Installing a Backsplash

Add a touch of style to the kitchen with this easy backsplash project.

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Handyman James Young tells how to install a tin backsplash behind a stove.

Covering the wall between the countertop and cabinets with stainless steel is a great way to jazz up a kitchen. However, stainless steel is expensive and difficult to cut. Tin ceiling tiles are a great alternative--they're easy to cut and install, and they add both texture and style to a kitchen.
Materials and Tools:
denatured alcohol
polyurethane
round-headed nails
gloves
safety goggles
tin snips
hammer
awl

Tin is available in 2 x 4-foot sheets at home-improvement stores. Measure it to fit the space, then mark it.

Start by cleaning the wall surface with a grease-cutting cleaner. After the area is clean, go over it with 80-grit sandpaper. This not only removes surface bumps, but also roughs up the surface for maximum adhesion.

Tin ceiling tiles come in smaller sections, which makes it easier to create designs such as a checkerboard look. Decide on the look desired before starting.

Take the measurements of the area where the backsplash is being installed. Cut out a section of ceiling tile to fit, hold it against the wall and pre-punch the nail holes using the awl.

Use tin snips to cut the backsplash to fit.

Try to hide the nail holes by using the pattern of the tile. Line up the pattern if need be, and hammer in the round-headed nails.

Tin ceiling tiles are shipped with a protective coating, so after the backsplash is secure rub off the film with denatured alcohol, then apply a layer of polyurethane to keep it looking new and clean.