How Long Does MusselBound Last? Durability & Longevity Guide
When we decided to use MusselBound Adhesive Tile Mat in our kitchen backsplash project rather than using traditional thinset, one of the most common questions we were asked is āhow long does Musselbound last?ā
Obviously, fresh out of the pack, we had nothing but a hope and a dream that it wouldnāt start peeling off. But because I havenāt seen a ton of people updating about how their Musselbound projects are holding up, Iām here to tell you that two years later, mine is perfectly fine!
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What is Musselbound?
To backtrack, Musselbound is a sticky tile adhesive mat thatās used in place of thinset for tile applications. Itās as easy as it sounds ā you just stick one side onto the wall, peel away the protective film on the front, and stick your tile in place (side note: this isnāt sponsored, just sharing our experiences with it because weāre asked about it all the time)
We first used Musselbound just over two years ago when we added a subway tile backsplash to our last houseās kitchen. Since then, weāve used it on our current kitchenās backsplash as well.
The product directions say you can use it in showers, too, if you use their seam tape along with it to make the whole thing waterproof but personally Iām a bit nervous about that so Iāve just stuck with backsplashes that are a little safer.
So, how long does Musselbound last?
Anyway, we went back to the old house recently when our tenants moved out and we prepped the house for sale, and the tiles are all still super solid. I gave the backsplash a good clean and couldnāt find any cracking or peeling, or any spots that felt loose in any way – it looked just the same as when we installed it!
Weāve found Musselbound to be a great tool for the kinds of tiling projects where you may not be able to knock it all out in one go (which is common for us with little kids around), or when you donāt want to make a huge mess.
Musselbound pros and cons:
PROS
- No mess
- Beginner-friendly
- Easy to do over time (i.e. no rushing because your thinset is drying out)
- Long-lasting
- You can grout right away without waiting a day
CONS
- More expensive than thinset
- Tiles all need to be very dry, which means waiting if youāve used a wet tile saw
- Once theyāre stuck, theyāre stuck so you canāt shift pieces once theyāre already on like you can with thinset
- Surface needs to be really smooth and clean for the mat to stick properly
Overall, Iām a big Musselbound fan and for us, itās held up so well two years later.
Updating a backsplash is a relatively easy way to make a big difference in a kitchen (especially if there isnāt tile in the original kitchen like was the case in this kitchen) and using Musselbound especially makes it much more approachable for beginners or someone who doesnāt want to have to buy a wet tile saw and trowel and some of the other tools youād need for a more traditional tiling project.
Damn, Musselbound really should be paying me for this!
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