Kitchen backsplash installation, Etobicoke and Toronto.
A small job where every single thing that can go wrong is visible from the kitchen table.
Send a few photos and the rough size — you get a written price the same day. No site visit, no sales call.
What's included
Everything in the quote, listed.
Written out so nothing appears as an extra later. If something on your job falls outside this, it is named in the quote — not discovered on the invoice.
- Wall checked for flatness and made good where it is not
- Layout set out from the hood, the window and the range — not from the corner
- Tile set, including pattern work: herringbone, stacked, offset or mosaic
- Outlets and switches cut around, with box extenders where the tile brings the wall forward
- Clean termination at the cabinet line, the window reveal and the end wall
- Grouting, and silicone where the tile meets the counter
- Counters, cabinets and appliances protected throughout, site cleaned at the end
How it is done
The parts of the job you will never see again.
Once the tile is down, every quote looks the same. This is what separates them while the floor is still open.
- 01
Set out from what you look at, not from the corner
The centre line comes off the range, the hood or the window — whichever the eye goes to. Starting at a corner because it is easier puts a thin sliver of cut tile right in the middle of the wall behind the hob.
- 02
The counter joint is silicone, not grout
The counter and the wall move independently. Grout in that joint cracks and then holds water against the cabinet carcass. It gets a flexible sealant matched to the grout.
- 03
Outlets brought forward to the new surface
Tiling brings the wall out by the thickness of the tile and the mortar. The boxes need extenders so the plates sit flat against the tile instead of floating off it — a small detail, and the giveaway on a rushed job.
- 04
Herringbone and pattern work start with a full pattern in the sightline
A pattern has a rhythm, and where it breaks matters. Cuts are pushed to the ends and under the cabinets so the run you see uninterrupted is unbroken.
- 05
The top edge is closed properly
Where the tile meets the underside of the wall cabinets it is cut to the line — not left short and filled with a bead of caulk.
From his jobs
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Herringbone backsplash, joints closed to the cabinet line
What it costs
What actually moves the number.
Anyone quoting this job without seeing these four things is guessing, and the guess gets corrected halfway through the work.
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The pattern
Straight stacked or offset subway is quick. Herringbone doubles the cuts. Mosaic sheets need every edge trimmed and aligned so the sheet grid does not show.
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The number of outlets, switches and cut-ins
On a backsplash the cut-outs are most of the labour, not the field.
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How flat and square the wall is
A wavy wall behind a counter shows up badly in a tight-jointed pattern and has to be corrected first.
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Whether the old backsplash comes off first
Removing old tile from drywall usually damages the surface underneath, so the wall needs making good before the new tile goes on.
Get a quote
Six short questions. A written price the same day.
No site visit to get a number, and no sales call afterwards. If the budget is not right, you will know from the reply instead of from an afternoon off work.
Rather just talk? (437) 875-1982 · English, русский, українська
- Liability insurance in place. Certificate on request.
- Written warranty on the workmanship, on request.
Questions
What people ask about this job.
How long does a kitchen backsplash take?
Most are set in a day and grouted the next, depending on the pattern and how many cut-outs there are. Herringbone and mosaic take longer than a straight subway run.
Can it be done without taking the kitchen apart?
Yes. Counters, cabinets and appliances get covered and protected, and the kitchen is usable again at the end of each day.
Do I need to remove the old backsplash?
Almost always, yes. Tiling over old tile pushes the surface out past the outlets and the cabinet line and looks it. The removal usually damages the drywall face, so making the wall good is part of the job.
Do you supply the tile?
You can buy it yourself, or he can recommend material to suit the look and the budget. Either way the quote separates labour from materials.