14
Remember when every backsplash was just a row of 4x4 white tiles?
I redid my first kitchen in 2005 and that was the standard, along with matching grout. Now, I'm putting in a herringbone pattern with handmade zellige tile from Morocco in my current place. The change happened for me around 2015 when design blogs and Instagram made it easy to see a million more options. Anyone have tips for sealing this type of tile? I've heard it can be tricky.
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
val_taylor2mo ago
My grandma's 1987 kitchen had those exact tiles. Terry_mitchell is right about the leap, but the real shift was around 2012 when tile shops finally started stocking more than three options. For sealing zellige, you need a penetrating sealer, not a topical one, because the tile is so uneven. Apply it twice before grouting and once after, letting it dry fully between coats.
7
tara34512d ago
The sealing advice is spot on, but I SWEAR by a matte water-based sealer for zellige instead of the penetrating ones. I did my backsplash three years ago and the penetrating sealer left these weird dark patches where the tile was more porous. Had to strip it all off and start over with a matte water-based sealer and it looked PERFECT. @terry_mitchell is probably gonna groan at me for saying that but it worked way better for my uneven tile. Also the 2012 shift you mentioned is REAL - I remember walking into a tile shop in 2013 and actually crying a little because they had SO many options compared to the five basic tiles my mom could get in 1998 for her kitchen redo.
1