Why the splashback is the ideal first tiling job

A kitchen splashback is the perfect place to learn tiling. It is a small, contained area, most of it sits at a comfortable working height, and the tiles are usually fixed to sound plasterboard, plaster or backer board rather than to a wobbly old wall. The results are on show every single day, so it is worth taking your time — but the job itself is forgiving. Get the first row straight and level, and everything after it tends to follow.

The area that matters most is the strip between the worktop and the underside of the wall units, typically around 600mm high, plus any exposed sections around a sink or window. Behind a hob you will want full coverage up to the extractor hood, and behind a sink the tiles should extend slightly wider than the basin itself.

Measure twice, buy once

Before you fall in love with a tile, work out how many you actually need. Measure the length of every wall section you intend to tile, multiply by the height, and add each section together to get the total square metres.

• Add 10 per cent for cuts and waste; add 15 per cent for a herringbone or diagonal layout, or for large-format tiles where a break is expensive.
• Check the tile’s actual size, not the nominal one. A "200mm" tile is often 198mm, and that 2mm difference multiplied across a wall will throw your joints out.
• Buy all the tiles in one go, and keep one box unopened. Shade and batch numbers vary between production runs, and a later top-up may not match.
• If you are tiling behind a hob, check the tile is suitable for the heat — many decorative or glass tiles are not.

Pick tiles that suit a working kitchen

Ceramic tiles are the easiest for a beginner: light, simple to cut with a manual cutter, and happy with a ready-mixed adhesive. Porcelain is tougher and more water-resistant, but denser and harder to cut, so you will need a wet cutter and a cement-based adhesive. Natural stone looks lovely but needs sealing and is easily stained by oil spatter — a bold choice directly behind a frying pan.

Gloss finishes wipe clean and bounce light around a small kitchen; matt and textured finishes hide water marks and fingerprints better. Whatever you choose, check the tile is rated for wall use, and think about how the trim will look at the top and outer edges. A simple brushed metal or matching tile trim finishes the job far more neatly than a raw cut edge.

Tools and adhesive: what actually matters

You do not need a van full of kit, but a few things are worth buying rather than borrowing.

• A notched trowel — 6mm notches for most wall tiles, 10mm for larger format.
• Tile spacers — 2mm for neat, tight joints on a splashback; 3mm if tiles are slightly irregular.
• A spirit level long enough to span your worktop, plus a smaller one for checking as you go.
• A manual tile cutter for straight cuts, and a diamond blade or angle grinder for sockets and awkward corners.
• A rubber grout float, sponges and a bucket — two buckets, ideally, so your water stays clean.

On adhesive, the rule is simple. Ready-mixed dispersion adhesive is fine for small ceramic tiles on a dry, stable wall. Use powdered cement-based adhesive for porcelain, large-format tiles, or anywhere moisture might linger. Never use ready-mixed adhesive over a painted or sealed surface, and never dot-and-dab adhesive onto the back of a tile — comb it across the wall so every tile gets full contact.

Plan the layout before the first tile goes on

This is the step beginners skip, and it is the one that decides whether the job looks professional. Do a dry run: lay a row of tiles along the worktop, without adhesive, and see where the cuts fall.

• Avoid thin slivers of tile at the ends of a wall. If you end up with a 20mm cut, shift the whole layout by half a tile so both ends are balanced.
• Centre the layout on the hob, the sink or a window — whichever is the focal point — rather than starting from a corner.
• Mark the top of your first full row with a pencil and level line. If the worktop is slightly out of level, cut the bottom row of tiles to fit rather than following the slope.
• Check socket and switch positions. Turn the power off at the consumer unit first, then remove the faceplates and tile around the back boxes, leaving the fixing screws accessible.

Fixing, grouting and finishing off

Work in sections of about a square metre so the adhesive does not skin over before you reach it. Press each tile gently into the combed adhesive with a slight twisting motion, then set your spacers. Check with a level every few tiles, in both directions, and wipe stray adhesive off the tile faces as you go — it is far easier to remove while it is wet.

Leave the adhesive to set for at least 24 hours before grouting. Mix grout to a smooth, peanut-butter consistency, push it into the joints diagonally with the float, then clean off with a damp sponge before it dries hazy. Around a sink, hob or anywhere the tiles meet the worktop, use a bead of mould-resistant silicone sealant rather than grout — it flexes with movement and keeps water out. Wait 24 hours before using the sink, and a full week before giving the tiles a proper scrub.