How to Choose the Best Splashback Material for Your Kitchen

A kitchen's splashback is meant to protect the room's walls from food splatter, grease and high humidity levels and also from the risk of catching fire if one should start on the stovetop. While the splashback is mostly functional, it should also be attractive, as it provides some separation between the benchtops and the upper cabinets, and is also easily seen from every area of the kitchen. Since you have so many options for splashback materials, note a few pros and cons of some popular choices, and this can help you to choose the best type for your home's kitchen.

Tile

Tile is a very classic choice for a splashback, and it can work to tone down the look of a large metal sink and cabinets with glass doors. Tiles are also typically easy to install, so you can often put in a new tile splashback yourself. The downside to tiles is that they may break or discolour more easily than other materials, and the grout also needs specialty cleaning on a consistent basis. You also need to consider if the kitchen has a tile floor and tiled benchtops; adding a tile splashback can then mean too much of one type of material in that space, and it may be difficult to choose a tile splashback that coordinates with those other tiled surfaces without actually clashing.

Metal

Stainless steel and aluminium can give a kitchen a modern look, whereas a copper splashback can bring in some colour and warmth. Metal is easy to clean and very fire resistant, and you can often find a piece of reclaimed metal that can be cut and installed in the kitchen for a splashback, making it an eco-friendly choice. However, you do need to be careful about assuming you can install metal on your own, as the edges of any cut metal piece can be very sharp and dangerous when mishandled.

Glass

Glass has the advantage of being very neutral, so it goes with any kitchen style and surface materials and can break up the look of dark cabinetry, adding light and brightness to the space. You also have an endless variety of glass from which to choose for glass splashbacks, as the material can be dyed or tinted any colour. You can even opt for glass tiles, which may come in an array of colours, and opt for tiles with a net backing so that you can install long lengths or large sections of these tiles quickly and easily.  

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