"Ancelmo was wonderful to work with and very knowledgeable regarding the work requested. I was a class A contractor and have performed many tile installations myself. My project involved removing ceramic tile and replacing it with large format porcelain tile throughout the kitchen, hall, powder room, mudroom and foyer. He immediately identified several issues such as the need to cut columns, wood nosing with railing at step down and raise the baseboard due to a thicker installation. I supplied the tile and grout which he picked up from the supplier and he provided the durarock, thickset, baseboard and shoe molding. He accommodated our schedule and the project is beautiful. I solicited 5 bids and his price was in the middle and fair. He's not the cheapest but the work is spot on and for a 500+ square foot project with expensive tile I am very happy that I selected Ancelmo. He's a good trim carpenter as well."
"Pyramid was recommended to us by a friend who has done a lot of remodeling and has priced granite in many locations in the area. She was right--after shopping around for a granite or quartz countertop for our guest bathroom remodel, Pyramid Granite had the best selection AND best price. We were looking for something that would coordinate with existing tile in the bathroom and it was easy to find several choices at Pyramid. They were very professional, helped us make a decision, came out to measure and delivered the product ON TIME. We ultimately settled on granite and our countertop is gorgeous--we will definitely be coming back when we remodel our primary bathroom! Ask for Temon--he is great!"
"We were referred by a friend to hire Jaber Construction LLC for kitchen ceramic backsplash installation. We are very satisfied with their exceptional and high-quality work. Nick, the owner, is responsive, always answers our questions to the point, and provides excellent customer services. His crews perform with professionalism and are exceptionally detailed in the finished product. The result is a very pleasing, new kitchen look with fantastic designs. They truly exceed our expectations for this first project. We will hire them for additional work in the future."
"Balteza painted my home and stained an extensive deck, retaining wall and railing surrounding the house. They then rebuilt my patio in the back yard as well as the stairs leading to the back of the house on both sides of the house, replacing rotted timber and installing all new stone surfaces. Work quality was excellent."
"We hired Kitchen Savers to help remodel our kitchen. After a few delays due to COVID-19, work got under way June 1st. Hasan the installer was awesome. He spent 5 days in a row with us doing demolition, resurfacing the cabinets, installing the new oven/microwave, crown molding, etc. Kitchen Savers was very professional and nicely orchestrated their subcontractors (Rock Tops for the countertops, electrician for the under cabinet lighting, plumber to install the sink and garbage disposal, etc.). We are very pleased with the workmanship and the final outcome. Even when we had an issue with one of the cabinet doors a few weeks later, Kitchen Savers sent out a workman to rehang the door with a double hinge and solved the issue free of charge. The only negative comment is that while Kitchen Savers works with subcontractors for certain things (i.e. countertops, etc.), that is where things end. So you have new cabinets and new countertops, but no backsplash. That's kind of crazy. If you want a backsplash or wall tile between the countertops and cabinets, you are on your own to fine another contractor. Likewise for flooring. This caused some issues as our floor contractor wanted to demo the floor before the cabinet work was done and we had to do a bit of juggling. It would have been nice to have one main contractor who organized and scheduled all the subs."
"Looney’s Tile and Grout did an outstanding job in removing my outdated white subway tile kitchen backsplash and installed a beautiful mosaic and travertine backsplash! It looks incredible! I am very pleased! Frank and Giovanni were very professional and polite, on time, and very good in communicating the time they would be arriving. I highly recommend and would use them again for future tiling projects in my home. Thank you Frank and Giovanni!!"
"We used Samâ s Home Improvement to create our backsplash. He had a good price, and we were very impressed with his subcontractor, Luis Quispe, who actually did the tile work. He understood our plans, gave some suggestions, and was flexible with changes. The end result is fabulous."
"I hired HomeDesign Inc. to replace my countertops and install tile backsplash. John was friendly, understanding and accommodating in my decision making. His crew arrived on time, worked hard and got the job done right. I'm very happy with my kitchen now. I'd recommend HomeDesign Inc. to anyone."
"Oral and his crew did such an incredible job on our deck/screened in porch remodel. From the very beginning Oral communicated well and was very patient as we went through all of the decisions. As far as the install, Oral communicated throughout and checked in all the time to make sure we were happy with the progress. A couple of times we noticed something we wanted done a bit differently and it was handled the very next day. I cannot recommend Oral enough as he cares so much about his clients, and the work he performs. We are so thrilled with the project and would 100% use Oral again and again."
"Everything went well initially. Countertop looked great. However, when I told the man in charge to remove the remainder off of my deck, he was obviously annoyed. I had told when he was taking it out that I only wanted ONE piece of the countertop left with me and showed him the piece I wanted. He had an obvious attitude and then went out to his truck and made me wait another 30 minutes to return to take it. They left a mess under the countertops (crumbled countertop, etc.) although they did sweep my floor. When I really looked at it afterwards, I notice that they cracked my backsplash and didn't tell me. Also, the plumber was great who came a couple of hours late, however, he told me the countertop crew had thrown away a part I needed to hook my garbage disposal back up so I had to give him $30 to replace it. Atila, the salesman/owner was wonderful during the sale process and very responsive. However, I was expecting a follow up call which didn't happen. The price was good for the work that was done."
Backsplash Installation questions, answered by experts
Tile shouldn’t be set tight against the tub. Bathtubs can expand when filled, and they can shift slightly with the weight of occupants. For this reason, it’s important to leave a slight gap between the bathtub and the first row of tile. Aim for a narrow gap of approximately 1/16 of an inch, filled with caulk, to allow for this expansion and movement while still allowing for tile shower waterproofing.
Bathrooms are naturally moisture-rich environments, so choose a durable, water-resistant tile for your tub surround. Porcelain and ceramic are two popular options that are also quite affordable. Glass is another good option that’s also low-maintenance—you just need a glass cleaner like you would use on the bathroom mirror. Natural stone tile is porous, but it’s still a viable option if you choose it in a glazed version.
You can use sanded or unsanded grout for a shower pan, but sanded grout isn’t the best option for shower walls. For those areas, you’ll want to use unsanded grout, which works well on vertical surfaces and is less likely to slump than sanded grout. Alternatively, you can use epoxy grout for shower walls.
Lack of durability is the most significant downside of painting tile. However, a painted tile backsplash doesn't see the same kind of action as, say, painted flooring tiles. For backsplashes, the durability of the finish is crucial because they often require cleaning. However, you can minimize the durability problem by using mild cleaners and water on the painted surfaces.
The best paints for shower tiles include epoxy, latex, or acrylic. Ideally, you should look for paints that are waterproof and mildew-resistant if you plan to paint shower or other bathroom tiles. You can even find waterproof paints made specifically for tiled surfaces, which will be the best option for shower tile paint that lasts as long as possible.
The Reston, VA homeowners’ guide to backsplash installation services
From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.
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