Do I need a backsplash if I have a 12" backguard for my stove?

10 years ago

I am doing a kitchen remodel, and am trying to figure out how to protect the wall behind the stove. Being new to kitchen remodels, I didn't realized that a backsplash serves a protective function from the stove heat, so I was planning on just skipping the backsplash to avoid the added expense and because I don't like the look where it stops.

I bought a DCS RGT-366 on Craig's List, and was reading the installation manual yesterday, and it said that a backguard is mandatory, I don't want a full height one, but think the 12" might be okay. What I'm wondering is, if I get that 12" backguard, do I still need Hardiebacker behind the stove and/or a tile backsplash, or will the backguard provide all the protection I need for the wall? Regarding water damage, my sink will be on a peninsula, so water hitting the wall is possible, but is a bit less of a concern than in some kitchens. Is there anything else I should be keeping in mind as I make the decision for backsplash vs no backsplash?

Also, if I do need more than just the backguard, is there a paint grade cement board and a heatproof paint that I could use, or do I have to do tile, glass or solid stone? If it has to be stone, is it okay to use a solid piece of silestone? Or if I use glass, are there specific specs I need - is tempered enough, or does it need to be laminated, or is there some other requirement?

Thanks!

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Comments (4)

palimpsest
10 years ago
No, if you are using the 12" backguard you do not need a full backsplash up to the height of the range hood.

The specs require the use of a standard or full backguard if the horizontal distance to a vertical flammable substance is less than 12". So the standard backsplash according to spec is enough.

It requires 30" above for a non-combustible surface and 36" for a combustible surface, so your hood will need to be 30" above the cooktop. You will have 18" of wall surface between the bottom of the hood and the top of the 12" backguard.

It does not require that the hood be wider than the cooktop, but it is usually recommended that the hood be 3" wider on each side than the width of the range, so a 30" range gets a 36" hood, a 36" range gets a 42" hood.
kai615
10 years ago
I will disclaim this post by telling you am no expert. I am a diyer.

We are doing our kitchen and trying to stay with a more vintage style look. I also hate the idea of a "traditional" style backs plash of tile, stone, glass and everything else I keep seeing. We are doing wood behind our sink and counter area to keep the water from damaging the wall. I know it seems counter intuitive - wood - but if you seal it right, wainscoting of some sort has been used for many generations. I decided to stain mine, much like the pic I added below.

[Rustic Bedroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/rustic-bedroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_715~s_2111) by College Station Home Builders Ellis Custom Homes LLC

The wood is easy and cheap. It comes in tons of profiles at HD and Lowes, look for the 3/4 pine profile boards. Most all the profiles you can use either side of the board for different profile options. It is kind of time consuming to sand, stain and do many coats of poly (I did 5 on mine), but if you painted it would probably be much quicker, I just love the look of color stain (I did almost the same color as the photo above). I did the entire 8' (from counter to ceiling)wall and another 4' (from ceiling to floor) section on the other corner for under $150, another $30 for stain and polyurethane.

As far as the stove, I am not sure if you can or should run the wood behind it. For aesthetics, we are putting a vintage tile right behind the stove. Honestly I have yet to find a new tile that looks nice or would go in our kitchen, however, I have found plenty of neat looking old stuff in reclamation warehouses and even on Ebay that is nice and even cheap. I am personally only running the tile up a bit, but I am one of those horrible OTR microwave people (unavoidable in my tiny kitchen) so I wont need much tile, probably only 5 6x6 pieces. But my point is there are other places to shop to find some really neat and unique stuff besides the expensive tile shops.

