Kitchen Splashbacks: A Splashback Can Have a Big Impact on the Look of Your Kitchen
The whole idea of a splashback is to protect the wall behind the cooking surface. This is not only protection from water and cooking splashes, but also protects the wall from heat damage. Check with your local authority as to what technical requirements you need as different areas have different standards. Ultimately the splashback needs to be easily cleaned and heat resistant.
Materials for a Kitchen Splashback
Tiles
Tiling is a great option. Not only are glazed tiles easy to clean they have heat resistant qualities. Simple white brick tiles work well in a classic styled kitchen, and rustic tiles in laid in a patterned format look great in a traditionally styled kitchen. Bright pattern or picture tiles also make a nice feature. With a wide range of colors available you can have a lot of fun here.
Learn more about ceramic tiles for the kitchen here
Glass
This is a cutting-edge style found in contemporary styled kitchens. As glass transfers heat, you may need to install the glass onto fireproof drywall. Glass splashbacks should be painted pack glass and not clear. This prevents seeing any unsightly debris that may fall behind the glass panel. New painting technology now allows for images to be printed onto glass. So you can now have an outdoor scene or even a family portrait installed.
Stainless Steel
A good hard wearing product that is easy to clean. Again there is a heat transference issue, so check if you can use this. If you have a stainless steel counter top you can have the splashback as an upstand. By having it as one piece it is a lot easier to clean as there is no sharp edge for dirt to accumulate in.
Stone
Granite, synthetic stone, or even corian can also be used. Apart from corian they all have good heat resistance and are easily cleaned. Corian can melt if too close to a heat source but if you have a corian counter top you can mould the splashback from it for a seamless edge. If you are using stone be brave and choose a contracting color to the counter top for more impact.
Color
A splashback is a great place to introduce some color into your kitchen. Particularly with glass, the color choice is infinite and the high gloss look fits in well in the right place. Glass is relatively inexpensive if you want to change it later. Whereas tiles are more expensive if you want to change them. By having a high impact color that you can easily change lets you update your kitchen decor on a regular basis and lets you be a bit bolder with your color choices.
Have some fun with your splashback but remember to check what material is right for you.
