DIYer Makes Installing Kitchen Backsplash 10X Easier With One Simple Solution

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Installing a kitchen backsplash sounds like a project for professionals, and an expensive quote may have homeowners backpedaling fast. Spreading mortar and waiting for materials to cure take time, and backsplash installation mistakes can be tricky to repair. On Instagram, DIYer Leyla Chong took matters into her own hands and credits an adhesive product for her successful project. Chong used a double-sided adhesive mat known as MusselBound, affixing it directly to the wall before placing cut marble tiles and grouting them. It's essentially an extremely strong double-sided sticker.

In her video, Chong removes the wall-facing protective layer and carefully lines the backsplash area with MusselBound's Double-Sided Adhesive Tile Mat, being really careful that the product lays flat and straight. The product's purpose is to replace messy mortar with the simplicity of a peel-and-stick surface. And it seems to work. After peeling off the tile-facing protective layer, Chong places the tiles. 

One TikToker noted that the product is beginner-friendly but recommended using a grout float and a putty knife to keep the surface smooth as you're applying it since the adhesive is extremely sticky and affixes to your wall quickly. But don't let that deter you from using it. A commenter on a YouTube review of the product said, "I love that the tile doesn't set until you press down on it so you can put them in, and remove them and replace them, until you get them EXACTLY where you want them and then press down on them to set." The same commenter noted they used MusselBound for multiple applications, including kitchen backsplashes. The appeal of MusselBound is that you can grout the same day (normally a kitchen grouting mistake) because the tile is set without waiting for thinset or mortar to cure. But some suggest waiting a day before grouting to be safe. 

Many commenters on a variety of platforms have high praise for the adhesive tile mat. "I love the idea of LESS MESS!" wrote a fan on YouTube. Another fan,  this time on TikTok, wrote, "I've had this in my kitchens for about 10 years and love it. Super easy." And someone on Chong's reel observed, "Crazy how much quotes are for things you can do with just a little bit of time." 

MusselBound Double-Sided Adhesive Tile Mat is sold on Amazon for under $40, a price that can look tempting next to an installation quote from a professional. All that said, while MusselBound is well known, there are other brands that sell similar products.