Encaustic Kitchen Backsplash in Old Torrance

About This Project

A kitchen backsplash in an Old Torrance craftsman bungalow, replacing a dated ceramic tile with a bold black and white encaustic cement tile pattern. The tile runs from the countertop to the underside of the upper cabinets and wraps into the open shelf alcove above.

Cement and encaustic tiles are porous and require a penetrating sealer applied before grouting. We applied two coats of sealer, allowed them to cure fully, then grouted with unsanded grout in a narrow joint. A final sealer coat went on after the grout cured to protect both surfaces. Skipping the pre-grout seal is the most common reason encaustic tile installations end up with permanent grout staining.

The wall surface was an older plaster wall typical of pre-war Old Torrance construction. We applied a skim coat to level the surface before setting tile, because encaustic tiles are hand-pressed and have slight thickness variation that requires a flat substrate to set cleanly.