Backsplash on unlevel countertops

[aa7483]

At this point I'm kind of committed. I already tiled the other side of the kitchen. If I level the bottom course, how big of a gap do you think I can get away with under the low side by lifting it to help mitigate how much gets cut off the high side? 1/8? 1/4 may be too much. Maybe a combination of lifting the low side an 1/8 and cheating the level an 1/8? Even off of a level line there is still some variation to the tip cabinet. I guess whoever flipped this house wasn't a perfectionist.

[cx]

Anthony, I'd recommend a 1/8th" gap between the tile and counter top for any backsplash application. And certainly no less than 1/16th".

If you start trying to "cheat the level" to resolve your un-level counter top condition, you're gonna find it's very difficult to cheat it consistently to keep your successive rows flat across the top. In theory it works fine, in practice, I think you'll find not so much. It's a very tricky maneuver.

Best fix for your problem? Level the counter top.

My opinion; worth price charged.

[aa7483]

I wasn't saying to adjust the grout line moving up. I meant using a combination of lifting the left tile slightly higher and adjusting the level line just a hair out of level to make the cut less on the right.

[Tool Guy - Kg]

We’ve been through this process often enough where we don’t have more creative solutions for you that aren’t likely to cause other problems. In our eyes, the best solution is to back up and make the necessary corrections. So, I don’t think you’re going to get anyone to agree with your option to follow the slope of your top.

But if the slope wasn’t something that bothered you for many years, maybe you want to just do that and have your starter course ever so slightly more level. If it doesn’t bother you, it doesn’t bother us. We’re just trying to do our best to give you the best advice. We know how difficult it is to remodel.

[aa7483]

That's for the advice guys. I'm going to mock it up a few different ways and see what looks most appealing.