All Forum Posts by: Sai T.

Did you check any YouTube videos on this? I just put in a vinyl plank floor and it wasn’t bad at all. I imagine the manufacturer had some literature on the install that can help too. For my install a rubber mallet worked perfect to lock the ends in together. 

Or, abort the mission to increase the cabinets to the ceiling and put the soffit back in!!!

This issue comes up all the time with soffits and what has been done inside that void/available space.

While the electrician can reroute, secure and plate-protect many wires, this becomes problematic when you have a wire that comes from somewhere else and leads somewhere else. Because it is tough or not feasible to rip apart the rest of the house to trace and replace the wire that is traveling through, the only option is to install a junction box, but those can not be walled over and you might need two of them to compensate for the fact the original wire is only so long and only has so much play. Of course it all depends on what you have existing.

Lesson learned - improving a kitchen by removing a soffit to increase cabinet space is much more involved that some demo, drywall and new cabinets.

Sal, remove the tiles and prime the walls with Zinssers Gardz. Once the primer dries, you can spackle any imperfections. If you try to spackle directly over the drywall paper, there will be bubbles that can affect adhesion.

@Sai T.

Generally speaking, if this is a decorative installation, it doesn't matter. What I generally do is replace the damaged drywall section with new, just cut it out and screw the new stuff in with drywall clips supporting the repair at the edges (google drywall clips). I usually don't even bother finishing the surface before I start adhering the tile

By and large, what you're going to be using on your new backsplash is mastic adhesive. That stuff will stick to pretty much anything. So will regular construction adhesive like Liquid Nails, which is what a lot of non-tile people use to install small decorative tile.

If you have thickness issues, you can use what is rather misleadingly called "premixed thinset mortar" which is really mastic with fine sand in it. It has more body and you can spread that stuff a bit thicker. There are a bunch of tricks, really, to speed up and simplify decorative installations, things that you can't use on floors and wet walls. It's very much situation specific.

Drywall paper has a couple of bonded layers. As long as you're not going through the outer layers AND the brown paper layer underneath to the point where you see white gypsum, you're more or less OK, but you have to make wise judgments. Here, although I can't be certain from the one pic, you look like you've got the paper down to the brown layer. You'll be fine unless you plan on putting in very heavy tiles.

What kind of installation is this? If you post more pictures, close up and far away, I'll be better able to understand your needs and give you a better answer, and I'll be able to ask the right questions. Make sure to tag me in your response or I won't notice. It's really not clear what you're taking out or putting in from the pic you posted.

The larger hole looks about an 8"x12" if they are standard 4"x4" tiles. 

@Jim K is far more knowledgeable than this bad handyman, but I would cut my replacement piece of drywall first, then match the hole to it vs trying to match the hole to the piece.

My standard go to is a 16"wide piece by the height [8"?) to reach studs.  Trace the piece onto the wall, then enlarge the hold to fit the piece.  

Clips will work, too. As will screwing a vertical crossbar backer piece of wood back there via exposed edges.  Either way, I cut and trace the replacement, not try to cut the replacement to the hole.

If I had no knowledge or tools, mud, knives, rock, etc I'd offer this as a $50 gig on CL or fiver or something.   Then watch them do it so you'll know next time.

Yes, you can use 1/2" plywood. May have to use fire rated if it is required but may not be. Just install the 1/2" plywood up to the drywall, cut out the necessary areas where the wires are at and place cabinets on those. Where your duct is you can block it out and build like a plate display that is not as deep as the others. Let your imagination take its course. The possibilities are endless. 

Ideally, you would cut out the damaged drywall to a height of about a half-inch below the top of the new backsplash, replace the drywall with cement board and set your new tile on the cement board, using board tape on the seams between cement board and the drywall above it.

@Sai T. After looking at your  second set of pictures I would either add the fur down back or build some kind of open cabinet in it's place. What I wouldn't do is add drywall over a wire that is proud of the joists. 

Sal, remove the tiles and prime the walls with Zinssers Gardz. Once the primer dries, you can spackle any imperfections. If you try to spackle directly over the drywall paper, there will be bubbles that can affect adhesion.