Kitchen Backsplash
Tile backsplash installation that ties together the kitchen — from classic subway in running bond to full-height marble slab and hand-set herringbone.
The Details That Make a Backsplash Look Right
A kitchen backsplash is one of the most visible tile installations in any home, and it's one where the precision of the layout shows clearly. The key decisions — where to start the layout, how to handle the transition at the countertop, how to cut around outlets — all affect whether the finished result looks deliberate or improvised.
We start every backsplash layout by establishing the center of the focal wall (typically the wall behind the range or the primary sink run) and working outward symmetrically. This ensures that cut tiles at the ends of each run are balanced, which is especially important on herringbone and diagonal patterns where asymmetric cuts are immediately obvious. The countertop-to-backsplash transition gets a thin bead of color-matched silicone caulk rather than grout, because the slight movement between the stone or quartz countertop and the wall means grout at that joint will eventually crack.
For full-height backsplashes that run from countertop to upper cabinet or all the way to the ceiling, we establish the layout from the countertop up rather than from the ceiling down, because the countertop line is the visible reference point. Slight variations in ceiling height — common in older Long Beach homes — are absorbed at the top where they're less noticeable.
Materials We Install
The range of backsplash tile we install covers ceramic subway tile in standard and elongated formats, porcelain and natural stone in field or pattern layouts, glass tile and glass mosaic sheets, handmade zellige and cement tile, and large-format porcelain slabs in 24"x48" and 48"x48" formats for the seamless slab look. Each material has installation quirks — glass tile requires white thinset to prevent color bleed-through, zellige's irregular surface requires more thinset and wider joints, large-format slab requires full-coverage back-buttering and precise layout planning.
Available in Our Service Areas
Kitchen backsplash installation is available in Alamitos Beach, Downtown Long Beach, and Belmont Shore. Most kitchen backsplash projects can be completed in one to two days depending on scope and material.
