Easy to clean backsplash?

15 years ago

What kind of backsplash will be easiest to keep clean? My Mom recommends (and has) granite backsplashes for this very reason, but DH doesn't like the way that looks. Mostly I am concerned behind the stove.

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Comments (6)

remodelfla
15 years ago
stainless behind the stove? Or if you have a contemporary kitchen; sheet glass.
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59 Dodge
15 years ago
You would have to check the stainless first. Apparently there is a huge difference in stainless. The stainless steel door on my old KA dishwasher was a nightmare to clean, I could easily spend 4 or so hours trying to get the water spots off it. The stainless around my electrolux ovens and induciton cooktop are easy to clean. Sure don't know why there is such a HUGE difference????

Gary
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We had used Aquamix Gold(?) sealer on our backsplash--grout (it's what they recommended/gave us where we purchased the tile). We (tile guys and I) just wiped the sealer over the entire splash; over the tile, in addition to the grout, and then buffed off the tile later that day or the next I forget which. Thanks goodness no residue, film, or haziness remained on the tile after a light buffing. Stay away from SCI's spray on sealer, and the heavy duty Miracle Sealer (Porous Plus?)--those are a PITA to remove excess sealer and do leave a hazy film in my experience with them, especially on not particularly porous surfaces. My favorite sealer is STT's SB (Deluxe?) sealer--no real odor, and easy to use (application, and excess removal). Of course, if you use something like TEC's XT grout (not available when we did our kitchen), it might not be necessary to seal it (it can be, with a solvent based sealer, but supposedly, not necessary).
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Epoxy grout with glass linear tile vs. granite backsplash
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I'd be concerned about the grout colors matching up. Even within the sam ebrand, there can be small variations. If you choose the glass tile, choose epoxy grout for the whole install. If you are into simple lines and easy maintainence, using the same granite would seem to fit your style better, but not just for behind the range. For the whole backsplash on the range run. Doing a combo of a large format tile, small accent tile and granite slab is too busy. A single slab of granite is serene and unifying. It's a cleaner look. And easier to clean. And while I can see using the glass tiles on the other run of counters, I can't see using that large format tile at all. It's too white with the granite, and needs to have some kinship with the other elements in the room to look like it belongs. With the elements you've pictured so far, it looks like an orphan.
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Easy to clean backsplash with recessed shelf behind range?
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We will have a slide in gas range with a copper wall hood above. I like the idea of a recessed shelf in the wall behind the range and also like murals. I'm undecided about a mural(It would be in the recessed shelf). I also want a very easy to clean backsplash behind the range. If I do a mural on the wall inside the recessed shelf, that would probably be far enough back not to get anything on it, but inside the shelf, around the mural, and the wall around the outside of the recessed shelf absolutely need to be easy to clean. I hate grout! Our style is very rustic. We just had darker brown/rust color quartzite countertops installed. I tried to find photos of recessed shelves with something other than tile, but all the recessed shelves I've seen are completely tile. Very pretty, but hard to clean(especially the grout) and I guarantee I will splash on it! I have the quartzite on the wall and up on the windowsill behind the sink and am thinking of possibly a tumbled stone without grout for the splash everywhere else. Any suggestions? Photos? Thanks!
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stainless steel vs glass vs ??? easy to clean backsplash
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Comments (1)
oh boy, my sympathies for your problem. I hope u exhausted every avenue with your contractor to correct your counter problem. i don't understand how they can say they are fine when the finishes are different? that alone is cause for a re-do!! now onto your problem as is: first i would not do a SS backsplash. way too much SS. next, glass-while nice i don't think it goes with your cab style since glass lean to the modern. i still think you can do tile but it must be very uniform. but if that off the table, then i would pick one color that is the same in the counters and use that for the b/s. u can use quartz or corian. corian has lots of solid colors and is very easy to clean. best case scenario, find sea pearl to match your counters and use that for the b/s.
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karena_2009
15 years ago
I think conventional wisdom says to use ceramic tile. It is a lot less porous than travartine, for example. I have seen granite used as a backsplash, but, personally I think it gives a "morgue-like" effect in certain cases and is rather monotonous or too matchy-matchy for my taste. Of course, a lot depends on the cabinets, granite countertop, and other decorative elements you are planning on using.

I haven't figured out my backsplash yet and I'm wresting with what kind of tile to use.
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hailefinn
15 years ago
I would never use stainless steel behind the cooktop. I have SS appliances and the refrigerator is the hardest to clean. Ceramic tile is probably the easiest to clean. Just make sure you seal the grout. I have thought about adding a couple of hooks under the hood vent to hold a piece of light weight clear plastic the width of the range to catch the cooking splatters. With the plastic you can still see the tile. What gave me this idea is I had leaned an 18" glass trivet on the tile behind the burner I was frying on---it was easy to wipe clean. Also you could use 12" matching tiles behind the cooktop---will have less grout to clean.
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desertsteph
15 years ago
do they make ceramic tiles 24 x 24???

1 big tile behind stove = no grout

my kind of backsplash
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erikanh
15 years ago
I had a SS Bosch DW that always looked yucky unless I polished it every day, but I think the stainless steel backsplashes are different than what's on appliances. My friend has a SS b/s that's very easy to keep looking nice. And my stainless steel counters are very easy to clean and they don't show fingerprints.

I had originally planned on marble subway tiles for the b/s behind my cooktop but also worried about keeping the grout clean. I ended up going with a marble slab instead.
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Easy to clean backsplash?

Comments (6)

remodelfla

59 Dodge

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karena_2009

hailefinn

desertsteph

erikanh

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