Splashbacks have been a part of our kitchens for decades, if not centuries. They were designed to protect the walls of your kitchen from food, liquids and grease. And, they’re still used for this purpose today. Kitchen splashbacks are best placed behind a cooker, whether you have a gas, electric or an induction hob. But a splashback is also ideally suited for the wall behind a kitchen sink – some will go as far as using them across the entire length of a work surface. Not only do they serve a purpose, but they can also play an integral part in the aesthetics of your kitchen.
Using splashbacks to strengthen the design of a kitchen is not uncommon these days. They come in many different shapes, sizes, colours and styles, and a kitchen splashback can be truly unique to your home.
With so many options to choose from, we’re going to delve into the world of splashbacks to help you decide what type is best for you.
Types of Kitchen Splashback
Kitchen splashbacks don’t all have to be the same. Naturally, we favour glass splashbacks, not only are they durable and sturdy, they’re also easy to keep clean and great for modernising your kitchen; the possibilities are only limited by your imagination as far as design and installation goes.
Alternatively, if you have papered or painted walls and want to add a bit of texture to your kitchen, a tiled splashback would be a great addition. Tiles look great and are fairly inexpensive to purchase and install, however there is a little more maintenance involved. The adhesive (grout) used to stick the tiles to the wall can be a little difficult to clean, and some food and liquid can cause stains, meaning you may have to regrout every so often.
If you want a splashback that doesn’t adhere to the wall, then an upstand is the choice for you. An upstand is used directly behind your hob and only sits around 100mm high. They tend to be filled with chipboard or solid stone to ensure maximum heat resistance, often acting as a continuation of your worksurface.
As a general rule, an upstand doesn’t cover the entire wall behind the hob, this means there’s potential for food debris to taint the wall above the upstand, so the addition of a splashback in this area is advisable.
Choosing a Splashback Material
The first step in choosing a splashback for your kitchen is to decide on the material that you’d like to use. Each material has its advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to weigh-up your options first.
Glass Splashbacks
Glass is a great material to use as a splashback. Today, you can get made-to-measure splashbacks in pretty much any colour, shape or design. So what are the pros and cons of choosing glass?
- Toughened glass is completely safe for use in the kitchen.
- Glass can be easily customised in colour and shape.
- Perfect for creating a real statement in your kitchen.
- Can be used to clad walls in bathrooms too.
- Glass has a flat, smooth surface, making it very easy to wipe clean.
- Heat resistant.
- Measurements are crucial for a glass splashback. You need to ensure there is enough room for the glass to expand so you don’t have any unwanted cracks or breakages.
- Toughened glass can’t be cut on site to make room for sockets etc, so it’s vital measurements are accurate before they’re manufactured to order.
Tile Splashbacks
Tiles are a great splashback material. If you have plain kitchen walls, you can use different coloured tiles to create a colourful and truly unique splashback. Pros and cons of tiled splashbacks:
- Fully customisable in colour and size.
- Heat-resistant.
- Tiles can be adapted and cut to fit around kitchen sockets.
- Depending on the type of tile adhesive used, stains may occur from splashed food.
- The cost of fitting can be high.
- Can be difficult to replace if needed.
Acrylic Splashbacks
Acrylic splashbacks are versatile and inexpensive. If you want to create a feature from your splashback, try using different and unusual shapes of acrylic to really add the ‘wow’ factor to your kitchen. Pros and cons of acrylic splashbacks:
- Fully customisable in colour and size.
- Water-resistant.
- Can be cut to size on site.
- Acrylic isn’t heat-resistant so you shouldn’t use an acrylic splashback near a heat source such as a hob.
- Acrylic can be cut in many different shapes and patterns making it extremely versatile for plug sockets and unconventional kitchen walls.
- Not a totally rigid material so can warp or split over time.
Stainless Steel Splashbacks
Stainless steel splashbacks aren’t for everyone, but they can certainly be an affordable and practical option in a kitchen. Pros and cons of stainless steel splashbacks:
- Inexpensive.
- Can be cut to fit.
- Non-porous and hygienic.
- Not always to everyone’s taste.
- Can be difficult to keep smear free.
- Can warp over time.
- Despite the name, stainless steel can stain, especially if the food debris is acidic such as that from lemons.
Colour Coordinating Your Kitchen Splashback
When it comes to coordinating your splashback with the rest of your kitchen, you need it to either blend in or stick out.
The colour that you use for your splashback is a personal choice however there are some factors to consider. Decide whether you want your splashback to match the rest of your appliances, units and countertops. If you do, it’ll be much easier to decide upon the colour, however you may not be able to find a perfect match. If this is the case, we’d suggest going a shade darker with your splashback.
If you want your splashback to stand out against a plain wall, we’d recommend going for a colourful piece of glass. You can even get sparkles put into it if you really want to make a statement!
For texture, tiles are the best material to use. For colour coordinating your kitchen, we think different shades of the same colour look beautiful as a splashback. An example of this is, if your kitchen is grey, then create a splashback with light and darker shades of grey – you could even include a few black tiles!
When deciding to install a kitchen splashback, we understand how difficult it can be to pick the right material, colour, design, shape and size. Glass, tiles and acrylic all have their pro’s and con’s but glass splashbacks sit firmly at the top of our list for practicality, design versatility and cost.
If you have any questions about splashbacks, or you’d like to learn more about the made-to-measure glass splashbacks that we supply including our colour matching service, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.