I am hoping that I can once again ask the pros here on the board for advice.

My previous kitchen backplash was formica. I had the guys who put in my new laminate countertops remove the formica backsplash. What was left behind was old dried glue, some exposed wallboard intact,some wallboard torn, and a little exposed metal on a couple of corners.

I plan to put up 4 x 4 ceramic tile and was not planning to use any backerboard. Would thinset adhere to this mix of what was left behind? I would definitely scrape the surface first to remove any loose material.

Second question: should I caulk or otherwise seal the edge where the new formica countertop meets the backsplash?

Thanks so very much for any advice you can give.

From what you're describing, yes it will work. The big thing is to look for any spots, such as glue, that might hump up the tile and make the wall too wavey. Knock those down. If the drywall holes are too big, I'd fill them in first.

And you should caulk between the tile and countertop. You can use a caulk that matches the counter, or one that matches the grout. If you choose a colored grout, tile shops have a good selection in caulk that matches grout colors -- but it's not cheap.

You don't want to grout that area because expansion and contraction issues will crack the grout. Caulk is best.

And it's certainly up to you, but food does splash on the backsplash. I go for bigger tiles, smaller grout lines, and a tile that can be cleaned easily.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Re-mdlr,