Splashbacks and kitchen wall tiling

Splashbacks and wall tiling is ideal for protecting walls in both kitchens and bathrooms against food splatters, heat and moisture, and they come in a huge variety of materials to suit any taste or budget.

Kitchen wall tiling

Let's go to the most common splashback used in many homes: the tile. Commonly, people like to use mosaic or smaller tiles for kitchen and bathroom splashbacks, and they can either be installed by a professional or taken up as a DIY job. If you are creating a splashback to add value to a property, you may want to go with more neutral colours, as bright colours tend to date easily. One down side to tiling is that grout attracts dirt and mildew.

Glass kitchen splashbacks

Along with stone, glass splashbacks can be one of the most expensive options, but they are well worth it. Made form toughened glass, they are made to measure, and installed using extra strong double sided take and silicone sealer. Unlike tiles, there is no grout to attract the nasties, and it's extremely easy to keep clean - just make sure that any glass splashback you look at is toughened glass, otherwise it may be prone to breakage if it gets too hot. Some glass splashbacks also come in a variety of colours and textures.

Stone splashbacks

One of the most beautiful options for your kitchen, stone can also be the most expensive. It's resistant to heat and scratches, but can be porous, and so care needs to be taken it is sealed regularly enough that oil and other substances don't stain it.

Stainless steel splashbacks

This option is offered by some manufacturers of range hoods, and can be custom built to fit your kitchen. It a great option, is not as expensive as stone or glass, and can be easily cleaned. One down side is that care should be taken to avoid the use of abrasive cleaners, which can scratch it. Utensil handles can be added.

Laminate splashbacks

A DIYer's dream, laminate is one of the most affordable and easily installed materials of all the splashback options, with the average sheet setting you back around $300. This should cover the length of a 7-metre splashback. It also comes in a huge range of colours and feels, from single colours to stone and wood look-alikes.

Paint

Of course, you can always just paint the walls. Many paint manufacturers now make anti-mould paints which are well suited to handle the beating bathrooms and kitchens will give them. Paint is also the cheapest alternative, easy to do yourself, and can be changed more easily to suit your decorating whim.

Whichever splashback suits you, you can be sure that it will go a long way to protecting your walls.