Thinking about installing a backsplash? Make sure your drywall is ready for it!
When we do a backsplash, if the existing drywall is damaged in any way, we always repair it before we begin tiling. This might mean patching a hole where the drywall meets the countertop, filling a crack, or even replacing the entire run.
Often contractors will just tile over these imperfections, figuring that these flaws will be hidden anyway. Doing so might save some time, but can breed a LOT of problems. For instance, having a hole in the drywall will leave a hollow space behind the tile. If you span a crack, you’ll find yourself with the same problem: there will be a pocket of air behind the tile, and that makes it vulnerable.
But why is it vulnerable? The tile material is solid, no matter what’s behind it. How can the backing material weaken the surface?
Because it’s not the tile that you have to worry about- it’s the grout. It doesn’t matter what material you choose for your tiles. You could choose glass, ceramic, porcelain, or natural stone. No matter what, it’s going to be very hard, and the harder the material, the less flexibility it has.
If you have a hole behind a tile, it gives the drywall backing room to flex. The tile won’t flex with it; instead, the grout surrounding that tile will crack and disintegrate. If there was an air pocket behind it, that means the tile wasn’t securely fastened to the wall either. So, that tile will simply fall out, leaving a gaping hold in your nice, new backsplash. You’ll find a similar issue if you span a crack. With every movement the grout will become weaker until the tile is dislodged.
If there is any water damage to the drywall (a very common issue in kitchens and bathrooms), it likely won’t have the structural integrity to hold the tiles and may cause them to pop over time. In this case, because there is some backing (as opposed to a pocket of air), the adhesive applied to the back of the tile will probably hold the tiles in place for a while. Though it won’t be a structural problem at first, the damaged drywall backing will cause cracks in your grout, which will take away from the overall look of your backsplash (and will leave annoying sand-like granules all over your countertops as it disintegrates!). Unfortunately, the drywall will continue to disintegrate behind the backsplash and over time the tiles will begin to pop out.
How can you avoid these issues?
Easily! Before we start a backsplash, we always do a quick drywall inspection to determine whether repairs are needed to create a solid backing. If repairs are needed, we’ll let you know in the quote so there are no surprises!