- Tub surround tile work: $2,000 flat.
- Kitchen backsplash tile work: $1,000 flat, labor.
- Tile floors: $3 per square foot labor, or $2 per square foot labor on jobs of 2,000 square feet or more.
Layout Off the Counter in Larger Harker Heights Kitchens
Harker Heights sits east of Killeen along US 190 and I-14 on higher and hillier ground. The newer subdivisions hold larger houses than you find in central Killeen. Kitchens there often keep the builder painted drywall from counter to upper cabinets. We drive over from Killeen, look at the room and measure the actual space including every outlet, switch, the range wall and any window opening. Layout begins off the countertop so the bottom row sits level even when the wall itself has a slight wave from settling. We check flatness with a straightedge. Loose drywall or a high spot will show once the tile is on.
Kitchen backsplash tile work is $1,000 flat, labor. That is the published price so you know it before we even look. You pick the tile. Bring your own or we go with you to the Temple supply house. What you pick is what gets set, whether it is zellige, marble, porcelain, ceramic, terrazzo or mosaic. Brass or satin edge profiles finish a raw end. After the layout we set the tile in thinset, grout, seal where the material needs it and clean up behind us. The same people who measured do the setting. Most of the time a standard field backsplash goes up over consecutive days for setting then grouting.
Range Wall, Hood, Outlets and Window Cuts for Harker Heights Kitchens
The range wall is usually the part everyone sees first. Tile has to run evenly up to the hood or the bottom of the upper cabinets. We cut the field so grout joints stay consistent around the hood opening. If the hood sits proud we plane or shim so the tile does not lip. Outlets and switches get new cover plates after, but the box itself may need an extender if the tile and thinset add thickness. A window in the backsplash run means returns on the sides and often a tiled sill so water from the sink does not sit on drywall. Ending an edge mid wall, where the tile stops before a pantry or fridge, needs a profile so you do not see the cut edge of the tile.
- Snap a level line off the counter before marking any outlet so the whole field stays true.
- Dry fit the tiles that meet the range hood to keep from ending with a thin sliver course.
- Fit a satin or brass profile on every exposed end that does not die into a cabinet or wall return.
- Cut and set returns in the window opening and slope the sill slightly to the room.
Full Height Versus Standard Field and Grout Behind the Cooktop
Full height stone or porcelain takes the material from the countertop straight up the cooking wall to the ceiling or up into the hood cavity. Larger houses in Harker Heights sometimes ask for that look just at the range while the rest of the kitchen uses a simpler subway or mosaic field that stops at the upper cabinets. The change of height has to be laid out so the two planes meet behind a cabinet stile or get a clean profile. Big pieces show every dip in the drywall so extra attention goes to flattening before they go up.
Grout behind the cooktop takes repeated heat and oil spatters. A light or white grout will show staining even when sealed. We will set the color you choose but we say it plainly if that choice will look tired after a few months of cooking. A grout that sits close to the tile color or a darker sanded mix hides more of the daily marks. After the grout sets up, most of the time the next day, we seal the joints and any marble or zellige. Then we wash the haze off every face.
Tile Picked in Temple Then Set Grouted and Sealed in Your Kitchen
Bring the tile yourself or ride with us to the Temple supply house. The tile you choose is the tile that goes on the wall. Zellige varies in size and thickness so we spend more time on lippage. Marble wants a sealer after grout. Porcelain and ceramic cut cleaner. Mosaic on mesh can wrap a window return easier but the sheets have to be aligned so the pattern does not jump. Terrazzo edges can crumble if the saw blade is dull. We keep brass and satin profiles on the truck for the ends that need a finished look.
Once materials are in the kitchen we mix thinset and comb it on the wall. Tiles go on with spacers, we beat them in with a rubber mallet and check level often. Cuts happen on the wet saw. After the thinset has grabbed, usually overnight, we grout the joints, tool them concave, and sponge the surface. Sealer goes on the grout and on any natural stone the following day most of the time. We pack up the tools, sweep, and wipe the counters. Every installation carries a written one year limited labor warranty from the date of completion. It covers issues arising from the original installation. It does not cover materials those fall under the manufacturer's own warranty and does not cover modifications made after the installation is complete.
Installation Problems on a Harker Heights Kitchen Backsplash and the Labor Warranty
A few things go wrong when the substrate is ignored. Wavy drywall makes large marble or porcelain lip. We flatten what we can with extra thinset or a skim, but a badly out of plumb wall on hillier ground will still read in the finished surface. An outlet hole cut too big leaves a shadow the plate cannot hide. Grout that is packed too dry later cracks. We dry lay key rows and measure twice to limit those. If the counter itself is out of level the bottom joint will vary and that is visible under low cabinets.
For other tile work in the house you call for a straight quote after we look at the room. The labor on a kitchen backsplash is $1,000 flat. The same crew that measured sets the tile. If a problem from the way it was installed appears, loose tiles or grout failure from poor packing, the written one year limited labor warranty lets us come back and make it right within that year from completion. Cooking stains, a later hole you drill, or material defects stay outside that coverage. Phone is (512) 297-7493 and email is info@merlanstile.com to talk about a date.