Renovate Your Kitchen with these Splashback Ideas
Renovate Your Kitchen with these Splashback Ideas
The splashback is so named because it catches all the grease, condensation and other particles that splash as you cook and wash in your kitchen. Instead of all the grime and residue from your kitchen activities ending up on your kitchen walls, you can minimise their appearance and make your kitchen appear cleaner with the right splashback. These fixtures are also easier to clean than a typical kitchen wall.
Choosing the perfect splashback can take your kitchen to a whole new level. Your kitchen can go from simply ordinary to completely extraordinary. If your kitchen has a rather neutral palette, it can benefit from a vibrant colour splash or some added texture to liven things up. Your entire kitchen can be transformed by adding a simple splashback.
You can choose kitchen wall cladding that fits your budget, and while some cladding is very expensive, you don’t have to avoid that just because your budget is small. If you have only a tiny area that needs a splashback put in, then you can opt for the nicer, more expensive cladding and still stay within your budget. If you are going for a larger scale splashback, you can save some money by buying in bulk and getting a discount overall. Be sure to look at all the options with your designer to see what you can afford and what you would prefer for your kitchen.
No matter what your budget may be or your style preference, you can find a splashback option to match.
Be sure to ask yourself a few questions about each splashback you are considering. You need to ask:
- How easy will it be to keep clean?
- How apparent will grime show on it?
- How will it stand up to normal wear and tear?
- What will it cost me?
- Is it safe to have near my cooktop?
Australian Standards say that the necessity of protection for a combustible surface is determined by how close it is to a burner. A combustible material is designated as anything that needs protection if it is within 200mm of a heat source. If there is a distance in every direction of 200mm or more, then the combustible surface will not need to be protected.
Your kitchen can become an expression of your individual style. It serves as a natural hub for the home, and that makes it the perfect place to showcase your personal style. When you choose the right splashback, your kitchen can be transformed. Which splashback fits you the best?
Toughened Glass
You can use this kind of glass as either a window or splashback. It’s very easy to clean and stand up to wear and tear but does not look very clean. You can paint the reverse side of toughened glass in a number of different ways. The painted glass will be slightly opaque, so if there are any holes in the wall from other projects, then they need to be taken care of before you install the glass. If you use one background colour, then marks will show up. No matter what your kitchen style is, a glass splashback is a good option, and if you direct some lighting to the splashback, you can really make it stand out.
Printed Glass
This kind of glass looks very clean and is also easy to clean. It holds up well against wear and tear and should not be installed less than 150mm from a gas burner. While you can use toughened glass near gas burners, you have to be more careful with printed glass. This kind of glass splashback will be resistant to heat and be able to stand up to rigorous kitchen usage. It resists moisture as well and offers a clean look due to its inherent camouflage. To clean it, you just need to wipe it off with a microfibre cloth. You won’t even have to use a cleaning agent.
Mirrored/Silvered Glass
This glass looks fairly clean and is incredibly easy to keep clean. It handles wear and tear admirably and can be placed near a gas burner. It also gives the impression of more space than there actually is, and you don’t have to use any chemicals to clean it.
Slumped Glass
With slumped glass, you get a very durable fixture that looks clean most of the time and is reasonably easy to clean. You can’t put it less than 200mm from a gas burner, though, since it is not a toughened glass. The patterning makes it look clean, but its three-dimensional design can mean it is harder to clean than some of the other choices. It has some grooves that are tough to get into with regular cleaning supplies.
Stainless Steel
As you probably know, stainless steel gains a dirty appearance very easily. It is fairly easy to clean, though, but it can’t handle as much wear and tear as some of the other options. It’s tough enough to handle being close to a burner, though, and it looks great in kitchens with timber floors, as it can reflect the colours beautifully.
You can limit the streaking in this kind of splashback by having its designed with an easy to clean coating. Wiping it down and disinfecting it, though, are easy to do no matter what kind of coating it has.
Pressed Metal
You can place pressed metal near a gas burner if it is at least 5mm thick. It complements many different styles of kitchens, and it is generally kind of thin and not able to stand up to a lot of wear. This kind of splashback will dent easily, and it is even tough to clean without damaging it. Go for the thicker version, if you can, as it will provide you with greater value.
