The other day I was lamenting the condition of our laundry room. It was beautiful about a year ago, but continual use and lots of cleaning paint brushes had left the wall looking like this.

Since Jackson Pollock walls are not in style, I decided to give the utility sink a quick face lift. Of course glass mosaic tiles would be really fab here. But, I didn’t have the time or desire to grout the walls and tiles. Luckily I had some Smart Tiles patiently waiting for me to try them. I chose the Lagoon Mosaik tiles for my laundry room. But, there are a wide variety of colors and sizes to chose from. These self-adhesive tile sheets have the look of mosaic glass tiles but not the hassle and mess of mixing grout, laying tile, and cleaning the grout afterwards.

Installing them is a cinch. It is as simple as wash, peel, align and stick! See:

You’ll need a few materials before you start:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Clean the walls according to the directions on the TSP cleaning solution box. Wipe the walls dry.

Use a level and a pencil to mark a line where the top of the smart tiles will be installed.

Dry fit all the tiles sheets. Start in the corner (if you have one.)

 Tape up all the tile sheets using painter’s tape.

Cut any excess off the sheets and cut any additional tiles needed for the installation.

Peel the backing off and carefully adhere the tile sheet to the wall. Try very hard not to touch the adhesive backing.

Line the tile up with the level line.

Press firmly against the wall and smooth your hand over the sheet to remove any air bubbles.

For any holes: 1) Count tiles for the hole. 2) Cut out that many tiles. 3) Stick them on and admire how well they blend with the existing tiles.

Another reason the Smart Tiles are a breeze to install is because they are flexible, you can wrap it around an object, then mark the cut and use an X-ACTO knife to cut away any excess.

That is all there is to it! Stand back and admire your handy work!

I loved the ease and simplicity of the Smart Tiles. They look real until you get up real close and notice that they are not as thick as glass tiles on the side. To fake the sides, you could fit a thin piece of molding on the sides and the top to give it a more finished look.

Although these tiles are easy to install, they cost about the same as the real thing. However, you will save money on grout. And you will definitely save time (and we all know that time is money!)

The tiles I installed have wiped off very easily and they don’t show splashes. A few of the corners have started to peel up where I wasn’t  careful about not touching the adhesive backing. The rest of the seams are holding tight.

If you are looking for a quick and easy solution to update your backsplash, I highly recommend the Smart Tiles.

That being said, if you want a more permanent solution, I recommend spending about the same amount of money and take the time to install glass mosaic tiles.

Note: They cannot be installed inside a shower where the conditions are very wet. In the kitchen, if installing behind a gas range without a back panel, you need to leave a safety zone.

You can purchase them at your local Home Depot in the US,  online, or at these locations.

Update: The Smart Tiles I installed eventually started to peel and didn’t look so smart. I’d recommend this for a temporary backsplash, but for a more permanent solution go ahead and tile your backsplash. It may be a little more work, but it’s not difficult to tile.

Disclaimer: I was sent one packet of 6 Smart Tiles to try. This is not a paid review, all opinions and the project are my own. If I don’t like a product, you won’t see a review on my blog. For more information about product reviews and my disclosure, read this.
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  1. Jace
    Jace says:

    They are definitely not as expensive as real tile. I just got them on sale at home depot. 255.00 dollars worth of Smart tile with 105.00 dollar discount. Spent 158.00 to do entire kitchen backsplash. That’s my project this weekend . Bought the color Dune, Order online for great discount.

    Reply
  2. Emily
    Emily says:

    I’m just now discovering these Smart Tiles! I’m planning to build a faux fireplace and thought these might be a cheaper/easier alternative for a backsplash than real tiles. I’d probably be putting some candles (or led candles) but would like the tiles to reflect the light a little to add to the ambiance. Do these tiles seem reflective enough like glass tiles would be? Thanks for your time! I appreciate it!

    Reply
  3. sna
    sna says:

    We have just purchased a new house that has a nasty standup shower titles. we are planning to remodel the entire bathroom in a year, so, I am planning to put the smart tiles using the Heavy Duty Construction Adhesive liqued nail, I will put a small peace on a seperate piece of tile as a trail. dry it for couple of days, then put that tile directly under hot water and steam… for half an hour for few times. if it survived, I am going to cover the entire shower area with smart tiles for a year. Will let you know how my project will go.

    Reply
    • Brittany Bailey
      Brittany Bailey says:

      I don’t know that I’d take that risk. The Smart Tiles aren’t recommended for showers or tubs. I think the main issue is the difficulty in sealing the edges. But, if you do try it, I would be curious to hear how it goes 😉

      Reply
    • Anne
      Anne says:

      Hi, just wondering how if you ever hear back from the person who planned on experimenting with the application of smart tiles directly over her shower tiles.
      Very curiouse as to how many it took and if and how long they lasted before the water might have caused problems to the adhesion.
      Thanks!
      Anne

      Reply
      • Brittany Bailey
        Brittany Bailey says:

        I didn’t but I really wouldn’t recommend it. They aren’t meant for use in a shower. And the ones I had on the wall in my laundry room eventually began peeling at the edges.

  4. Estelle
    Estelle says:

    The smart tile website suggest simply use a hair dryer to heat up the surface and gently remove the tiles starting with the corners.

    Reply
    • Brittany Bailey
      Brittany Bailey says:

      Estelle, they will rip the drywall (sheetrock) off when you peel them off. If you are covering tile or concrete, it would probably be fine, but you may have some residue from the glue to clean off.

      Reply
  5. Anita
    Anita says:

    Great tutorial! I’ve used Smart Tiles in all of my bathrooms as both a sink backsplash and as trim inside the shower. They’re awesome! When we bought our house, I’d installed them as a temporary “fix” to cover existing tiles that are not our style until we could find something permanant that we liked, but have since decided to keep them a while longer than planned because they look so real and seem to be long-lasting. The ones I have in my showers are along the top row of tiles (level with the showerhead), and they’ve been up for almost 2 years without any issues. I agree that using them in the whole shower wouldn’t be a great idea, but I’ve found them to be very durable as a shower trim accent. I also couldn’t find my knife to cut a set for the last bathroom re-do, and was able to use scissors without a hitch!

    Reply
  6. Laurie
    Laurie says:

    Hey there,
    I am updating my bathrooms. I was thinking about using the SMARTTILE to frame out the big mirrors I have that are adjacent to the walls. Do you think they will adhere? and if they do will they stay up??

    Reply
    • Edward Kowalski
      Edward Kowalski says:

      Why would you think that they would just fall off??
      Of course not. These are MADE for use near wet conditions.
      If you are really concerned, get wet-resistant spray adhesive to use in addition to the sticky back. I did and it worked great and is still on the wall in my bathroom.

      Reply

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. […] tiles. And make it really easy to change the look of a room without a lot of hassle. Check out this installation tutorial from Pretty Handy Girl for more […]

  2. […] A couple days later my friendly UPS man dropped them off. The directions on the package were super simple – basically, open package and stick on wall. However, I found a couple online tutorials that I found much more helpful. Here’s one and here’s another. […]

  3. […] really love that the smart tile adhesive tiles work with the new wall […]

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