Backsplash tile for a 5 ft run, 30″ high, 2×2″ mosaic in a stacked layout
| Tile to buy | 14ft² |
|---|---|
| Tiles2×2″ mosaic | 504tiles |
| Wall area5 ft × 30″ high | 12.5ft² |
| Waste allowance10% for stacked + 2% for 1 outlet | 12% |
| Outlets to cut aroundNEC wants one within 24″ of any point on the counter | 1outlets |
| Edge trimtwo vertical ends — the top runs under the cabinets | 5linear ft |
| Layoutgrid lines up in both directions — least cutting, least forgiving of a wall out of square | stacked |
| Heightfull height from counter to cabinets | 30″ |
Notes
- Backsplash waste is not floor waste. A 30″ strip has far more edge per square foot than the same area on a floor, and every outlet is four cuts and most of a wasted tile. 12% here — 10% for the stacked layout and 2% for 1 outlet.
- Grid lines up in both directions — least cutting, least forgiving of a wall out of square.
- At 30″ this runs from the counter to the underside of the wall cabinets, so the top edge is hidden and only the two vertical ends need trim — 5 linear ft.
- Start the layout from the most visible point — usually the centre of the cooktop or the sink — and work outward, so the cut tiles land at the ends where nobody looks.
- Buy the whole job in one order. Tile is made in colour lots, and a second box bought three weeks later can be visibly different against the first under kitchen lighting.
Backsplash waste is not floor waste
5 ft × 30″ is 12.5 ft² of wall. Buy 14 ft² — 12% over.
That allowance is higher than a floor's for a specific reason. A narrow strip has far more edge per square foot than the same area spread across a floor, and every outlet is four cuts and most of a wasted tile. There are about 1 outlets in a run this long, because the NEC wants one within 24 inches of any point on the counter.
At 2×2″ mosaic that comes to roughly 504 tiles in a stacked layout.
Edge trim: the giveaway
5 linear ft. A raw cut edge along the top or at the ends is the single most obvious sign of a DIY backsplash, and it is the one thing you cannot fix later without pulling tile off.
Buy it all at once
Tile is made in color lots. A second box bought three weeks later can be visibly different against the first under kitchen lighting, and kitchen lighting is unforgiving — it comes from directly above and rakes across the wall.
Start from the middle of what people look at
Usually the cooktop or the sink. Work outward from there so the cut tiles land at the ends of the run where nobody looks, rather than dead center behind the range.
Nearby sizes
- Backsplash tile for a 4 ft run, 30″ high, 2×2″ mosaic in a stacked layout
- Backsplash tile for a 6 ft run, 30″ high, 2×2″ mosaic in a stacked layout
- Backsplash tile for a 7 ft run, 30″ high, 2×2″ mosaic in a stacked layout
- Backsplash tile for a 5 ft run, 24″ high, 2×2″ mosaic in a stacked layout
- Backsplash tile for a 5 ft run, 36″ high, 2×2″ mosaic in a stacked layout
- Backsplash tile for a 5 ft run, 20″ high, 2×2″ mosaic in a stacked layout
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