How To Tile a Stone Backsplash

Stone backsplashes offer a cozy farmhouse cottage feel to any kitchen. They are classic and timeless and have been used in homes across the world for hundreds of years. Here’s how I recreated this look in my kitchen.

Materials:

  • Stones, broken up into varying shapes
  • Chisel & Hammer 
  • Mortar 
  • Grout
  • Grouting Bags
  • Grout Float
  • Tile Trowel
  • Tile Sponge
  • Buckets
  • Drill
  • Mixing Arm
  • Scale

Step 1: Break Up Your Stones

In order to achieve the look of random stones, you’ve got to make random stones. Using a chisel and hammer, I broke the stones into various sizes. I also tried to break off some of the square corners so they would look more round. Too be honest though, I gave up breaking off the corners about half way through. 

Step 2: Attach Stones to Wall

I started out using MusselBound (a tile adhesive mat) to attach my stones, but I found that my stones were too heavy and the mat was peeling off the wall. I have seen others have success with an adhesive mat when using LiteStone, a faux rock that is much lighter than real stone. As I was using real stones, I had to change directions and use traditional mortar to secure the stones to the wall. It’s really important to get the correct consistency with your mortar. I used a food scale to get an exact measurement. The tiles won’t sit on top of each other or even use tile spacers as support so the mortar needs to be thick/dry enough to hold onto the stone as soon as it’s placed on the wall. 


My first batch or mortar was a little too wet, and my stones slid down the wall once they were placed. I would also recommend using a technique called back buttering, where you spread mortar on the backside of the stone AND the wall before putting the stone in place. 

Step 3: Use Grouting Bags to Pipe Your Grout

Grouting bags were a life saver during this process. Because of the uneven nature of the stones, a traditional grout float would have been difficult to work with in this situation. I used the bags to direct the grout to the space between the stones. and then used a sponge to smooth away the excess. 

After the grout was dry, I noticed there were some gaps between the stones and the grout. I went back in with my fingers and filled in any spaces. You can see in the photo on the left side, there are stones that have gaps around them. That is was I’m trying to fill manually.

 

I really wanted a clean line where the grout met the countertop, so I used painters tape to create a line. While the grout was still wet (I waited between 7-12 minutes after initial application) I pulled off the tape. Pulling off the tape this way created a distinct separation between the wall and the countertop that looked very smooth and clean. There were a few parts that I tapped gently with my fingers to created a smooth edge, but for the most part, this technique worked really well. 

Step 4: Seal the Backsplash

Stones are porous, so sealing the backsplash will be imperative to keeping it look nice for years to come! Use a penetrating sealer so it can get into the cracks of the stones. 

Recreate the look:

  1. White Stones & Gray Stones
  2. LiteStone – this is a faux stone that looks realistic, but it lighter than natural stone. I didn’t use this, but I think it would work great!
  3.  I used a 50/50 mix of warm gray and white grout
  4. Grout bags
  5. Mortar
  6. Mixing Arm

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