Tile {revisited.}

I have had many questions about the tile backsplash we installed in our kitchen.  I realized I never posted a finished picture.

backsplash over range

backsplash around counter

Okay for those who asked we used Travertine tile mosaic that was in 12 X 12 inch sheets.  I cut the sheets in half and ran a 1.5 inch glass tile border in between the travertine.  I also used the glass tile mosaic to create the 28 X 16 inch frame that is over the range.  I purchased the travertine and the glass mosaic at Lowes.  I used pre-mixed mastic and a V-knotched trowel.  All tiles were sealed twice with water-based Stone and Tile sealant once before installation and once before grouting.

Pitted Travertine.

We used SpectraLock stain proof grout. I enjoy cooking and am proud to say, I am not neat about it.  My DH was insistent in the use of Stain proof grout. If you have never used a stain proof grout before I found quite a bit of advice on the internet.  We found it is different from working with regular sanded grout in two aspects. 

 One. The working time is only about 30 minutes.  Because the grout uses a two part epoxy in the mix it drys very fast.  We would mix the grout and place approximately 1/2 in the freezer while we worked with 1/2.  The cooler temps in the freezer will prolong the work time. 

Two.  This grout is a two part mix.  The epoxy and the color powder.  We found that the best way to mix this particular grout for spreading on wall tile was to leave out about 10% of the color powder, which the manufacture recommends.  If all of it is added to the  epoxy the grout is almost to thick to spread with the float.  In some places I actually did spread it with my fingers.

  

Even with the sealant it was impossible to keep the grout out of the hundreds of natural holes in Travertine.  I purposely chose a grout which was in the same color family as the stone to minimize the look of the grout in the travertine.

To finish up we purchased the tinted calk from SpectraLock as well.  Did not grout the area between the counter and the tile and the cabinets and the tile. The caulk is an identical match to the grout which looks beautiful.

Hopefully this answers all of the questions I have had on the Tile project. Feel free to leave any questions in the comment section!