New galley backsplash

[Brianna]

In my initial Alpine remodeling I removed the mirror tiles on the bulkhead next to the dining table. They were a bear to remove. Then the mirrors in the rear bedroom wall, which came off almost too easily (a little unnerving).

So now, my third and final mirror project is to replace the mirrors above the cooktop (2000 38 FDS) with a ceramic tile backsplash.

As any of you who have poked around in there know, there is no wall behind those mirrors, just a 1 X frame that catches the mirrors top and bottom.

So I was wondering if anyone tried to just go right over the mirrors with mastic and then tile, rather than remove the mirrors and rebuild a solid surface wall underneath before tiling?

Why not just tear the mirrors out?
I am concerned with accidentally damaging the wooden framing members because they are sort of delicate. They would be very difficult to access if they needed to be rebuilt or reinforced.
I am also concerned about having little mirror pieces accidentally fall down in the hard-to-access little space behind the wall, which is also a slide.

Any thoughts?

[Alpine36]

Funny, we left the bedroom mirrors in place and covered them with pvc tiles, and built a new headboard also.
We removed the tiles in the kitchen and simply built a filler for the shower valve access hole. Used peel n stick tiles.

[RVPioneer]

We had someone else do the work. My advice for removing glass or mirrors is to tape the front of the glass with packing tape or duct tape. This will help keep any broken pieces together. Use gloves and eye protection.

Here’s a photo of what we had done. It is a solid color Corian with a few tiles from the original backsplash for accents. It looks a bit plain with the counter empty, but it dresses up quite well.

We also had the electrical outlets relocated to the underside of the wall cabinets. One is visible on the foreground cabinet.

[Alpine36]

That wall is stronger than you think, actually very well constructed and the cutout has a decent framework around it.
I simply pin nailed 1/2" plywood strips to the frame and screwed 1/2" plywood to those. If the shower valve ever fails it's still accessible for $30 bucks worth of tiles.
(Art3D, Amazon)

[BCam]

I covered my mirrors with peel and stick stainless steel tiles from Home Depot:

https://www.homedepot.com/s/stainles...20tiles?NCNI-5

If any mirror is showing around the edges, you can always add some moulding. Mine shows just a sliver of mirror at the top which I planned on covering but it's been a couple of years now and you really have to look to see it.

[Irie]

RVPioneer, does the 40 also have that access for the shower, and what did you do about that?

[RVPioneer]

Originally Posted by Irie

RVPioneer, does the 40 also have that access for the shower, and what did you do about that?

We have a 36’. There is a removable panel in the upper kitchen cabinet to access the fittings at the shower head. I believe the valve is removable from inside the shower stall.

[Brianna]

Ahhhh, the shower valve! Good safety tip.
Great idea with the access panel.
I agree: not much cost to demo later if it ever became necessary.

[Brianna]

In an unrelated note, Alpine36, that sofa looks really cool. Is it a new unit or a cover over the old one?

My delemma about replacing the factory sofa bed is that, other than being a little grubby and looking a little......old, it's not worn out. Its really high quality and comfortable.

I would hate to spend the money to replace if with something new, and find it to be less comfortable. I have shopped around and tried new sofa beds costing up to $4000 and my impression is always "yeah, that's ok, but it's not better than what we have now."

[paul65k]

We went with a split face stone for our backsplash. It's actually a Peel and stick (real stone) and we used a bunch of additional adhesive to help it

We elected to add a box and put a knife rack in the space for the shower valve access which can be removed in the future easily if needed.

The only other thing we have done is to replace the old Black microwave with a new Sharp version.....fit right on the old bracket and was only 2 screws to take out old one and replace with new......$500 online and changes the look dramatically

[Fun Bus]

We also replaced the kitchen mirror backsplash with stick on stone veneer. We infilled the shower valve access with wood and tiles over it. As a retired plumber I can assure you that the shower valve can be serviced and repaired from inside the shower stall. The only time I can think that the valve "body" needs to be access is to repair freeze damage , at which time you will be replacing the valve, or if you just want to replace the valve with an upgraded pressure balance valve. The shower valve is a Moen brand and cartridges are widely available as millions of these are in use in standard residential structures.


Fun Bus
2000 36FDS/Dakota Toad

[Alpine36]

Originally Posted by Fun Bus

We also replaced the kitchen mirror backsplash with stick on stone veneer. We infilled the shower valve access with wood and tiles over it. As a retired plumber I can assure you that the shower valve can be serviced and repaired from inside the shower stall. The only time I can think that the valve "body" needs to be access is to repair freeze damage , at which time you will be replacing the valve, or if you just want to replace the valve with an upgraded pressure balance valve. The shower valve is a Moen brand and cartridges are widely available as millions of these are in use in standard residential structures.


Fun Bus
2000 36FDS/Dakota Toad

My thoughts exactly as we covered up the Moen shower valve.
Chances of needing to access it from the backside are slim, as it works perfectly fine.

[Alpine36]

Originally Posted by Brianna

In an unrelated note, Alpine36, that sofa looks really cool. Is it a new unit or a cover over the old one?

My delemma about replacing the factory sofa bed is that, other than being a little grubby and looking a little......old, it's not worn out. Its really high quality and comfortable.

I would hate to spend the money to replace if with something new, and find it to be less comfortable. I have shopped around and tried new sofa beds costing up to $4000 and my impression is always "yeah, that's ok, but it's not better than what we have now."

Brianna,
It's still the original fabric flexsteel sleeper sofa. Our coach has the longer fabric sofa on the drivers side and the shorter white pleather one on the passenger side. We find them very comfortable, but the fabric one, although in excellent condition, screamed 1986.
It was the same fugly fabric that matched the window treatments. Wife updated those, and bought a slip cover for the sofa.
She found it at Greatbayhome.com. It's the twill stretch cover type and fits like a glove, and stays put. I know she looked and looked...
The only drawback is if you fold it out to a bed it needs to be tucked back in. I think it was under $40.

[Alpine36]