You may remember years ago when I installed Smart Tile adhesive tiles in our laundry room. Well, truth be told, they weren’t looking so smart after 3 years and a water leak. I had a few leftover marble subway tiles from our kitchen backsplash and decided to use them to freshen up the laundry room. While I was at Lowe’s I decided to try Mussel Bound tile adhesive used for tile setting without thinset mortar. I figured this would be a good place for a trial in case I didn’t like the product.

To remove the Smart Tiles you are supposed to use a hair dryer or heat gun to soften the adhesive. The tiles on my wall were already peeling off and they came off very easily.

There was some minimal damage to the drywall, but if I had used the hairdryer it probably would have come off cleaner. To minimize any issues, be sure to clean your wall with a mixture of TSP (Trisodium Phosphate) and water using the instructions on the package.

Wipe the walls clean with a damp sponge after cleaning.

Ready to start tiling with less mess?

Materials:
(Contains some affiliate links)

• Mussel Bound Adhesive Tile Mat
• Tiles (used Carrara Marble Tiles from TheBuilderDepot.com)
• Marble Pencil Tile
• Tile Spacers 3/16″ T-shaped
• Tape Measure
• Pencil
• Laser Level
• Level
• X-acto Knife
• Metal Carpenter Square
• Cutting Mat
• Wax Paper
• Grout Float
• Grout Sponge
• Painter’s Tape
• Silicone Caulk
• Unsanded Grout (used Mapei Frost)
• Rag

Optional: Grout Shield

Instructions:

Before you begin, layout your tiles and spacers to determine the height you desire for your backsplash. Transfer this height onto the wall around the sink. Read more