Coastal Fireplace Makeover
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| I've been wanting to add tile to my fireplace forever and I finally did it! My fireplace is actually not a real fireplace, but it has lights that simulate fire and a heater that I can turn on and off. It's perfect for Florida. |
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| Here are some photos of the details of the finished fireplace. I did not cut one piece of tile. Instead I purchased some sheets of square tile to fill in when necessary. I purchased two types of square tile because I could not decide which one to use in the store. I ended up using a white cloudy glass tile that looks like stone instead of just plain white glass tile. |
This project was super easy and you can do it too! First, measure your surface and go to the store and select your tile. I was looking for square tiles in order to avoid cutting, but when I saw this glass tile sheet at Floor & Decor for only $3.99 per 12x12 sheet, I had to get it! I disliked the darker blue grey color tile so I simply removed it and replaced it with the other colored tiles. I wanted to keep it light, bright, and coastal. Because I chose a rectangular shaped tile, I also purchased square tile to fill in and avoid cutting tile. I ended up using 5 blue glass sheets and 1 sheet of white square tile (purchased at Floor & Decor also) for this project. Unused tile sheets can be returned for a full refund. Keep your receipts!
Second, get your supplies! I purchased a newer product called Simple Mat from Home Depot. It allows you to stick your tiles directly on the mat instead of putting up tile adhesive. It's a huge time saver allowing you to grout immediately after tiling. You will also need premixed grout, a rubber float, a sponge, a bucket of water, scissors, and a rag.
Third, cut Simple Mat with scissors and stick it to your clean surface. Fourth, make sure it covers entire surface you plan to tile. Do not remove the paper off the front until you are ready to tile.
Fifth, cut tile sheet to correct size and stick tile to Simple Mat. If you make a mistake, you can remove it, but remove quickly or else its stuck.
Finally, use your rubber float to grout all the tile. This step can get messy. As soon as you are finished grouting, dip your sponge in a bucket of water and squeeze excess water out. Then, begin cleaning the tile surface. After it's looking pretty clean, use a damp rag to continue wiping off excess grout on tile. You will want to completely clean all of the tile surface because it is very hard to get grout off the tile once the grout dries. Allow grout to dry for 24 hours and you're finished!
