Demolition has a rush all its own, but it always comes with the reminder that whatever you tear out will need to be replaced. That can be a bummer, but we didn’t dwell on it: as soon as we finished demoing the tiles and plywood, we hopped in my sister’s borrowed SUV and headed to The Tile Shop to buy cement board so we’d be ready to rebuild right away.
The cement board we used was 1/4″ Permabase Ultrabacker. After a 10% discount code it was about $10 per 3ft x 5ft sheet. I initially bought eight sheets because of a miscalculation but ultimately used four, so our final cost after the return was roughly $40. We planned to use cement board along the entire back wall above the stove — the focal wall that will have tile to the ceiling, a large range hood, and open shelves — and for the 18″ backsplash on the rest of the kitchen walls.
I started with the smaller 18″ backsplash boards because they were easier to handle. Cutting required careful measurements around the window and for outlet holes. I used a jigsaw, which I control well, and wore a real gas mask with filters to avoid breathing the cement board dust. The board is coarse and wore the blade down quickly — several teeth were literally sanded off — so lesson learned: a blade suited for cement or a diamond blade is a better choice. Even so, the cuts worked out and I was glad to be done with that step.
Fitting the cut boards in place was straightforward since the cement board matched the thickness of the old plywood. I balanced each board, checked for level, and drove screws so the surface would be flush for tiling — pokey screw heads are a no-go for tile installation. Sherry kept Clara out of our busy construction zone while I handled the screws, and once I was confident the boards were secured we continued around the room. This round of installation felt easier than our experience rebuilding the bathroom in our first house, so maybe a little time away from a project helps.
The 5ft tall boards fit almost perfectly on the 5ft wall behind the stove, which saved a lot of cutting except for outlet holes. Because these boards were larger and heavier, I enlisted Sherry’s help to hold them while I drilled, which sped things up considerably. We left a temporary electrical outlet near the vent for the future range hood; its final position can be adjusted later and will be hidden behind the vent cover we plan to build.
Even though the cement board work was done, we still had other walls to address — above the sink and pantry area, for example. We considered tiling the ceiling on that wall as well, but decided one focal wall with tile to the ceiling, a range hood, and open shelves would be enough. The opposite side of the kitchen will get a standard 18″ backsplash, which balances the look without making everything feel over-tiled. Tiling the pantry seemed awkward, so we abandoned that idea.
Our kitchen walls aren’t drywall; they’re painted paneling, which we like for the soft texture it adds when painted. So in a move that surprised us, we bought a sheet of new paneling to replace damaged sections. We had one leftover painted panel from a previous project that we could reuse near the window, so I only needed a single 4ft x 8ft sheet from the store. The Lowe’s associate cut the pieces to size so they’d fit in our car and so we wouldn’t have to do the heavy cutting at home. I did buy a fresh jigsaw blade specifically to cut the hole for the microwave outlet.
One small convenience: we left a piece of plywood in place where a small upper cabinet will later cover it, avoiding the extra work of removing it now. That kind of shortcut helps when you have a long to-do list and you know a hidden area will be concealed by cabinetry and crown molding.
For the cement board seams, we’ll tape them and apply thinset over the tape to set the tiles, following The Tile Shop’s recommendation. That method should create a long-lasting base for the tile. The layout of the wall elements was planned carefully: the window placement that looks off-center now will read as balanced once the small upper cabinet goes to the right of the pantry and the 12″ floating shelves are installed on the focal wall. There will be 14″ of wall space on each side of the window trim in the finished layout, which will help the whole composition feel intentional and symmetric.
By the time we finished the installation, the kitchen already felt noticeably better even though it still looked rough. Removing upper cabinets opens the room and gives a clearer sense of how the tile backsplash will change the aesthetic. For context, both of the walls we worked on are interior walls that face our heavily insulated sunroom, not the outdoors, which is why there was no insulation behind them. We lived through last winter and didn’t notice drafts, so we didn’t add insulation during this step.
The whole demolition and reconstruction process took two days — one day for demo and picking up cement board and one day for installing the new panels. I was sore afterward, but the next step is paint touch-ups, which are much easier. Once painted, the room will look far less patchwork-y and better reflect the cohesive design we have in mind: tile to the ceiling on the focal wall, a built-in range hood, open shelves for everyday dishes and decor, and matching 18″ backsplashes on the adjacent walls.
Have you ever hung cement board or bought new paneling unexpectedly? Any ceiling painting on your agenda this season?
Pssst — We’re on BabyCenter chatting about the birthday time capsule we completed for Clara to open on her 18th birthday.
Psssst — We’ve listed our black above-the-range microwave for sale; it’s a year old and in great working condition.