I am in the process of renovating my kitchen and am dealing with some mistakes the previous owners of my home made. Instead of using tile (etc.) on the backsplash, they used cork. It was very disgusting to take off because of all the oils and steam that goes with cooking. Needless to say, it was an interesting process trying to remove it. While I got it off, I had to use a chisel because they used a very thick and unusual glue to get it to stay up. I had my contractor friends try to help me remove the cork and glue, but everything we did either didn't work or took the plaster off with the glue.

This was about 10 years ago. I put up a wallboard that looks like tile, and while it is still functional, I am wishing to change the look in my kitchen. I don't have the funds to take off the board and take the walls down to the studs (which is what has been recommended if I take the wall board down), so I am wondering if a different idea will work. Do any of you have any thoughts on applying joint compound (or a similar product) to create a stucco look on top of the wall board? I would apply the same kitchen paint that I will be using on the other walls to the backsplash area. Any other ideas are welcome as well!

I'm afraid the stucco idea is an oil trap in the making. You could simply prime & paint the current tile board. Or you could replace it with a different one more suited for today's taste.

I currently have a formica back splash. I asked the kitchen guys if I could simply TILE over it. They said I could if I made sure it was truely secure enough to hold the extra weight.

thanks for the tips. I couldn't simply tile over it because of the condition of the wall behind the wall board (and according to my contractors the wall board was not strong enough to hold tile). I would have had to strip it down to the studs and start over.

I did stucco over my wall board about 3 months months ago now. I used joint compound to create the stucco look, primed it, used "kitchen paint" (washable) that matched my walls (a creamy yellow), and then sealed it. It's great! Not only does it look great but it washes down easily and is still in perfect condition. I would recommend that technique to anyone!

I'm glad it worked for you. What did you seal it with?

Don't you love how the PRO'S tell us how much distruction & construction needs to be done (preferably by them), when there is often an inexpensive simple fix!

Nice job.

here is every step that I took: Since the wallboard had a tile facade on it I put on a thin layer of joint compound to create a smooth canvas (filled in the "grout lines"). I waited for 24 hours and then applied a second and thicker layer of the joint compound to give it a European stucco look (just with a regular 4" metal trowel). I then lightly sanded the stucco to get the effect that I wanted and then put on two coats of primer to get the plaster ready for paint. I then simply painted two coats of satin finish paint (the same paint I used on the other walls) and it turned out great! After a few days I applied a thin line of silicon sealant (clear) where the backplash meets the countertop. I can wash the backplash down easily and don't have the worry about water splashing from the sink.

The pros I talked to were right that if I wanted to have a real tile backsplash I would have to invest a lot of time and money, but it is interesting that none of them offered less expensive options. LOL. I can understand that they want to attract business though. I may decide to go with a real tile backsplash some day (it will be easy to "undo" what I did because I just plastered over the wallboard and can remove the wallboard), but I'm very pleased with what I ended up with. I definitely recommend this technique in kitchens or any room in your home. It looks great, was fun to do, and is easy to care for.

Now I'm on to applying Venetian plaster in my living room! I just picked it up today and painted the walls with a similar color to make the process easier. I'm really addicted to redecorating and renovating now!