[ellamama]

I'm trying to figure out the order of things when preparing the wall behind the backsplash and how it relates to countertop installation, etc. I'm considering doing the kitchen in stages. While I really, really want tile and a solid-surface counter top, I may end up with laminate and paint (or beadboard as an interim solution) for a while.

Whatever I do, I want to prepare the wall such that I won't kick myself when I (hopefully) do install tile. The wall there now is a mess. At the moment, there's an orange formica backsplash but if the other walls on that side of the house are any indicator, I suspect that the wall is plaster-covered brick. (We're in a 90 y.o. row house and on the other wide of the wall is the neighbor's kitchen.) In addition to preparing the wall for tile (and paint!) it'd be super if I could add a wee bit of soundproofing as our next-door neighbors and I can hear too much of our private lives.

Thanks so much for your response!

[DesignDiva]

Since you'll be ripping out the drywall that has the formica on it, replace it with greenboard or wonderboard if you tend to like things a bit on the overengineered side. Greenboard is a water resistant drywall used in wet areas like bathrooms and kitchens, and wonderboard is a cement board that is used as an underlayment to tile. Wonderboard is probably overkill for a backsplash, but some people like to use it instead of greenboard since it is thicker and stronger. You can mount tile to either type so the choice of material is up to you.

[ellamama]

In another example of the oddities of my kitchen, the formica backspash is mounted to plywood which is somehow attached to the wall. I used a wonderbar to pry it back a bit (just to see how easy it would be to pry off) and it looks like it'll come off in one piece (unless, of course) it breaks apart in the process, which I suspect is pretty likely as it's a long, long run.

As a result, whatever I put behind the backsplash, it'll be attached to the (plaster over brick) wall.

(My DH was watching me work on a wall in another location and asked what the "hairy stuff" was on the wall. "Horsehair." I explained. "Where's it from?" I turned and stared at him in disbelief. "A horse." My DH was shocked, "WHAT?!"

Apparently my DH was unfamiliar with horsehair in plaster.

We've got the real deal in our house!

	DH definition DH usually means Dear Husband (or, pick your own adjective starting with D).

[greenie227]

me neither. heard of horsehair in plaster, i mean. yowza! so, um, when do you think the plaster with horsehair was installed in your house?

[DesignDiva]

It's probably best that you attach furring strips to the plaster/brick wall, then mount the drywall of your choosing to the strips, like you would studs. Which would make your kitchen that much narrower, I'm afraid.... I'm not terribly familiar with building practices dealing with brick and plaster, since I live in the desert Southwest and brick would be, well, crazy.

[ellamama]

Regarding horsehair in plaster: Maybe I could use it in place of furring strips! I think horsehair was added to the plaster to make it adhere better. Imagine you tossed a few loose hairs into a bowl of oatmeal--that's the proportion. It just happened that when I was trying to losten cracked plaster (to get out the loose stuff so I could spackle) that some hairs were visible (thus freaking out my DH ).

I'm guessing that I'd have to use something like Tapcon fasteners to attach whatever I'm trying to attach to the wall.

	DH definition DH usually means Dear Husband (or, pick your own adjective starting with D).

[DesignDiva]

Imagine you tossed a few loose hairs into a bowl of oatmeal

I just have to say....I am SOOOOOOOO glad I didn't read this tomorrow morning over a bowl of muesli