I'm betting you should have a 4" backguard on the range, not an island back.

^^ agreed on the backguard, but I’d get a taller one than 4” for that limestone (an extremely porous stone). A 12”tall one at least.

Cedarcreek thank you for your response. The stone has been sealed once before grout and once after. I hope it doesn't brown too badly but that is not as much of a concern as cracking.

vpierce thank you for your response. I wasn't aware of a backguard so I appreciate this suggestion. I just googled Wolf backguard and found that they have 5", 10" and 20" risers which creates a thermal barrier and elevates the oven exhaust higher up the back wall closer to the vent. They are a little expensive, the 10" riser for a 36" range is $265, but well worth it if prevents cracking. I'll discuss with my Wolf rep.

Linking recent thread re backguard and Quartz backsplash which is prone to cracking and scorching from nearby heat.

I might do the 20” height backguard instead of the 10” so you don't have that horizontal divide. To help choose, put heavy duty aluminum foil of 10” tall behind your range, then try it at 20” tall behind your range, and see which you like better.

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6138998/quartz-behind-range

Shannon_WI: I have had a Silestone soap stone quartz backsplash behind my Samsung range for several years now. It was installed when I had my kitchen renovation done a few years ago. My Samsung range is also a few years old. When the oven is in use and when the burners are in use, the quartz backsplash never gets warm. The backsplash looks as good as the day of installation❣️ It matches my counters and is easy to clean too.

You need a back guard. Have you looked at the installation instructions for your range. Most high power ranges require a back guard.

Kculbers you can not compare a samsung range with a Wolf. Installation instructions are different between different ranges.

There is no photo of Kculbers' range and backsplash behind range?

M Miller. I have a galley kitchen. My Silestone backsplash appears dark in the first picture, but it is the color that comes out better in my second picture; color soap stone Silestone.

doggiemom:

What is your wall framing made of and to what is your tile applied please?

Hi Joseph - The range is on an interior wall and the tile was just applied to the drywall.

Upon further inspection I noticed that the range is slightly closer to the wall on the left side vs the right which explains why the tile on the left side was much hotter than the right. I tried to pull the range out a tad on the left side but that seems to be causing other issues so I intend to contact my Wolf rep for assistance with balancing the range.

I’m no expert, but I am wondering if you could put a single sheet of clear, heat resistant glass over your tiles.

Hi Catherine - Hmmm, hadn't thought of that. I need to decide if that would look better than the 10" stainless riser. If I can get the range re-balanced and pulled just slightly farther away from the wall I can determine how much heat mitigation results. If doing this provides significant improvement I can then decide how much risk I want to take with the tile and take sort of a wait and see approach. I might end up replacing the backsplash in a couple of years so it is a gamble.

Londinium - WHAAAT??? No one said a word about this to me! I intend to call Wolf customer service tomorrow to validate this and then call my Wolf rep. 12" forward of the wall? Who would do that? Crazy.

I'm not going to check right now, but my memory suggests that the 'quartz' thread referenced above goes into the real issue, which is over-heating combustible wall components behind the tile increasing their flammability over time. Without the riser, the configuration is in violation of the International Mechanical Code, Section 308.

To be compliant without a riser, either the cooktop has to be 12 inches from the wall, or a mitigation means employed, such as using steel studs with nothing combustible on either side of them, and no pictures hanging on the other side (unless metal).

In general, the manufacturer will supply installation directions that provide sufficient fire protection, and Code Enforcement will rely on these directions.

Page 4 of the Wolf gas range installation instructions says a 20 inch riser is required if range is installed against a combustible surface. What is Wolfs definition of combustible? Does it include what is behind the tile? Heat can transfer to what is behind the tile and possibly combust.

It isn't really up to Wolf to determine the meaning of "combustible surface". That's defined by building codes, and as others have pointed out, it includes the internal make-up of the wall. Most notably, you can't have any wooden

I believe regular sheetrock is deemed combustible. In any case, use a riser if you don't intend to revise the wall construction. Compare riser construction with the mitigation means described for reducing hazard distance given in IMC Table 308.4.2.

Building codes have the definition of combustible surface but it doesn't seem like it is being enforced. How many times do we see on Houzz high powered ranges installed against tile or quartz? I think most people reading installation manuals consider tile non-combustible. I understand that it includes the wall construction behind the tile but most people do not. Seems like contractors don't understand it either.

Just get the Wolf 20” backguard and be done. All this back and forth is unnecessary when there is a straightforward direct solution, and you can move on to other things.

Yes the response I'm getting from the Wolf Sales rep is that tile is considered non-combustible and that the heat on the tile is normal. Rep said, "Tile can get 200 plus on gas ranges."

I'm waiting on a call back from Wolf customer service to discuss the possibility of upgrading to the dual-fuel model which apparently does not have this issue.

Wolf CS said that THEY consider tile installed on drywall non-combustible ... but I should check with local codes to validate for my area. Local Sales rep is working on trading in for upgrade to dual-fuel which apparently vents from the floor instead of the back.

I REALLY appreciate everyone's input on this! You don't know what you don't know and this issue never entered my mind when I decided on the gas range. I was told that the main reason to get the dual fuel is that the temp control is more accurate for baking, which is something I rarely do so I decided not to spend the extra $3k for DF.

"I was told that the main reason to get the dual fuel is that the temp control is more accurate for baking"

Just to be clear for anyone who comes across this thread, this is an old myth from, like, 40 years ago when gas range ovens were lit by pilot lights rather than HSIs, and the ovens did not have the insulation they have now. There are reasons why some people prefer DF ranges over AG ranges, and why some people prefer AG ranges over DF, but oven temperature control is not one of them. If there are oven temperature problems in a modern AG range, it has to do with the quality of the manufacture, not because it's an AG range.

I have both. We have an all gas Bluestar range, and we have electric Miele wall ovens (speed and CSO). Yes, they do behave a little differently. But honestly, the differences are small enough that I can cook food just fine in either oven. The different set of features (i.e. humidity control vs. great broiler vs. microwave) are a much bigger deciding factor than the fuel source.

We are very happy with our combination of appliances. Having multiple different types of ovens is quite nice, as I can pick the one most suitable to what I am making at any given time.

And as much as Wolf is generally a good brand, I am put off by their reported decades long unresolved issues with failing enamel coatings in the dual fuel ovens. I don't want to find little shards of glass in my food. I am continuing to be surprised that every few months I read about this again on Houzz. It seems to only affect the electric (i.e. dual fuel) ovens from what I can read. So, I'd probably recommend sticking to all-gas until there are no new issues reported here.

M - do you experience condensation and high heat on the backsplash behind your Bluestar gas range?

We used to have the short 6" riser before our remodel. There sometimes was a little bit of condensation inside the riser, when I first turned on the oven. But eventually, it would heat up enough that the condensation went away. So, clearly, the raised backguard was doing what i was supposed to do.

After the remodel, we gained extra deep countertops. This allowed us to pull the range away from the wall. We decided to remove the 6" riser and instead install island trim. Works great. I am sure it still has heat and moisture venting from it. But since it is sufficiently far from he backsplash, I never see it.

Does this answer your question? I am not quite sure whether that's what you wanted to know.

Yes thanks, although I don't know what island trim is. I'm considering the riser but I'm told that my current installation against the tile doesn't require it. A Wolf tech is coming out to re-adjust the range so it will be about 1/2" further from the wall. I still expect heat and condensation, just not quite as much and I'm told it's normal and okay anyway. This has been a big learning curve for me. Thanks for your response.