Aside from purely aesthetic reasons, installing a backsplash can help preserve your walls in kitchen areas where water and moisture are prevalent, like behind the kitchen sink and the stove. Doing this can prevent stains and make cleaning the area behind your sink or stove an effortless task.
Inevitably, water can easily splash onto your wall while washing up, or food can easily bubble over while cooking. Without a kitchen splashback or tiles to protect your painted or wallpapered wall, then it's at risk of being stained, damaged, and ruined.
'Splashbacks are not only practical to help protect your walls from any unruly cooking,' explains Darren Watts, Design Director at Wren Kitchens. 'But they also prevent steam and heat from damaging the wall behind.
So, do we need backsplashes in our kitchens? The short answer is no, of course not, but that does not mean that they have disappeared entirely in modern kitchen design, they have just had a major rehaul.
In bathrooms, a backsplash is still recommended, though it is possible to do without a backsplash in some situations. If you have a sink counter that does not butt up against the wall (a pedestal sink, for example), your need for a backsplash is only aesthetic.
Porcelain and ceramic are more forgiving and can be used to imitate other tile styles, but may not achieve the same high end finish you're looking for. Materials like glass, some metals and even well sealed wood can also be used as backsplashes.
Do not put a backsplash behind your fridge unless you can clearly see that wall. In most cases, the space behind the fridge is not visible anywhere in the kitchen. There is no need to spend money on labor and materials for a place you will not see. Do put a backsplash behind your cooktop and hood vent.
'To ensure not including a backsplash is still practical, we usually use glass to protect wallpaper or if using paint, as in this kitchen, choose a water-resistant pool paint. Mineral plaster is also a good solution but only in kitchens that aren't too heavily used.
With so much plumbing behind the walls in your kitchen, there's a minimal chance of water damage. Even the smallest amount of water or moisture can lead to water damage. Your kitchen backsplash tile is a great barrier that adds in a layer of protection that prevents costly water damage.
Granite, marble, and quartz are all popular choices for kitchen splashback. Stone (and engineered stone) is incredibly durable and easy to clean. It also has a luxurious look that can make any kitchen feel more upscale. So, it only makes sense that stone has become one of the most popular splashback choices for 2023.
Maintenance – Tiles and splashbacks are incredibly easy to keep clean and they both require little maintenance. However, the sealant used to adhere tiles is visible between each tile and, in most cases, this isn't wipeable. For a simple wipe clean and zero maintenance, splashbacks win.
After all, everyone wants to make sure that their kitchen is kept simple to maintain and spotless for the long term, right? Given that they're easy to clean and don't mark in the same way that paint or wallpaper will, tiles are a no brainer in the kitchen.
It's easy and quick to install and instantly makes your kitchen feel twice as big thanks to its mirrored effect, reflecting light to create the illusion of a larger space. Cons: A glass splashback will not hide any markings of dirt, food, fingerprints or dust, and can become dirty quite quickly.
Small Tile Backsplash
Put a twist on that convention by shrinking a backsplash down to just the bare minimum, covering only the space immediately behind a sink. (Bonus: Installation will cost much less.)
A backsplash is a type of wall covering — usually tile, but sometimes metal or another impermeable surface — that covers the wall above or behind your vanity. A typical backsplash extends about three to four inches from the top of the vanity's counter, but there is no hard rule for this.
Porcelain, ceramic, metal, and glass tile top the easy-care list because they resist staining, are naturally nonporous, and don't require any special cleansers to do the job.
Ceramic. The original backsplash material, ceramic retains its popularity today as an easy-to-maintain, durable, versatile, and often inexpensive choice. Ceramic tiles come in a large array of shapes, colors, and sizes, making them easy to fit in with your vision.
The thing is, backsplashes aren't a mandatory component of a kitchen reno, but they are a useful one. Most designers will recommend that you use a backsplash because they prevent water, grease, and other liquids from damaging the wall behind it.
The purpose of any backsplash is preventing water, grease, and other messes from damaging your walls, particularly behind stoves and sinks. In addition, backsplashes also offer unique colors and design patterns to customize a kitchen to your unique style.
They can represent your style and your personality in your kitchen. It goes beyond its function, which is to make your wall easy to clean from the liquids and oils that splash up during cooking. Although a beautiful backsplash can make your kitchen “pop”, they cause some annoying problems throughout the years.
Despite metal being a conductor of heat, a stainless steel splashback is excellent when used behind a hob or sink. Stainless steel is easy to maintain. With a wipe from a soft cloth, your splashback will be squeaky clean. Stainless steel is very durable – another reason why we love this material so much.
The best backsplash materials for easy cleaning are nonporous, preventing stains from penetrating deep into the tiles. Consider using porcelain, ceramic, metal, or glass if cleanliness is your goal.