Tile backsplash installation questions

9 years ago

Hi, again, I'm seeking advice from the helpful community.

We installed half of the backsplash yesterday and the other half today. I used 6x12 glass tiles (bottom and top rows) as well as 6x12 marble+glass mosaic (middle row where electric outlets are). The installation went smoothly and it's already looking great. I have a few questions:

1. In the beginning, my helper was not generous enough with the thinset and first half of the big (6x12) tiles he installed may have only 40% coverage. We only found out midway when we needed to re-do a couple of tiles due to placement. The Glass Tile thinset I used says 16-24 hours before grouting. I really want to make sure the thinset cures completely to get its maximum holding power. So, my question is: is it the longer I wait before grouting, the better? For example, 3 days, or longer?

2. Do glass tiles require sealing? I'd think not, but on the inside of the box where the tiles come in, it has a piece of paper that recommends sealing before grouting. However, the boxes are the generic boxes from the tile shop, so I suspect the instruction is not really for those glass tiles.

3. My marble is white and the grout will be white. Do I still need to seal the mosaic first before grouting? What will happen if I seal only after grouting?

4. Can I caulk the corners before grouting? Every video I watch caulk afterwards, but is there anything that makes caulking before grouting a bad idea?

Thank you!

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Comments (5)

eam44
9 years ago
Hi there.

1. There's no point in waiting longer than 24h. Generally, the more you use the longer it takes to cure. You used less than you should have, so why would you need more time?

2. No, glass tiles do not need to be sealed. The grout will need to be sealed.

3. The reason to seal before grouting would be that the grout will be easier to clean off the mosaic. Do as you wish.

4. Grouting can be messy. You're going to get grout on your caulk if you reverse the order of things. Will it come off? Probably. Is there any reason to do it backward? Nope.
mudworm
Original Author
9 years ago
Tahnks EAM44!

I sealed the marble mosaic this morning, which didn't take long. Okay, I will wait to caulk until after grouting. I wanted to do it out of order because I happen to have a tube opened and wanted to use it soon.

My current question is: can I grout after three days or even longer? I didn't get around to grouting today (just finished painted the entry door). If I must do it today (48 hours after the first half of the tiles were installed), I'll need to stay up until midnight. Been pulling a few late nighters and am feeling exhausted. Would like to deal with grout later. Any downside in waiting?

Thanks!
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eam44
9 years ago
You're welcome. There's no problem waiting to grout. Get some sleep!
mudworm
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you EMA44!!!

I watched some youtube videos how the pros apply grout and it looked easy. Wow, when I did it, what a mess I made!!! But it's now all cleaned up and the grout has cured, my backsplash is looking great! But I've left a few hard to get to (behind faucets) gaps and the corners un-grouted, so I can apply caulking cleanly.

Even though my Fusion Pro grout says it's stain resistant and does not require sealing, I want to be conservative. I have marble (sealed before grout) in the mosaic portion of the backsplash, so I still want to apply the sealer all over the entire backsplash.

1. Sealing does no harm to glass, correct?
2. Can I seal after caulking so the caulking can also be sealed under?

Thank you!
eam44
9 years ago
1. Correct, it won't hurt your glass
2. You know, it probably depends on the caulk. Usually you seal the grout, then caulk, but maybe someone else can weigh in on this one.

I'm glad to hear it's going well! You have to post an image when you can.