Kitchen backsplashes are generally added to the kitchen wall to give it an extremely hard wearing covering. The daily splashes of food that occur in any regularly used family kitchen will over time destroy any kitchen paint or wallpaper used to decorate a kitchen. So preventing any type of heat or liquid damage by coating or protecting the wall behind the cooker and work surfaces with an extremely durable material that protects walls from the rigours of the master chefs or domestic godesses spillages and drips is how kitchen backsplashes have come into existence. In a smaller kitchen the backsplaash may only be in certain areas, such as the main cutting, chopping and serving area or behind the range cooker or aga.
The types of material used for backsplashes are generally heat and liquid resistant, although not always, as some backsplashes made from natural materials such as stone are porous themselves and need additional protection in the form of sealants. Also most kitchen backsplash materials need to be easy to clean and hard to damage but again this is not always the case. As with all items this has been a design feature and so many different styles and colors of backsplashes are available for those more interesting in form than function. Designers have created all sorts of styles so whatever look and feel your after something beautiful and useful in your kitchen more than likely available. The homeowner in search for a backsplash has a choice from stone, glass, tiles or metal for the creation of their backsplash.
Stone
Stone is one of the best looking materials for a kitchen backsplash, and one of the most popular is granite. Granite not only looks fantastic in a kitchen, it is also highly resistant to heat and liquid and is also difficult to damage once in place as it is so hard. Although being natural it is porous and so will need to be protected with sealant.
Marble of course is probably and even more beautiful material if you prefer something with a bit more colour. Although marble is not as good with heat, and definitely needs sealing to maintain the colour.
Tiles
Tiles are what most people commonly think of when they think of a kitchen backsplash. Every shape, shade and color is available. Tiles are extremely easy to maintain and wipe clean, and are heat and liquid proof. The only area likely to be damaged.
Tile backsplashes are heat and stain resistant and so are a breeze to wash. With a small amount of help you can easily install tile backsplashes yourself. Nonetheless, you should have to be vigilant about the grout. Backsplashes must be sealed to avoid discoloring or yellowing.
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel backsplashes were mainly the reserve of the professional kitchen, and now are starting to catch on in the home. The main reason for this is the low maintenance for steel. Professional kitchens need to be extremely functional, neat and clean, and many people are looking to achieve the same in their home kitchens too these days.
Stainless steel is an extremely durable material, very resistant to temperature and liquids. The only downside to stainless steel is that it can be scratched and dented.
Glass
Glass is a fantastic material for a backsplash, being liquid resistant, bright, and easy to clean. By decorating the background it makes it easy to achieve a wide variety of color schemes with your chosen glass backsplash. Care needs to be taken with glass of course as it can be damaged with heavy impacts.
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