the kitchen is a great place to start. Let me know in the comments below! I just might have to try the laundry room wall next since that’s on our design board as well. We shall see! You can find Tic Tac Tiles on Amazon (hello Prime shipping) and on their website. 

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