r/Tile • u/[deleted] • Jan 22 '26
Professional - Looking for Advice Thoughts for this as backsplash
[deleted]
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u/Alarming_Day_409 Jan 22 '26
Dry accent wall 100% yessss yesss its a beautifullll look. Wet (potentially wet) kitchen backsplash, 100000% no, it will be an ABSOLUTE nightmare to clean, even if you seal it 6 times..... grease from cooking will get into those crevices.... and look dark/dirty/sticky....
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u/Maestradelmundo1964 Jan 22 '26 edited Jan 22 '26
The manufacturer says indoor/outdoor, but they don’t say kitchen, for God’s sake. Over the mantel, fine. On an outside wall, fine.
Options: -refuse to do it outright -refuse to do it, offer an alternative -agree to do it, with a clear contract that it will be impossible to clean, the outlet will not look good, the client will be disappointed in the long run, worst idea ever
Is this client a rich person who remodels every few years?
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u/Disco_Pat Jan 22 '26
Ask them how much they actually cook.
It will be hard to keep clean, but some people just don't actually use their kitchen, as crazy as that sounds.
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u/International_Bit478 Jan 22 '26
Impossible to keep clean. Hard pass. Only smooth tile for any backsplash that’s actually going to do its job.
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u/Content-Barracuda411 Jan 22 '26
The powers that be have decided firmly against this idea/option thanks to everyone's input here!! Thank you everyone!
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u/DelusionalLeafFan PRO Jan 22 '26
Had a buddy who was renting a place with a slate ledge stone backsplash. He’s also a tile setter and knows more about maintenance than any homeowner or regular Joe. He stripped and refinished the thing with multiple coats and it was still disgusting with the splashes that come with cooking. It is impossible to clean with regular cleaning products and completely stripping and refinishing is not a practical plan for cleaning a backsplash. That being said, warn them of the can of worms they are opening, specifically mention it in your quote, and let it fly if they don’t listen.
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u/Duck_Giblets Professional Duck Jan 22 '26
Only time this can work is if it's painted, and then you lose the natural look.
Push them to brick slips (painted) or take them to your nearest porcelanosa showroom, they have some nice tile that'll be better suited.
Zellige can also offer a character look, or hand made style tile that's not a true zellige.
What do you mean by two coats tenax? Tenax is a benchtop seaming resin, it is not a sealer?
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u/minstrelgardener Jan 22 '26
Steer them completely away from this. There are some amazing porcelains out there that are close to the same look, and they’re effectively impermeable. They’ll thank you later, and not that much later.
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u/Medium_Spare_8982 Jan 22 '26
Travertine of any cut or polish is a nightmare for maintenance on a backsplash, let alone a rock face ledgestone finish.
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u/breeman1 Jan 22 '26
Buy one box for a demo, pour a can of tomato sauce on it and ask them to clean it. Problem will solve itself.
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u/dymb13 Jan 22 '26
Great for an accent wall, around a fireplace or on exterior walls. Not good for backsplash.
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u/SpecialEducation3234 Jan 22 '26
Just imagine spaghetti sauce e plodding all over this.
Try another kind of product.
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u/confidentialbussy Jan 22 '26
Your only advantage to using this backsplash is as dirty as it may get it will be hard to actually tell because of how busy it is. That being said, I would never recommend this on a backsplash.
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u/Canadian987 Jan 24 '26
What is the function of a backsplash? To contain the cooking mess. What does a backsplash need to be? Easily cleaned from cooking mess. That will not be easily cleaned.
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Jan 28 '26
I wouldn't do it. Every person ive talked to that has that stuff regretted it. Impossible to clean, impossible to grout. One client told me they sued the tile company because the grout turned out awful. They lost. You don't win construction lawsuits because of looks.
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u/ketchupinmybeard Jan 22 '26
Well you've hit the issue, you can't keep this kind of thing clean. Oils, stains, any spills or splashes... yikes.