Oh! Wow! A review of back-splash / back-guard related threads here will suggest that you may need to dig into the wall and replace the studs with metal ones. Or put on the back guard that you didn't want.

Check the Bluestar directions very carefully. The International Building Code ---> International Mechanical Code generally requires non combustible material some distance into the wall, or even through the wall, if the manufacturer of the appliance hasn't already determined the precise requirements to meet code.

Non-combustible excludes sheetrock and wood, and doesn't allow tile, stainless steel, etc. to become a combustible interior wall's protective covering unless spaced out from the wall.

An example not specific to a particular appliance:

Island trim is for Islands and peninsulas. The Bluestar directions are for an island. With a wall rising above the island trim, I would guess that the noncombustible part has to be above the trim by some distance such as 18 inches, but I don't know. Call Bluestar.

Order the required tall back guard, unless you want to rebuild the wall as a noncombustible assembly. Island trims are for island installs. All else require the backguard. Or 6" between the range and back wall. Which is a whole other design issue.

UGH! When I look at all the pictures on the Bluestar website (and all through my google search) a majority of them show the island trim up against a wall with tile. It seems doubtful that all these installations were done with metal studs and the other required fireproofing material behind the range and down the wall 6". This is misleading and frustrating at the very least. The backguards are back ordered 12-14 weeks. I also read a few reviews that said the backguards stain pretty bad and are hard to clean. Is there any truth to that?

Another thought is can I pull the sheetrock off and replace it with cement backer board like hardiboard then cover with ceramic tile to the floor?

That does not create a non combustible assembly for 6" horizontal inches, unless you replace the wood studs with steel. This is a NFPA issue.

There's another thread that has popped up at this point in time about stainless steel back spashes. The images show island trim, and I would be astonished if all those walls are steel.

I wonder if there are any actual instances of fire from this type of installation. (There's plenty of photographic evidence of cosmetic problems!)

I'd just order the backguard, Nancy, and stick to the front burners until it arrives.

Yes I broke down and dropped the $700 and ordered the backguard. Soooo frustrating but knowing I approved of a sketchy installation would keep me awake at night. I feel like the 6" backguard should come standard on these types of ranges and then if you are installing it on an island then you can order that instead. I would imagine most people ordering a range like this are putting it up against a wall with a vent hood. Dont get me started on CFM's and makeup air. I think some contractors just arent that detail oriented or they just dont care. I really appreciate the input. I sometimes overthink things and read too many details that I dont need to worry about so having the support that the backguard is absolutely necessary makes me feel better. It will be here in a month.

" I also read a few reviews that said the backguards stain pretty bad and are hard to clean. Is there any truth to that?"

Absolutely. I don't care what the material is. When it's that close to the heat, it's gonna get a mark. And don't even think about using a pot larger than the burner.

" I think some contractors just arent that detail oriented or they just dont care."

Please. Put the blame where it belongs. 99.9% of these problems start at a desk in an air-conditioned office with someone with a flair for picking colors and an inability to read and comprehend manufacturer's installation instructions. Real kitchen designers do not make these rookie mistakes.

It'll probably scorch. You can clean it with Barkeeper's Friend. Or let it look like the badass piece of cooking equipment it is. :)

It's ridiculous that they ship them (and advertise them) with island trim.

Pot larger than the burner? Haha. I've scorched my countertop that way. That's why I'm familiar with the BKF.

Put the blame where it belongs? Sure, I agree with that, and I think at least in part the blame lies with Bluestar. They should make it crystal-clear in their marketing materials and on their website which circumstances a backguard is needed and mandate that dealers educate their customers on this. I didn't have a kitchen designer, rookie or otherwise -- I'm in the market for a replacement stove. What is the recourse for the unsuspecting homeowner who replaces with a Bluestar and is told by authorized Bluestar reps that they don't need a backguard and then the house burns down? Sure everyone who buys anything should read the specs, but be real -- that is not the reality of John Q Public, they're going to take what the rep told them on face value.

I live in the middle of nowhere and I searched high and low for a CKBD that was willing to design our kitchen remodel. they werent willing to just do the design then hand the baton to us to find contractors. in their defense, they all (I called more than a dozen) only agreed to design it and see it through to the finished product but none of them came out to our area. There are a few fully custom cabinet makers here in town but spending $40K+ on cabinets alone in a house that really needs a complete overhaul didnt seem worth it. soooo Ive stumbled across problems that we just have to work through. i really appreciate the help.

My porcelain slab hasn't stained and the splatters clean up with a spray bottle and paper

towels it also looks great. .

