Someone go get the cheese to go with my whine! So, I've got my new granite countertops in and new appliances. I just need my backsplash redone. After weeks of indecision on the design and material and quotes from a few contractors, Then being stood up or calls not returned by contractors, I decided upon a design (2 rows of stone mosaic with glass accents along bottom and 6x6 porcelain tile set diagonally with occasional accents worked in) and to do it myself. I've done lots of DIY projects, so this shouldn't be too difficult.
I got all my materials and rented equipment and got going, then things began to go wrong ... adhesive was super messy, tiles were slipping, struggling to keep things level and grout lines straight. Spacers kept popping out and after 5 hours and only about 9 tiles placed, I lost confidence. I contacted another contractor to help bail me out. This one actually showed up but some of his cuts looked worse than mine and a scratch "magically" appeared on my new countertops! I stopped everything.
I'm embarrassed and so disappointed and now, I'm not so sure I even like the design! So now, I have about 1/5 of the area tiled and I don't feel I have it in me to try it DIY again. For the money I've spent so far, I could have paid someone to do it and be done with it.
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*pout* I'm sharing this story for therapy (I guess) until my pity party is over and I get things moving again. In the meantime, has anyone else had a DIY project that just didn't go as planned? What happened and what did you do?
@Teresa..i know the feeling, I and just about everyone else has had this experience. I am so happy Hometalk is here for us to whine to, then get some direction! ie, More info!
Keep us tuned in on your progress.
@Woodbridge, I meant to tell you that using Bondera was my first plan but it is so expensive! ~$40 for 10x12 ft. I would have needed about 3 boxes. ...»
I'll post the before and after pics once it is done.
@Leslie, glad you guys are fine. Live and learn, right?
@Sharron, I was using porcelain tiles with a stone look. They were pretty heavy too though. I started in the center and there was a phone jack and outlet I had to deal with. So my first 3-4 tiles had difficult cuts. I took my time and the cuts came out great. I laid the tiles (3) all around the outlets and then placed the ones below those. So it wasn't vertical or horizontal, it was kind of circular, the way I laid them. The slipping was very subtle. I didn't notice until I placed the next tile or the spacer fell out. I used the round spacers with the cross in the middle thinking they would be better.
But as a DIY your labor is sort of free, unless your taking off from work to do it. So it make sense to use the mastic instead of the plastic.
Glad you go someone to help you out.
Contractor did not clean well between sessions. I have mortar on some of the tiles and discovered a glob of mortar that seeped under the paper laid out to protect the countertop. He is coming ...»
But the thinset should come off pretty easy on the tile surface as its shiny and the cement has nothing to bite into and hold.
What color cement did they use? White or gray? The white is a bit more expensive and is hidden much easier then the gray stuff. But in any case then need to scrape between the tiles and on the surface to assure that there is nothing left to be seen once the grout is properly placed.
Just remember NOT to pay him or her if any cement still shows once the wall is grouted. Not even part of what you owe. Job done, Job paid.
Unless you have a contract that spells out the payment differently.
The mortar is white. I purchased it from Lowe's (MAPEI Ultraflex 2 white powder polymer-modified mortar). I have a feeling, he won't be scraping between the tiles. I think he is concerned about the time it is taking. I've already had to adjust my original design to get a decent outside ...»
It is located between the backsplash and my cooktop, which is a very narrow space. So you're saying it is possible to get it off by scraping without damaging the granite?
Even if the job took longer then expected, He did give you a price to do it one way. Or were you paying by the hour? He should do the job correctly regardless of how much more work it was in the end. Its not like he opened a wall up and found something that is was not aware of. That I can understand. But with tile on a blank wall, there is little surprise on what its going to take to do ...»
In any case, careful cleaning should do the trick. You can even use a real stiff scrubbing brush to remove the cement. Its not really that hard. Just takes some time to do.
Thanks again for the support, encouragement and not making me feel bad for whining. :-)
So, I say to you, KUDOS for being brave enough to go for it! Despite your setback, whether you decide to finish it yourself or hire someone to just get it done so you can move on to the next thing, don't feel bad. Consider the old saying, "you can't win them all" and think about all the other things you've done yourself and how great they turned out. Keep that confidence! You won't lose any fingers. Take your time and regroup. You'll do great!