Asked on Jul 04, 2018

Repairing kitchen backsplash wall.

Michelle Jones
by Michelle Jones
I ripped out the hideous kitchen counter backsplash tiles today and it left huge gaping holes in the wall. Because we are planning a major kitchen renovation in the future, we are making do with what we can manage ourselves. I originally planned to replace with tile but do not have a wet saw and renting is not possible given our location. I now think I will get a plank cut and use peel and stick tiles. Two questions then: how much repair does the wall need? Will the mesh repair tape plus spackle take care of this or do I need to cut out the damaged dry wall and replace it? We are planning to use a Giani kit to paint our existing countertop.

  6 answers
  • Dfm Dfm on Jul 04, 2018

    Can you put up a picture?

  • Sharon Sharon on Jul 04, 2018

    No it sounds like there are several gaping holes. Just get a piece of sheet rock and replace. Easier to replace a large square then many small ones. Also instead of a plank to put peel and stick tile down. What about using plexiglass? You can still use your peel and stick tile but you could use instead small glass tiles (if you wanted something different). You could pick a base color glass tile and design in 2 other colored glass tiles. Just something for you to think about. They make glass tiles in shimmering silver and gold if you want to stay neutral. Hope this helps.

  • William William on Jul 04, 2018

    Replace the gaping holes with drywall. Mesh tape is used in sealing seams. Sharon's suggestion is great. I have cut out and replaced large pieces of drywall rather than trying to patch a bunch of holes.

  • Sharon Sharon on Jul 05, 2018

    Without a picture its hard to say but holes says to me, replace drywall and prime before put on peel n stick tiles.

  • Michelle Jones Michelle Jones on Jul 05, 2018

    Great, the consensus is that I have to cut out some 25+ feet of drywall, tape it, mud it and THEN paint. I love the idea of glass peel and stick tiles but I haven't seen any in clear glass....they are multicoloured.


    Thanks to everyone for your replies. I had a feeling I was going to have to do this but hoped for a simpler option. It's coming along....

  • Michelle Jones Michelle Jones on Jul 11, 2018

    Thanks for all the suggestions. I was wandering around Lowe's and found this little package of plastic mesh with a tin plate. It can be bent to break into smaller sizes (I only broke it once to cover the huge holes in my wall). Apply a healthy amount of spackle to the hole, cover it with the tin plate and then apply the peel and stick mesh (cut to size). A light coating of spackle is applied over that. After drying, all you need to do is sand, continue to spackle the smaller holes and presto...it's ready for whatever.


    I only needed about 18 inches of major coverage and I didn't have a piece of sheet rock around the house that matched up with that used in the kitchen so this saved me having to lug more gyproc home from the store. I can't remember the name but it is a flat blue package located in the sanding/spackle section of Lowe's.