Yes the stainless steel back guards are a P.I.T.A. to clean. Have had one for 20 years and have to use Cameo Stainless steel cleaner on it and make sure I clean in the direction of the grain. The stove has a charbroiler and griddle which will splash up on the stainless. When we installed we put up cement board with thin brick over it. You’d have to use a flame thrower to get thru it.

The issue isn't fire getting through the wall covering. If that were the issue, a sheet of stainless steel would be enough and a back guard would not be needed. The issue is that heat conducted into the wall can slowly modify the wood studs causing strength loss and ignition temperature degradation.

One solution is to make the range/cooktop counter deeper and have the requisite distance from cooking surface to wall. Often that distance is 6 inches, but could vary with burner power. Of course, the added cost is not just stone, but the hood should be deeper to fully cover the front burners.

One could build a full wall back guard, incorporating the design principles of the manufacturer's back guard. The wall would look less interrupted and perhaps the countertop would only need to be an inch or so deeper. Generally, meeting the requirements of IMC 308.4.2 should be adequate. One could tile or otherwise carry the wall back-splash look across the now full sized back guard.

I guess I am the outlier. I read the installation instructions from first page to the last. I also gave my builder the installation instructions. This was 5 years ago and the current instructions have actually changed from the instructions back then.

If I am reading the current installation instructions correctly tile 6 inches below and above will be fine. The entire wall does not need to be noncombustible horizontally. Here are what the instructions say as far as zero clearance. The last paragraph states non combustible material need not extend horizontally.

An island trim can be installed either in an island or against a wall with zero clearance as long as the following conditions are met. When the unit is installed in an island condition, the island trim itself should be kept a minimum of 6” from combustible materials at the rear.

When the unit is installed in a zero clearance condition, non-combustible/heat resistant materials are to be used in a vertical plane for a minimum distance of 6” below the top horizontal plane of the unit and 6” above the top horizontal plane of the unit where the unit meets the back wall.

When a unit is installed with any other back guard in a zero clearance condition, noncombustible/heat resistant materials are to be used in a vertical plane for a minimum distance of 6” below the top horizontal plane of the unit and at least equal in height to the back guard being used.

The non-combustible material need not extend horizontally past the initial barriers thickness. The initial barrier should consist of materials such as ceramic tile, cement backer board, stainless steel (.032” Thick) or other non-combustible material. Non-combustible materials are defined as non-combustible as in the form in which the material is used and under the conditions anticipated, the material will not aid combustion or add appreciable heat to an ambient fire or materials that are in compliance with ASTM E 136.

Hmmm. Seems a bit ambiguous. If interpreted to mean the studs don't have to be non-combustible for zero clearance, then one must assume that the manufacturer, in concert with UL, determined that it wasn't necessary for the heat transfer that will occur.

Yea i was just reading it again. Given:

" When the unit is installed in an island condition, the island trim itself should be kept a minimum of 6” from combustible materials at the rear. "

and:

"The non-combustible material need not extend horizontally past the initial barriers thickness. The initial barrier should consist of materials such as ceramic tile, cement backer board, stainless steel (.032” Thick) or other non-combustible material."

To me sounds like they are just trying to say if there is a combustible material directly behind the oven you need 6 inches of space unless there is a non-combustible material in front of it. So not that it needs to be 6 straight-through inches of non-combustible material.

@jalarseyou look like a legit chef with that pic you posted!!! i love the brick😀 i didnt get the griddle so maybe the burners will make less mess but I think it will be a PITA to clean either way.

You would think with all the confusion regarding the installation of an appliance that is a potential fire hazard, they would make it simpler. It should be in bold print that the island trim is only for islands. Then if you choose to place it up against a wall there should be full wall thickness diagrams down to the studs of multiple options of how to do so safely.

Then McDonalds has a warning on every coffee cup in bold print that the coffee is hot. our world doesnt make sense.

No matter the installation difficulty, Im SUPER EXCITED to get the range. We’ve been cooking on electric for 8 years and Ive been dreaming of a gas range so Im here to see it through.

We use stainless steel wipes on our stainless back guard and it cleans it up really easily. After 5 years it still looks great.

@Verbo: Do you have a link to the NFPA definition?

@vinmarks Any particular brand of SS wipes?

Reading all these details makes me glad I asked and then also glad I went agead and ordered the Bluestar back guard.

@verbo does steel stud have to go all the way to the ceiling or just some distance above the stove? Ie, can you still have wood above some point for securing hood/cabinet?

@Nancy I use the Weiman stainless steel wipes.

Rich:

It doesn't make any practical sense to make half a noncombustible wall. Steel studs will hold a hood/cabinet just fine.