Question 1

What backsplash tile can Ace install?

Accepted Answer

Ace installs 397 backsplash tiles: 83 glass, 65 ceramic, and the rest porcelain, stone and mosaic sheet. Subway, hexagon, picket, herringbone and arabesque shapes are all here. Tile goes on after the countertop, because the layout is set off the finished stone.

Question 2

Can I install a tile backsplash myself?

Accepted Answer

Of the three projects, this is the most DIY-friendly: small area, no structural stakes, forgiving timeline. The skills that separate good from regrettable are layout planning around outlets and edges, straight cuts (rent a wet saw), consistent spacing, and clean grout work - and buy 10 to 15 percent extra tile for cuts and breakage. Professional labor runs roughly $5 to $20 per square foot if you decide midway that a flawless finish matters more than the savings.

Question 3

Can I install my own backsplash, or should I hire a tile setter?

Accepted Answer

A straight running-bond or stacked ceramic backsplash is one of the most DIY-friendly tile jobs in a house - small format, no water exposure like a shower, and you save roughly $10-15 per square foot in labor. Hand it to a pro when the job involves glass tile (visible adhesive and cut edges), natural stone (sealing, blade chatter, breakage), herringbone or diagonal layouts (compounding alignment errors), large-format panels, or any slab product, which is fabricator work full stop. Whoever installs it, outlets are the tell: sloppy cuts around receptacles are the first thing a trained eye notices.

Question 4

Ceramic or porcelain - does the difference actually matter on a backsplash?

Accepted Answer

Less than the sales pitch suggests. Porcelain’s advantages - density, near-zero water absorption, chip resistance - matter most on floors; a backsplash never gets walked on, so glazed ceramic holds up fine for decades there. Choose on looks and price, with two caveats: porcelain is the better canvas for convincing marble and brick looks, and ceramic is markedly easier to cut if you are DIYing.

Question 5

Do I have to tear out the old backsplash, or can new tile go over it?

Accepted Answer

Tiling over existing tile is technically possible on a sound, flat installation, but most professionals recommend removal: doubling up adds thickness that crowds electrical outlets, window trim, and the counter joint. Removal typically costs $3 to $6 per square foot and often takes chunks of drywall with it, so expect a wall-repair line on the quote - that is normal, not padding.

Question 6

Do I need special heat-resistant tile behind the range?

Accepted Answer

Ordinary ceramic and porcelain tile are fired in a kiln at well over 1,000 degrees - your range cannot hurt them, so no special product is needed for heat. What actually suffers behind a cooktop is everything around the tile: cement grout absorbs grease and discolors, natural stone like marble can etch and darken from splatter and aggressive cleaners, and quartz slab has resin binders that manufacturers protect with required clearances from burners. Choose the tile for looks and cleanability - glossy glazes wipe down easiest - and put the worry into grout choice and sealing instead. A stainless or glass-and-metal mosaic accent behind the range is a style decision, not a safety requirement.

Question 7

Do I really have to seal a marble or travertine backsplash?

Accepted Answer

Yes - plan on one to three applications a year, with the zone behind the range needing it most; travertine, being more porous, wants it more often than marble. Know what sealer does and does not do: it slows staining from grease and splatter, but it cannot stop etching - the dull marks acids like lemon juice, vinegar, and wine leave on contact. Clean only with pH-neutral stone cleaners (no vinegar, ammonia, or bleach) and a stone backsplash stays beautiful with far less drama than a stone countertop.

Backsplash tile

Bianco Arabesque Tile

Bianco Dolomite Crema Dotty Polished Marble Mosaic Tile

Bianco Dolomite Dotty Pattern Mosaic Tile

Bianco Dolomite Geometrica Polished Tile

Bianco Dolomite Pencil Molding Polished

Bianco Dolomite Pinwheel Polished Marble Mosaic Tile

Bianco Dolomite Polished Subway Tile 3x6

Bianco Dolomite Polished Subway Tile 4x12

Bianco Dolomite Regency Polished Marble Tile

Bianco Quatrefoil Polished 10mm Tile

Bianco Starlite Polished Marble Mosaic Tile

Brickstone Rustique White Brick 2x18

Brickstone White 2x10

Brickstone White Brick 2x18

Calacatta Gold Matte Round Backsplash Tile

Calacatta Gold Matte Subway Tile 2x6

Calacatta Gold Matte Subway Tile 4x12

Carrara White 1x2 Herringbone Honed Tile

Carrara White 4x12 Honed Subway Tile

Carrara White Basketweave Pattern Honed Tile

Carrara White Basketweave Pattern Polished Tile

Carrara White Blanco Pattern Honed Tile

Carrara White Round Pattern Honed Tile

Carrara White Valentino Fluto 12x24 Honed Tile

Cecily Grigio Polished Marble Tile

Charisma White Ceramic Tile

Dymo Statuary 12x24 Glossy Large Format Tile

Dymo Statuary Chex White 12x24 Glossy Large Format Tile

Dymo Statuary Wavy White 12x24 Glossy Large Format Tile

Engineered White Corner Shelf

Frost White Quartz

Gridscale Ice Ceramic Tile

Iced White Quartz

Pavilion Picket Polished Marble Tile

Retro Brick Bianco 6mm Matte Tile

Whisper White Subway Tile 3x6

White Subway Tile 3x6

White Subway Tile 4x16

Alabaster

Azure Regal Calacatta

Bellagio Blend Elongated Hexagon

Bianco Dolomite Lynx Polished

Bianco Glossy Ellipse

Bianco Venato

Black And White 1x1 Hexagon Matte

Bytle Bianco Herringbone 6mm

Calacatta 2x4

Calacatta Blanco Pattern Polished

Ready for a real number?