Art3d 10-Sheet Peel and Stick Backsplash, 12 in. x 12 in

 

j’avais encore besoin d’acheter d’autres lots mais je m’aperois que le prix augmenter de 1 E, on se demande bien pourquoi ? Ce produit tant dj relativement cher, je ne comprends pas cette augmentation. J. Lefevre

 

I liked the tile effect but you need to be careful when placing them for fixing, once they come in contact with the surface! They are stuck. Oh, and be careful when peeling the back and front from the tiles or they will split along the joints.

 

We are in the midst of a “mini-remodel” on the kitchen in our house that we bought 6 months ago. Being a 1952 build, and much of it original means there is a LONG list of projects needing attention, all clamoring to be at the top of the list. The kitchen won’t get a complete remodel but it is getting a few new cabinets (added to what was already there) and a backsplash – since it had just bare painted walls (in what I like to call “institutional green”). You can still see some of that “lovely” green on the window trim in my pictures. While I’d like to eventually do real tile, the ultimate remodel of the kitchen will include an undermount apron sink so installing tile now, while our sink has an integrated backsplash, would be a waste of materials. I wanted something quick, reasonably priced and easy to install without any special tools.

These tiles fit the bill perfectly.

Anyone who claims these don’t stick very well must be installing on a surface which wasn’t on the list of approved placements – like a textured wall – READ the listing it even shows textured walls as an inappropriate surface! My walls were incredibly smooth, so they were a near perfect surface. If you have textured walls I’d recommend doing a skim coat of drywall mud (or two or three) until your surface is smooth. Then primer them. Be sure you’re allowing the recommended 21 days between painting and installing the tiles so you get a good secure installation. If you don’t need to smooth out your walls, get a bottle of TSP cleaner (available at the big box home improvement stores and most local hardware stores). Mix up a solution in hot water, don your rubber gloves and give your walls a good wipe down. This is really important in a kitchen where cooking causes grease and smoke to coat walls.

I learned a few very valuable lessons while installing these which I want to share –

1. Don’t start with the top or bottom row of tiles. Instead, mark level lines in your area and install a full tile in the Middle of the space. This will insure that your tiles are 100% level. Also I think if I’d started with my first course being level with the top of my sink’s backsplash, I would have had a much easier time of it. That little 1 3/4″ strip between the window trim and the top of that backsplash was a real PITA. Work your way to each edge from this middle piece and then do your top and bottom rows to fill in.

2. If you have any tricky areas – such as outlets or a curved integrated backsplash edge (I had both in the span of about 1 1/2 tiles) – create a template from paper, turn it upside down and mark the back of your tiles accordingly. I did NOT do this around my outlets and now I have a spot with wrinkly looking “grout lines”. It’s mostly hidden behind our compost bin, but I know it’s there and my brain has not shut up about how I might remedy the appearance. This issue was solely installer error (I was being lazy) so I cannot detract from my 5-star review for this.

3. Take your time. No, seriously, TAKE. YOUR. TIME. Do not attempt to rush this installation, and for God’s sake, do not try to carry on a conversation while you’re measuring. I lost at least one tile to this. Measure 3 or 4 times, hold your piece up, measure again, then cut. While cutting this is easy, once it’s cut it’s useless anywhere else unless you need a smaller piece. Dry fit these several times (without removing the backing) to make sure all the edges line up and the “grout lines” overlap properly. I spent about 6 hours doing my backsplash. I could have done it quicker, but I knew these had to be as close to perfect as possible or I’d lose my mind (hello, perfectionist here!!).

4. Do not, I repeat DO NOT, take the backing off completely unless you’re dealing with a very small piece (palm size or smaller). That’s another reason that I have wrinkled grout lines in one area.

5. Make sure your tiles are positioned properly before you place them – when I said I didn’t experience any issue with sticking, I wasn’t kidding – I had one that I tried to pull back up and it actually took up the old surface of the drywall. Fortunately I saw this and immediately stopped.

6. Make sure your surface is free of any bumps – old nail holes for example. They don’t need to be filled, but you want to make sure there’s no ridge around the hole or this will show through your new tiles.

7. Cutting tip – mark your tiles with a fine point sharpie (I tried several other marker types and these really to work best). Mark on the back and have a scrap piece of wood available to cut. A razor knife works best unless you have a tool already to cut very straight lines. A good utility knife with a replaceable razor blade cutting edge is your friend. I found that I could cut a straighter line free hand than trying to use a straight edge – you may not find this but figure out what works for you. These tiles can be a bit slippery when cutting and that’s how I figured out I could cut free hand better – I wasn’t trying to hold my straight edge to make the cut straight. When I did that, the tile tried to scoot around under it.

Pros – affordable option to real tile, looks like tile from a distance (won’t stand up to the touch test though). Easy to cut to size, adheres really well.

Cons – the learning curve can be a bit difficult at first – hopefully my tips will help someone else and make their installation easier. These are STUCK on once you place them so the old “measure twice cut once” rule really applies here.

I would definitely recommend these to anyone who wants a quick upgrade – or a temporary fix short term like we did. I’m going to also see how these stand up over time because there’s a spot in our bathroom where I think they’d be a great addition.