Patent ID: 8096093

Claim:
An easily-installed groutless tile plank backsplash system for covering a wall, said system comprising: a plurality of lower tile planks selected from at least a first monolithic, rigid material comprising natural stone, marble, granite, porcelain, artificial stone, concrete, ceramic, or slumped glass, and having a first decorative surface finish and a first lower tile plank thickness, each lower plank configured to be positioned edgewise from each other in a horizontal direction of the wall in a first, lower plane substantially parallel to the wall such that adjacent lower planks are configured to be spaced apart from one another and the lower planks are manufactured to have a first predetermined length extending vertically between selected predetermined upper and lower boundaries of the wall and one or more first predetermined widths; a plurality of upper tile planks selected from at least a second monolithic, rigid material, which is the same or different from the first material, the second material comprising natural stone, marble, granite, porcelain, artificial stone, concrete, ceramic, or slumped glass and having a second decorative surface finish and a decorative vertical edge finish on one or more exposed vertical edges, each upper plank configured to be positioned edgewise from each other in the horizontal direction of the wall in a second, upper plane substantially parallel to the wall such that adjacent upper planks are configured to be spaced apart from one another, the upper planks being manufactured to have a predetermined length and extending vertically between the predetermined upper and lower boundaries of the wall and having one or more second predetermined widths, the one or more second predetermined widths being the same as or different from the first one or more predetermined widths; wherein the first thickness of the lower planks is the same or different from the second thickness of the upper planks and wherein the first decorative finish is the same or different from the second decorative finish; the lower and upper planks being configured such that at least facing inner edges of two nearest neighbor adjacent lower planks in the lower plane are covered by a single upper plank positioned over the inner edges of the adjacent lower planks in the upper plane and wherein each of the upper planks and each of the lower planks is secured in position by an adhesive material; and wherein the spacing between adjacent upper planks and adjacent lower planks is adjustable to cover an intended width of a wall space without edge trimming and the spacing between upper planks is the same or different from the spacing between lower planks, the combination of the upper planks and lower planks adhesively affixed to a wall forming a water resistant backsplash without the need for mechanical fasteners and wherein the adhesive material directly adheres the upper plank to the wall.