Kitchen Backsplash w/ multiple issues

[jryand17]

Thanks in advance to all who reply.

I've included pictures at the bottom. They should help to illustrate the problems in the kitchen.

First of all, I have a 63 year-old home with plaster walls in the kitchen. The kitchen is U-shaped. From the floor to roughly 2/3 up the wall are 4v4 white ceramic tiles with black ceramic tile for trim at the top (Note: the black tile curves at the top). This tile is attached to the plaster. The lower kitchen cabinets are against this white/black tile. The tile ends about half-way between the top of the lower cabinets and the bottom of the upper cabinets. To make the space between the upper and lower cabinets flush for a new backsplash, the previous homeowner glued and screwed drywall to the plaster above the tile, used some type of filler to account for the curve in the black tile, and used liquid nails to attach 1v1 tiles to both the old 4v4 tile and the drywall. The upper cabinets are about an inch off the plaster wall so that they are flush with the soffit above. The drywall that was used to make the wall flush also goes about 5-6 inches under the upper kitchen cabinets to make them level (see picture 2).

Not knowing any of the above, I removed the 1v1 tile. In doing so, there is quite a bit of residue from the liquid nails left behind on the 4v4 tile (if you look at the pictures, everything below the black line of tile is white tile, its just covered in liquid nails). I also damaged some of the drywall (see the picture 1 with the sink, above the black tile). There is probably also liquid nail residue on the damaged drywall. Note that there is more damaged drywall than shown just in the picture. Also note, that in picture 3, the "clean area" is drywall that is attached to the plaster wall. There was another piece of drywall there that was used to make the wall flush for tile. I removed that drywall when I removed the 1v1 tiles.

I do not know the best solution to the problem. Can I install a new backsplash over the white 4x4 tile with the liquid nails? Can I install a new backsplash over the damaged drywall? Keep in mind that the transition of the new backsplash on the different surfaces underneath needs to remain seamless. Should I not use glass tiles for the backsplash due to the mess underneath? I'm worried that removing the original 4v4 tile that is attached to the plaster will result in me removing all the kitchen cabinets, which I would prefer not to do.

I do plan to replace the countertop before I complete the backsplash. I would prefer a countertop without the part that also runs up the backsplash (not sure if that changes the solution).

I really appreciate any help that is offered. Thank you!

Ryan

[Davy]

Hi Ryan. One way or another, the liquid nails needs to be removed. Have you tried to scrape it with a razor blade scraper? Home Depot has 4 inch wide blades that work well, just not sure about how well on Liquid nails. If it won't scrape off, then the tiles will need to be removed. It is possible to tile over the tile but it needs to be clean and flat first.

[Houston Remodeler]

Ryan,

Welcome to the forum.


Wow, what a mess. The pro's here are gonna tell you to rip it all down and start with nice flat clean walls. That's what I'd do. The liquid nails was the final nail in this coffin. Yikes.

1- explain to Mrs Ryan why she's getting a new kitchen.
2- demo the countertop
3- Pull the cabinets, place them to the side for later
4- demo the old tile from walls, down to the studs
5- fix the insulation, improve the electrical and plumbing
6- shiny new drywall
7- shiny new tile

How much of a project did you want to make out this?

[jryand17]

Davy - I've been researching ways to remove the liquid nails and the best solution I've found is to sand it away with a belt sander. I haven't tried it yet, but was told it may work. At least that is my best shot.

CabotAndRowe - I was afraid of that response. I really did not want to have to remove all the cabinets. The plaster walls run behind the soffit as well. Am I going to have to remove the soffit if I do this? I do have some vent work that runs through the soffit. I may be biting off more than I can chew with this solution.

Thank you both for the initial posts.

[Houston Remodeler]

Liquid nails will soften and gum up the belt sander in 15 or 20 seconds. The heat from the sanding will cause the liquid nails to get very soft. One of the many reasons I switched to PL Premuim.

I don't think you have to remove the uppers, just the parts of the walls with tile.

[jryand17]

Alright, sanding is out then.


Question 1: If I remove half the plaster wall to the studs where the tile is at, will the top half of the plaster wall stay? I don't want it to fall down during renovations or 3 years from now.

Question 2: If the top half of the plaster wall will indeed stay, do I simply install the drywall right up against the lower edge of the plaster? Not sure how to mesh these two materials.

Question 3: Possible to remove all the tile without taking the plaster away to the studs? Could I remove the tile and throw new drywall up over the partially damaged plaster?

Sorry for so many questions, just trying to make sure I have the basis for a good plan. Thank you for the help!

Ryan

[Houston Remodeler]

Ryan,

Feel free to ask as many questions as you want. That's why we're here.

1- if you removed the bottom half of the cement wall, the top half will not notice the bottom is gone. Use a diamond circular saw to make a slit in the mud walls just above the tile. This will separate the 2 planes. I can't see from here how thick your walls are. Gonna be somewhere around 3/4" thick.

2- You can hire a guy like Davy to amaze you with his skill of making cement stay on a wall, or you can stud out the wall so that your new comes flush with the surface of the old mud wall.

3- Possible, yes. Probable, no. If that is a classic wet set mud wall, it is one monolithic piece of cement with the tile very well adhered. I wouldn't even contemplate trying to remove the tile alone.

How much square footage we looking at?

[jryand17]

The space is U-shaped and each wall is approximately 9 foot long.

[Houston Remodeler]

9x4+9x4+9x4 of mud walls = ~700 pounds of mud walls to remove. You'll need a dumpster.

[jryand17]

Just thought of another question.

Since the lower cabinets sit against the tile wall and the upper cabinets are about an inch away from the plaster wall, when I remove the lower half of the plaster wall and install new drywall flush with the plaster on top, I will need to build out the lower wall about an inch so that the bottom cabinets will sit in the appropriate place against a wall for the backsplash. Any thoughts on the best way to do this?

Also, do I tape and mud the seam between the new drywall and the original plaster?

[Houston Remodeler]

You can build out the lowers if you wish. I don't think anyone would notice BUT if you make the lowers to what are now modern standard measurements (cabs 24' proud of the wall) then standard appliances will fit. Standard is nice.


Float all seams like drywall.

[jryand17]

I don't totally understand the last post. Could you please explain it a bit more? Thanks!

[Houston Remodeler]

Just to be sure.......

The uppers are built out an inch to accomodate the thickness of the tiled wall below right? Or am I not understanding how your kitchen is built

[jryand17]

Right. I don't have an exact measurement, but I would say about an inch. I think they may hang from the soffit, but I'm not sure. I'm sure you have looked at it already, but the second picture shows how they sit off the wall (you can see the black space) as well as the drywall that is under the bottom of them to make them level or provide support.

[Houston Remodeler]

Of course the ideal job would be a complete new kitchen...


Yep, Ignore the uppers.

Remove the lower section of tiled wall and patch as described. Your uppers will stick out a hair more than normal, but that will not matter a whole lot, if at all.