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We are redoing our kitchen right now, slowly, I will get some pictures up soon along with the problems I have run into along the way.

We want to do a tile backsplash. I've done a good deal of tile before and for the most part it will be an easy job. The question I have now is about the wallpapered drywall that is there now. For normal drywall I would just scuff it and prime it and then install the tile. Or if it had been wallpapered strip most of the wallpaper first. But my concern is with the paper faced drywall in the trailer. I can't strip the wall paper and I'm pretty sure the tiles won't get a good bond going over the wallpaper. So I'm thinking my only option is to cut out the drywall where the tile will be going and to install a backer board like hardi backer.

Just wondering if anyone has dealt with this in their MH before?

Screw a 1x to the wall or plywood and place tile on that, use a wood trim top cap.

Greg

Greg are you saying to use the 1x or ply as a ledger board to start the tile or to use it as backer? I'm most concerned about the backer part right now since I don't think tiling over the wallpaper faced drywall is a good idea. I'm thinking I have to cut out the drywall and put in backer board of some kind.

Personally, i would cut out the drywall and replace it with cement board in the area to be tiled.

Alternatively, what would be the problem with installing 1/4" cement board right over the existing drywall?

JeffInFL wrote:Personally, i would cut out the drywall and replace it with cement board in the area to be tiled.

Alternatively, what would be the problem with installing 1/4" cement board right over the existing drywall?

That is my plan as of now, was leaning towards hardi board because I think it is less weight then cement board. Even cutting out the wallpaper faced drywall and installing regular drywall would be fine, just the wallpaper that has my concerned about a good bond.

There would be nothing wrong with putting a backer board over the drywall and installing tile. The only downfall would be the thickness. 1/4" board plus mortar plus tile would probably be pushing an inch so trimming and caulking around the top of it and next to our window and some other areas might be a problem. We aren't going to have a big area, think about 11-12 square feet or so. So ripping it out won't be that big of a deal.

I screwed a 1x4 to the wall as a ledger and tiled to that. I just capped it with oak trim.

Did you tile over the paper faced drywall or did you replace it with something else? My main concern right now is the tile bonding to the MH faced drywall that is there now.

You can see the 1x4 on the wall that I attached the tile to.
Oak trim cap.

Now I see what you're saying Greg. We are actually doing the whole space between our countertop and the cabinets. So while I could just screw wood or cement board over the drywall I think it would look better to cut the old drywall out and screw cement board in and then tile, just so it's not sticking out to far.

But then you loose the small "Shelf" that you can put salt shakers & pill bottles on!!!

Greg

Why not just screw on some good wire mesh, over the wall board, and attach the buttered tiles to the screen covered wall board. They make that stucco screen or the have that tile membrane (Ditra). The backsplash in our kitchen doesn't see much action, other than a weekly cleaning with spray cleaner and papertowels.
Good luck.

I actually have a roll of ditra but that also uses thinset to attach to the wall papered drywall. No mechanical fasteners since ditra is an uncoupling membrane. I really like the stuff but don't think it's right here.

I'm going to cut out the drywall and put in backer board and be done with it.