Fort Lauderdale — Broward
Fort Lauderdale kitchens often sit in single-story homes on a concrete slab, many of them open to the living room. Canal-side houses add salt air and humidity. A backsplash here runs long, shows every flaw and has to handle the air off the water.
The backsplash goes in after the countertop is installed, and it follows the countertop line. On a slab home, cabinets sit on a floor that may not be level. Check the countertop with a level before you measure the wall. A quick check now saves a re-cut later.
Most kitchens leave about 18 inches between the countertop and the upper cabinets. In an open kitchen, that band can run the full length of a wall. Long runs show every ripple, so check flatness along the whole length, not just near the range. Measure the ends of the run, not just the middle.
Outlets and switches need box extenders when the backsplash adds thickness. Set them before the first tile, and mark each box on the wall so the cut lands square. An off-square cut is hard to hide once the grout sets. Mark them with painter's tape before you start cutting.
Open kitchens often share one long wall with the living room, so every splash stays in view. Pick grout and surfaces that wipe clean after a family dinner, before the first stain sets. Ask the installer which grout color hides the most daily wear.
Marble and other natural stone etch under acids such as lemon juice and vinegar. Keep citrus cleaners away from stone behind the cooktop, and seal the stone before it goes up. Stone behind a cooktop sees heat and grease daily. Porcelain and glass tile resist etching and are simpler to wipe down.
Epoxy grout behind the sink and the cooktop resists stains and does not need sealing. Cement grout works too, but it takes on grease and needs regular sealing. In a kitchen that cooks every night, that difference matters. Check the label on any grout before buying it for a wet kitchen.
What to check first
Open kitchens in single-story homes often have a long, unbroken backsplash. Run a straightedge along it before any tile is ordered, so a bow does not show at the end.
Moisture reaches the sealant at the countertop joint first. Ask which sealant goes there and confirm it is made for wet kitchens. A cracked joint lets water behind the tile.
Grease lands on the wall nearest the cooktop every day. Wipe it with a pH-neutral cleaner, not a citrus spray, so stone keeps its polish.
Mosaic on mesh goes up quickly and hides small dips in the wall. Large pieces need a flatter wall and more setting time. Choose the format after the wall check. Set the pattern on the wall before the first cut.
Wall length and height drive most of the price. Open kitchens with long runs need more tile and more setting time. Outlets, a stone slab instead of tile and removing an old backsplash all add work. We quote after measuring, so you get a figure for your own wall.
The countertop goes in first. Then the wall is checked and leveled where needed, and outlet extenders go in before the tile. Adhesive needs cure time before grout, and sealed stone needs time before its sealer goes on. Build the calendar around those waits, not around the delivery date.
Moisture reaches the countertop joint and the metal around the sink first. Use a sealant and grout made for wet kitchens, run the range hood on cooking days, and dry any joint that gets wet. Those steps protect the edges the air reaches first.
Inside Fort Lauderdale city limits, the City of Fort Lauderdale handles the permit. Hollywood, Pembroke Pines and Weston have their own building departments. Unincorporated addresses go through Broward County. Confirm the address before you book the work.
Yes, once the tile adds thickness. An extender box brings the outlet flush with the new surface, so the cover plate sits flat and the plug seats properly. Set extenders before the first tile goes up.
"AP Stone installed a continuous Calacatta marble slab backsplash from the countertop to the ceiling behind our range — about 9 feet tall. The vein matching from the countertop into the backsplash is seamless. Best design decision we made."
Amanda H.
Fort Lauderdale — Full-Height Marble Backsplash
"We had zellige tile installed behind the range and plain subway marble on the perimeter. The transition was handled perfectly. They cut the zellige to match the grout lines of the subway tile at the transition. Extraordinary detail work."
Thomas W.
Fort Lauderdale — Zellige Accent Backsplash
"Full kitchen renovation — countertop in Calacatta Gold and full-perimeter backsplash in matching honed marble. They matched the slab veining from the countertop into the backsplash. The kitchen looks like one continuous piece of stone."
Elena R.
Fort Lauderdale — Matching Countertop & Backsplash
Get a free estimate for Kitchen Backsplash Tile Installation in Fort Lauderdale.