Glass Tiles
Depending on the kind of glass tile you go with, you may be able to install it within 200mm of a gas burner. There are tons of options for sizing and colour with this type of splashback, but they can be costly. That’s because they are tough to cut. If you go with transparent tiling, then you need to consider what you will be able to see through the splashback and incorporate any changes you need to make into your budget for this kitchen feature.
Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic tiles are common kitchen splashback materials, and one of the most popular is the brick-like effect that is reminiscent of a subway tunnel. This affordable material is available in wide range of textures and colours, and you can even get ones that look like pressed metal. They are tough and long lasting and easy to clean, as well as safe to install near gas burners.
Porcelain Tiles
These are easy to keep clean as well and can be safely installed close to your burners. You can use them for flooring as well for a uniform look in your kitchen. Depending on the kind of tiles you get, porcelain can be fairly affordable, and they hold up better than you might think.
Large Format Porcelain
Lots of people are incorporating large format porcelain into their kitchens these days. That’s due to the huge selection of colours and styles available. They come in range of textures, such as metal, solid colour, timber and marble. If you go with a patterned or textured look, then the splatters won’t show up as easily. Solid colours show grime more easily but can be cheaper. This is a super tough material that will last you for a long time and that can be used safely near gas burners.
Timber Lining Boards
This combustible material cannot be placed near a burner, and it is notoriously hard to clean. However, its rustic look adds some real charm to any home, and that unique appearance can make it worth the extra effort. Besides, timber lining boards are incredibly inexpensive.
Timber Veneer
With this material, you get a splashback that is pretty easy to clean and that looks clean most of the time. It can be fairly cheap or expensive, depending on which kind you get. You can use it as wall cladding in your kitchen, if it features a sealed two-pack polyurethane finish. You should know that no kind of timber is appropriate for installation near your cooktop.
Natural Stone – Granite/Marble
Many Mediterranean kitchen surfaces use natural stone, which is economically priced most of the time. It is incredibly hard and will not combust, which means you can place it near your burner without any problems. It naturally hides splatters and condensation and is pretty easy to keep clean. It can provide backlighting as well, which really makes your kitchen look amazing. If you want to keep the splatters and water from penetrating your splashback, you need to ensure it is sealed.
Engineered Stone
You’ll need to use something else if you want to install your splashback near the cooktop, but this is remarkably clean looking and easy to clean, and it holds up very well to wear and tear. It can be seamlessly integrated into your walls, if you want to give your kitchen a uniform look.
Laminate
This material works great as a feature wall, but don’t install it as a splashback anywhere near your burner. You can pick just about any colour you want to match or complement your kitchen walls, and it is affordably priced and easy to clean. It’s great as a backdrop for sinks since it repels water very well.
Corian
Any splashbacks made from Corian are going to be easy to scratch and are too combustible to place near a cooktop. It can join seamlessly, though, for an incredible look. You can mould it as well, if you wish, and backlight it for an amazing effect.
Roller Shutters
You can choose from either extruded aluminium or laminate roller shutters, and these can conceal additional storage spaces very easily. They come in a variety of styles and can be made as large or as small as you need. You can’t place them near burners, and they dirty up easily, but they aren’t that difficult to clean, and they should last you for a long time.
Painted Plaster
This is definitely an economical way to go, but it won’t stand out or wow anyone in the kitchen. It’s too combustible to be safely installed near a burner, and it won’t hold up to constant cleaning, but if you just need something cheap and effective, painted plaster fits the bill nicely.
Raw Brick
With raw brick, you get a hardy material that is tough to clean but that stays clean on its own quite nicely. It is very economical and will last you for a while. Raw brick provides a rustic look the doesn’t cost a lot when compared to similar rustic options, and you can apply a fire-rated coat to it to keep out dust, fill the pores and make the surface easier to keep clean.
Raw Bluestone
Here is another cost-effective option that has some rustic vibes to it. It resists heat very well, but it won’t be easy to clean because of how porous it is. If you seal it, you will keep the stains from getting through, but it will always be tough to clean. You can cut down on the pores it has by using a fire-rated coating, just like with brick.
Get in touch with our kitchen renovation specialists in Keysborough, Melbourne today to discuss your next project.