Don’t be afraid to try something different with your backsplash

Don’t be afraid to try something different with your backsplash

Are you designing a new kitchen and trying to figure out what kind of backsplash to install why don’t you try something different then your typical subway tile, try something unique;

• Try a pattern that you designed yourself.

• Mix and match different types and colours of tiles.

• Try installing a natural stone backsplash or a manufactured stone backsplash. It will fit on the wall of most kitchens and behind there sinks and taps.

.• There are new tin patterns, these are squares or tiles that fit together to make a solid surface and in the right kitchen can look impressive.

Natural stone backsplash

If you have a bigger budget try;

• Hammered copper. This can be installed by a coppersmith and can be down so that the entire backsplash has almost little to no seams.

• Back painted glass. Back painted glass can be any colour you want and can be installed with very little seams.

• Granite or marble. The same companies that install granite and marble counter tops will also make you a solid surface backsplash, depending on the kitchen this can look quiet striking.

• Brushed Stainless steel is a clean look that is easy to maintain.

Well I do encourage free thinking when you are trying to be unique there are some rules you should be following, especially around your oven;

1. Never use anything that is easily flammable. Do not use cloth or a paper product that will end up close to the stove top.

2. Gas stove tops legally cannot have anything flammable within a certain distance of the open flame. This includes drywall, you have to install some type of flame resistant material (tile,steel) or it will not pass a gas inspection.

3. You should be making the choice of your backsplash when you design your kitchen. The material you decide to use for you backsplash will affect the depth that the electricians set the boxes of your electrical plugs. If you change the material your electrical boxed might not be set far enough out. Also there are some products that require a different product then drywall as the sub-surface.
Natural stone requires that you use cement board.

The only other thing I would recommend is that if you are planning a unique or colourful backsplash then you really should light it properly with under counter lighting so that everyone else can enjoy it.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.

Do I need a back splash in my new kitchen?

Q:

We are building a new custom home and don’t know what to do about the backsplash for our kitchen, can we wait and do it later?

A:

I use to tell people that they could this, that they could have the tile backsplash installed at a later date when they had moved in and taken the time to decide what they wanted. But times have changed and with it the rules and regulations.

In today’s custom kitchens people are opting for large multi burner gas stoves. These natural gas cookers are very well built and produce a lot of flame on the burners. The other trend that has developed is that there are no backs to these stoves any more. Without a back there is no heat shield to stop the flames from the burners from touching the backsplash. When you place a large pot on the back burner of the stove, the flames disperse around the pot and up the sides depending on the level you set the burner. This flame can extend up the side of the pot and burn against the backsplash, if you don’t have a backsplash it’s burning against the drywall.

Drywall technically has a 20 minute burn rating, but with a direct flame you could burn through it in probably half that time. You could burn your new house down from simply boiling water!

You have several options;

1. Buy the optional heat shield that goes with the stove. They are expensive for what they are, an 8 inch piece of stainless steel that attaches to the back of the stove. This is a simple option but gets easily tarnished from the flames of the burners.

2. Install a tile backsplash, this will give you the protection that you need and allow you to move into a completely finished home without tilers coming in after you have moved in and make a mess in your new kitchen.

3. Have a custom piece of metal made to cover the area at the back of the stove, like a piece of stainless steel or copper. These look good and can also easily be removed when you pick a backsplash.

Gas inspectors are now looking to see if there is enough protection behind these big stoves and sometimes not allowing the gas to be turned on to the building until it is installed.

Put a backsplash in and you and your family will be safer for it.

Rob Abbott
Operations Manager
Village Builders Inc.