Good luck.
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Just my two cents hubby and I have renovated 4 homes. The worst redoes were the homes with a backsplash. Those homes always looked the most outdated. I think counters and backslashes are usually the first things to run out of style in a kitchen. Much easier to tear out a counter then a wall with tile or laminate that someone put up with liquid nail. That being said, we are getting new granite counters and I did consider a tile backsplash. There are so many lovely choices now. We opted to just go with the 4 in. that matches the counters. Sometimes people paint the area between the counter and cabinets a contrasting color. That looks nice. I am grateful that the previous owners never put in a backsplash. It would have upped our costs on the counter replacement. The homes in my area were built in the 90's when pickled oak cabinets and mauve was the rage. My neighbor has a mauve backsplash. They just replaced the counters and decided to leave the mauve tile backsplash due to the work involved in removing it. Anyway, I think you are good without it.
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Paul, You are absolutely correct that putting a strip of granite - no matter how short - eats into the countertop usable area. Another reason I dislike those 4" granite BS concepts. However, you can insist that for the rise that the granite be cut down in thickness so that the strip applied as BS is 0.5" instead of 1.25". Furthermore, granite shops do this in our area as PaulineS has advocated many many times (she's another one in Boston-parts). I have a sheet glass backsplash and the reason I fell onto sheet glass was because I couldn't for the life of me fathom what I wanted to do for a backsplash on that wall - -- I didn't want the granite strip on that wall because on this sink-range wall the granite top is even less than the typical 25.5" (unfortunately located doorway) and I didn't want to lose useful inches to the granite strip and I didn't know at the time that the granite could be sliced down as I mentioned above, -- after several months of no backsplash experience, I knew that that just wasn't cutting it for a primary workspot (and by "primary", I mean used at most 3 times a week!) so I know full well of what you speak. 30" x 32 (34?) will be good and if you install a thin granite edge, it won't be much worse than the tile you were thinking of (3/8", yes?) but will look better in my opinion. My glass sheet is 3/8" thick and it doesn't feel like it cramps my style at the counter at all. Re: the DW. Where do you envision storing your dishes? Based on something I learned from our remodel - not planned for, learned because of sheer, dumb luck - is that I LOVE having the DW next to or right across from the storage parts. My dishes go from DW to the drawers right next to the DW and some other key storage pieces, into the drawers right across from the DW. It is brilliant. (I do have to walk a step to get to the glass and cups storage which is on the other side of the sink from the DW so that is a minor bugaboo - compared to th dishes). So, whether you keep it or think of moving it, i would think in terms of where you think the dishes or glasses etc. are going to be. If they're next-to, you're golden, baby! It looks good to me, as my plan would be to keep pots and pans on the LHS of the range, and the eating dishes on the RHS (which is right across from the DW & so brilliant), glasses and stuff perhaps in the 18"ers (glass door, no doubt) across the penin so you'd move the glasses from the dishes to the ctrtop and thence to their home in the front of the peninsula. So, yes, I do think it looks good. Scared yet? But if you're planning to move the DW, I'd plan for it to go relative to the dishes home (minimize this norm, in other words).
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SECTION P2705 INSTALLATION P2705.1 General. The installation of fixtures shall conform to the following: 3. Where fixtures come in contact with walls and floors, the contact area shall be water tight. This requirement has not changed since the first edition of the IRC in 2000 and was also in the predecessor code (CABO 1 & 2 Family Dwelling Code) since the early 80's. There may be other ways to make the joint water tight but a backsplash is the easiest and most effective method since counters and cabinets move and shift over time. The code appears to be concerned with water running down the wall and causing deterioration of the wall and perhaps even the structure. Local codes can vary so much from county to county, you might try calling your local building inspections department and actually TALK with an inspector about it. Function of the backslash is to protect the drywall from mold. Whereever counters with water touches walls some type of waterproof barrier is required. Another option is tile.
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williamsem
10 years ago
You could also just put a sheet of stainless steel there too, plain or patterned. Very simple, attractive, and functional.
GardenerDev
Original Author
10 years ago
Many thanks for the answers and ideas! Stainless and wood are gorgeous, and it's good food for thought to consider using some wood on the partial wall that runs along the start of the peninsula. For behind the stove, it's great news that I don't need the backsplash or any further protection beyond the backguard - for now, I think the backguard will look good and will be nice and simple and inexpensive, so I'll plan to go with that. I'll post some pictures when it's all done, though it will still be a little while!

Do I need a backsplash if I have a 12" backguard for my stove?

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palimpsest

kai615

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Do I need a backsplash if I have a 12" backguard for my stove?

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palimpsest

kai615

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