We bought our house in December of 2023 and when we toured, the outdated backsplash in the kitchen was one of the first things that caught my eye. On its own, it really wasn’t terrible, but the countertops are also a busy pattern and between backsplash and counters – I’d replace backsplash first any day of the week! Especially if it’s something as simple, easy, cost-effective and timeless in a Nancy Meyers kind of way as bead board!
I did a ton of research and while I found many helpful blog posts about how to install bead board backsplash, I had trouble finding information on how to hand all of the DETAILS! It sounds easy enough, and it really is, but there are so many factors I had to consider like weird angles where my tall bar met the backsplash, the fact that my outlets were then too far back behind the bead board and that you have to cut the bead board precisely to match up the seams from one board to another! So, that’s why I’m here! I lack an ego in every sense of the word when it comes to projects. I know I will make a lot of mistakes and it may not always look like a team of professionals from HGTV came in, but I learn a ton and I’ve found a lot of knowledge gaps in this space – and I plan to share everything I’ve learned with you! So let’s get down to it! First step is, of course, planning!
Planning
It’s a bit of a puzzle with all of the steps here, but stick with me and you’ll be ready to go in no time!
- Break your backsplash into pieces
- Measure the main pieces’ lengths and heights (you can measure and cut for outlets, windows, etc. later)
Now that the main pieces are measured, step 3. is to find the bead board you’d like to use for your project online. I like Home Depot and this is the bead board I bought. This particular board is tall and so I was able to get two strips for the longer sections of my backsplash out of one board. This is the kind of planning you’ll have to do in this step to ensure you’re buying the correct amount. At only $23 a board, it’s not a huge deal if you end up only using a small bit on an extra piece. Something crucial to keep in mind is that unlike a basic wood board, you cannot use bead board at any orientation. If you want to be precise, you can map out how you’ll cut the board to be the correct orientation on a photo of the board.
Or, I chose to figure out the total square footage I would need and added a 10% buffer and just knew I could run back to the store if I truly miss measured (I did not, I actually had a whole board leftover haha so I think this is a safe process!). To do this, I multiplied the length X height of each piece to get the square footage of each piece and then added them up to get my total. The board I linked above is 32 sq. ft. so the math is easy from there! Step 4. of course is then to order the board or head to the hardware store to purchase it!
Prepping
Now that you know the amount of boards you’ll need, you’ll also need to purchase construction adhesive! I used this Loctite 3x strength glue and my bead board is in place FOR LIFE (I used two bottles across 3 pieces of bead board)! Noting that this type of adhesive will likely rip the board + backsplash off the dry wall if you try to remove. So ensure this is really what you want to do! I had tile backsplash to cover and I was not confident in my ability to remove it without hurting the dry wall so I opted to glue it in place. However, if you’re dealing with a simple drywall backsplash to your kitchen, you could totally nail it to the studs making it easily removable someday.
You’ll also need caulk to seal the seams and fill any imperfections. I ended up going through so much caulk trying to figure out a process! I went through 5 bottles, and I use caulk for so many projects so I wouldn’t be afraid to buy a little more than you think you need! And of course, a caulk gun if you don’t have one already. I also sometimes like to wear gloves for big caulking projects like this, but that is up to you! I also recommend having some kind of painter’s tape to hold the boards in place while the glue is drying. And lastly, you’ll need outlet spacers (also called caterpillar spacers) which will allow you to bring your outlet forward to be flush with the new thickness of your backsplash.
If you don’t have a way to cut the boards, you’ll need that as these are too thick to cut with something like a box cutter and will shred if you try to break them. I used a combination of a circular saw for the big cuts and a compact saw for the little pieces like the outlets. Once you have these items – we’re ready to move onto the fun part – DOING!
Installing
You’ll want to start by cutting your pieces. I recommend measuring and marking everything right there in your kitchen or project space and measuring a few times! While there is some wiggle room with the upper backsplash being less visible under your cabinets, caulk can only do so much to fill in those kinds of gaps!
As for the outlets – you can use the toothpaste hack where you smear a little toothpaste on the edges of the outlet and put the board against the wall and use that as a guide for cutting, but I prefer to just measure how far in and up the outlet is from the outer edges of my board. It feels less clunky and more precise to me, but I recommend you try both to figure out what works best for you!
