OK to tile backsplash over textured walls?
 

Doing ceramic backsplash in the kitchen. I've done plenty of tile on painted drywall, but I'm from up North, where the walls are smooth. Here in Texas it seems every house has this terrible knock-down texture on the walls. Anyway, I'm worried that the texture might somehow detach, causing a tile to break loose. I plan to use adhesive with a v-grooved trowel. 6 x 6 tiles with 3/16 spacers.

Anyone have experience doing this? Will my tiles fall off? Thanks.

is the paint flat? (probably semi-gloss, so at least sand and prime)

having just removed tile from old painted plaster (now very wet and rotting - yuk - and removed) i have a newfound respect for:

a) moisture barrier
b) cement board backer board

that might be overkill for a backsplash, but mold on the the studs and in the walls certainly is, well, keeping me busy for the next few days.

Correct...
&
c) 100% silicone caulk at the 90 degree where the tile meets the countertop.

Great tips guys, thanks. Too late for the cement backer. Paint is indeed a semi-gloss (didn't think about that). I'm going to scuff it up nicely with some sandpaper and will make sure to use silicone caulk at the bottom joint. Fortunately there's no sink on this wall (sink is on an island) and the existing wall is very clean and dry, no mold issues here. It's just a cheapie enhancement I've been meaning to do for a while...

I'd knock off any pointy projection curly cue thingies, too if you haven't already.

Thanks, good point. I think the sanding should take care of those so that the surface is level. I'll make sure it is.

I'm doing a lot of drywall repair on my house at present. I would not personally put tiles directly on the texture. I'd remove it all first, down to the drywall itself and then see about the backing and barriers as the other posters said before putting tiles on it.

- Peter.

To me once you knock off the high points the mud coated drywall is stronger than plain drywall, though I would paint with oil based kilz prior to applying my mastic or thinset to apply the tile. This will keep the water in the grout from attacking the water based mud or the drywall.

as nasty as kilz (or any other oil based / shellac based primer ) is, if you can deal with the smell and/or evacuate for a few hours, it will give a nice, flat, well-sealed surface, as the previous poster recommended, and keep the moisture away from the drywall and mud.

happy trails!