Stone tile backsplash installation

[keita_ke]

I will be installing a stone tile backsplash and am wondering if someone can give me advice about appropriate backing for the tiles. The tiles are 6"x 6" (limestone, I believe, though I could be wrong about that), weigh approximately 5 pounds / square foot, and the walls are drywall painted with latex paint. Would a thinset or mastic (or something else) be the more appropriate bonding agent to the wall? If thinset, is there any need to back it with wire lath and a scratch/bond coat given the weight of the tile? Also, do people have recommendations of particular brands of thinset or mastic?

Thanks!

[troy]

I would rip out the drywall and replace with cement board.

Use white thinset as the dark may bleed through the limestone.

[PipeDown]

Backsplashes are light duty areas (rarely touched and never walked on) so Mastic on Drywall would likely work just fine. We're only talking what 2 or

3 rows of tile for 10-15 linear feet.

If you are tiling a larger wall say behind the range, upgrading the wall to cement board might be a good idea or put the tile on a sheet of plywood and hang that on the wall like a big heavy picture. If not, the grout lines may be fragile.

Thinset is used on harder substrates like cement board or at least a decent piece of plywood. You would need to rework the wall but then it would stand up to a full on bar brawl.

Use a penetrating sealer on the limestone, Color enhancing sealer will bring out the fossils (if it has them) better but will darken the overall stone. Lots of tile shops have an open bottle to try on your sample.

[keita_ke]

Thanks for the advice!