Before we even get to the outlets, I like to cut the initial piece first, check to see if it fits in place and then worry about details like the outlets. Now, if you run into anomalies like I did – beyond outlets, this would be things like a magnetic knife holder we have on the wall, the kitchen bar juts out of the backsplash at the end of the wall, the window frames have a lip that go into the backsplash, etc. – fear not! It’s all work around-able haha. Simply follow the same technique you did for the outlet! This can be the toothpaste hack or measuring the anomaly in relation to the “piece” of wall you’re working on.
Lastly, when it comes to the stove, I chose to install the backsplash directly behind the stove and did not go any lower. You can’t see it when you’re standing in the kitchen, but if you’re next to the stove and lean over, you can see the old backsplash. It honestly doesn’t bother me (shocking as someone so type A), so it’s really up to you!
The cutting process is really simple from here once you’ve measure and marked your boards! This step is really dependent on how comfortable you are with your tools. I am not at all, still haha. So I would recommending test cutting some scrap wood to get the handle of it. Or if you’re impatient like me, just go for it and go back to the store for more board if you need to haha.
Okie dokie, so your boards are all cut now, right? Great! It’s time to prep the space. This means removing the outlet covers, taking down curtains (trust me, I got construction adhesive on mine :’)), removing anything from the walls, clearing the counters, lightly cleaning your backsplash (you really don’t need to sand for this project, the adhesive is so strong), and having your tape and glue at the ready!
This step is really simple – just draw pretty waves of glue on the back of your boards and stick them to their respective spots on the wall! Then tape them in place by securing the tape to your board and something stable like the cabinet above them. If your boards are a little bowed, like these things often are, I recommend pushing something heavy up against them. I used a cast iron pot full of water and a granite mortar and pestle my husband loves – be scrappy, save the money haha.
Once it’s dry (give it 24 hours before trying to mess with it), you’re done with the hardest parts of the project – GO YOU! Do a dance, toast yourself, do anything to celebrate and allow yourself to feel super excited about the massive difference this has already made in the feel of your kitchen!
Finishing Touches
Now comes a different kind of technically tricky part! If you’re good with caulk, this’ll be a walk in the park! You’ll obviously want to remove the tape and the random objects you put on your counter to hold the boards in place! I recommend taping off where you want to put caulk. Important note – leave a buffer to “over-caulk” because if you under-caulk, it will show when the tape comes off and you’ll need to redo it. So for example, lay the tape more on your counter/bead board, a little further away from the seam itself. This will ensure the seam is fully covered vs. what I did and had to redo it :’).
Once the tape is up, cut a tiny little tip off your caulk and pop it into the gun. Trace the gun along the upper and lower edges, the sides and of course any seams! You’ll want to remove the tape relatively quickly after caulking. I’d say like 10-20 minutes after. If it dries, the tape could pull the caulk off, but if it’s too wet, the edges won’t look straight because the caulk hasn’t had enough time to set just a little. It’s a little annoying you’ll have to RE-tape to paint once everything is done, but it’s worth it!
Me caulking in my work clothes because I have no patience to change
If your cuts, caulk or tape gave you some rough edges of imperfections on your boards, you’ll want to lightly sand. Trust me, I missed a spot and it isn’t noticeable until you turn the under-cabinet lights on and it makes me cringe a little every time. I say “lightly sand” because this is a very porous board and if you over-sand, you can sand past the smooth layer on top and you’ll never have the smooth finish you want.
Woo – that was a lot! But it’s almost over, I swear! Once the caulk has dried and everything looks up to your standards, it’s time to install the caterpillar spacers to bring the outlets forward. It’s actually a very simple process of removing the screws that are keeping the outlet in the wall and placing the spacers behind them before re-screwing the outlet back in the wall.
Now that you’ve done everything that needs done that could possible mess up a paint job, it is safe to paint! I did not prime or prep the boards as you really don’t need to! I painted them the same color as our walls – Alabaster by Sherwin Williams to create a less busy look. After two coats, I put three coats of Polycrylic water-based protective matte sealant on the boards to protect them from the adventures of the kitchen. This isn’t anything special or specific to the kitchen, I use this sealant as my go-to for everything from sealing outdoor furniture to sealing home made ornaments!
Once the sealant has dried, you can put your outlet covers back on and re-hang any art or knives you had on your backsplash previously!
And, as always, CELEBRATE! Light a candle, make it vibey and just stand in your kitchen and stare at the amazing work you’ve done!