Every successful DIY project requires good preparation. I wanted, like all my DIY projects, to be successful. The definition of a successful project from a just-okay DIYer might not be the same for someone that knows what they are doing. This was my first, and maybe my last, tiling job. I really wanted to have something Efiwym, my wife would be willing to show off in her newly remodeled kitchen. I did not want her to have that doubt that we should have paid someone to do the job right, like the countertops. No, this was a DIY project that most DIYers can do. And I was going to do it. So, preparation was a key element.
I decided to split this project into two parts. First, I would Install the tile on the sink side of the kitchen and finish it up the following Sunday with the refrigerator side. So today I would prep the sink side.
I had a list of things I wanted to accomplish the Saturday before I picked up the tile saw on Sunday. First, I needed to clean and sand down the areas I would be tiling. After that, there was the tape masking of anything the tile would be touching, which were the countertops, the cabinets, microwave and window trim. Next I would be taking care of the outlets and switches. Not removing them, but I needed to get them pulled out and out of the way. Then finally, I would install the trim edging by the overhang and the stove.
The cleaning and sanding went quite well. I sprayed on a de-greaser and wiped the walls dry and followed up with sanding down the walls with a sanding block I had bought for the job. No need to do any heavy sanding, just enough to remove high spots and rough up the paint.
I proceeded with the masking. Again, as I am not a very patient and meticulous DIYer, I took my time to make sure the masking was done well. Finally, I tackled the edging.
I had many chats with Efiwym about the edging. We discussed using tile edging. We talked about using nothing. Just a clean edge. However, I really liked the aluminum edging that is available. It comes with a white finish and has an edge that you can fill with grout to finish the look. Efiwym and I also had conversations about how far we go with the tile behind the stove. We decided to run the edging from the microwave all the way down to the wall base molding and install about an inch or two of tile. We would still run the tile at the countertop height to the microwave behind the stove. Since one side of the stove is exposed, we thought it might look strange or unfinished with the tile only running in the back at the countertop height.
Tile Edging