River Pebble Tile Installation from StrataStones

River Pebbles installed on a wall

The type of backsplash you choose for your kitchen remodel makes a huge difference in the final look and feel.  My whole project so far has been one of sleek lines recessed lines, stainless steel, and modern lighting.  Wanting to achieve some balance, I chose something of the earth itself for my backsplash- River Pebble Tiles from StrataStones.net. (Updated September 2021, StrataStones.net is no long in business but similar product can be found on Amazon.com that we recommend.

Kitchen Remodel Without Backsplash
One thing at a time- Backsplash Installation has come!

StrataStones offers a truly unique offering of pebble tiles all pulled from river beds and put together in 12×12 tiles in Bali.  How awesome is that?

Image from StrataStone.net website
Taken from StrataStone website

First off, every color they offer is completely natural and earthy- obviously.  But their color selection spans the spectrum from cool blues and greens, to blacks, to whites, and mixtures.  Their variety of sizes, orientations, and elevations  allowed us to pick the one that felt best to us- a polished, natural mix.  See it on their store page here.


Applying Thin Set Mortar for Tile

The tile came delivered by our lovely postal carrier lady.  Let’s just say Matt went out to her truck to unload it for her.  She is NOT built to carry 3 boxes of, well, rocks up to our garage.  We want her on our good side!

Anyway once we checked out the boxes, we brought out a container of prepared Thin Set Mortar and a Mortar spreader with 1/4″ teeth.  One small section at a time, we didn’t cover the granite (brave) and started slapping it on the wall.  No real rhyme or reason- just enough to closely match a 12″ x 12″ square.

Adding Thin Set Mortar to a Wall
Adding Thin Set Mortar to a wall

Installing River Pebble Tile

What is nice about the StataStone Pebble Tile is that its not a box of rocks, but a box of rocks adhered to a sturdy mesh backing just like other small tiles you might see at the big box retailer or tile store.  With the very first tile, we were cutting out stones that would be in the way of the outlets, switches, covers, and against our kitchen cabinetry.

River Pebbles installed on a wall
Installing Strata Stone in 12×12 tiles

Below is a bad picture of me holding up a 3-up set of pebbles that we will install as necessary around the outlet covers and switches.

Three Stones On Backing Ready To Apply
These Stones have been cut from the 12×12 backing with scissors

Because river pebbles don’t come in predefined sizes (go figure) piecing them together around the objects and fitting them up against the cabinets and down against the countertop is a creative undertaking.  Because everything is so natural, there is great room for uneven stones, extra space where grout will be added, and problem areas- which have so far all looked totally natural.

Installing Pebble Tile from StrataStone on a kitchen wall
Installing Strata Stone Pebbles on a kitchen backsplash

The next steps involved with finishing this river pebble tile backsplash is grouting. Check out our final reveal with video demo here!

picture of StrataStones River Pebble Stone Back Splash
StrataStones River Pebble Stone Back Splash

New Kitchen

Check out options on Amazon.com since StrataStones is no longer online.

This was not a paid post. My own opinions were used based on my perceptions and experience. Thank you to StrataStones who provided the product for review.

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Cindy
Founder and Lead Blogger at Akron Ohio Moms
Cindy is the top Akron Blogger with her own take on awesome brands for families, where to vacation for families, a beat on local activities and family fun, a knack for getting moms to share , and a house that is always 2 weeks away from a complete remodel!
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