ᐅ Kitchen backsplash – which material?

Lycka21 schrieb:

I’m facing the same question: What can be used as a splash guard behind the stove? Our kitchen supplier quoted about 900 euros for glass (with a custom photo). That’s way too expensive for us.
You mentioned hundreds of designs for a low price. Sounds good. 🙂 Do you have any specific recommendations on where to look? I would appreciate it!

Unfortunately, I don’t have a “specific recommendation” since the options really depend on personal taste and budget.
However, there is definitely a wide selection available if you search for “kitchen backsplash glass” or “self-adhesive kitchen backsplash” on major online marketplaces and auction sites. There are many sizes and designs, as well as different thicknesses of the film, for example 1.5 mm (0.06 inches) or 3 mm (0.12 inches), and so on. I believe some suppliers even offer custom printed films with your own motifs.

It doesn’t necessarily have to cost 900 euros and depending on your size and requirements, you can find options well below 100 euros.

netuser schrieb:

Unfortunately, I don’t have a specific recommendation, as the choice certainly depends on personal taste and budget.
However, there is quite a variety available if you search terms like "kitchen backsplash glass" or "self-adhesive kitchen backsplash" on large online retailers and/or auction sites. You can find many sizes and designs, different thicknesses of the film, for example 1.5 mm (0.06 inches) or 3 mm (0.12 inches), and so on. I also believe some providers offer custom designs on these films.

It doesn’t necessarily have to cost 900 EUR and, depending on your needs and size requirements, you can sometimes find options well below 100 EUR.

Thank you very much for the tips! I didn’t expect it to be available so cheaply. The question is: Is it cheap or a good deal? 😉 In other words, I don’t want to pay more than necessary but also don’t want to end up with something low quality.
Is glass better than acrylic or aluminum?
What thickness is ideal? And what about the type of attachment? Gluing?

Looking forward to advice!

Lycka21 schrieb:

Thank you very much for the tips! I didn’t expect it to be so cheap. The question is: Is it cheap or good value? 😉 I mean, I don’t want to pay too much unnecessarily, but I also don’t want to buy rubbish.
Is glass better than acrylic or aluminum?
What thickness is good? And what kind of attachment? Gluing?

Looking forward to advice!

I usually have relatively high quality standards. At the same time, it has to stay within a reasonable range and fit the cost-benefit ratio!

Glass is generally harder and less prone to scratches than acrylic. In my opinion, it’s also more pleasant and better than aluminum.
Depending on the chosen size and material, you can screw it on, glue it, or whatever else 🙂

For example, we only need a splash guard that isn’t too big or wide behind the sink area and chose glass. Some glass panels with designs have hanging eyelets on the back; if not, you can attach them to the wall using just a few small adhesive points.

High-quality adhesive films are even removable and reusable. I only know this from some friends and just asked again because I recently saw a newly applied film there and was quite impressed!

For example, search for "Klebefieber". If you make a quick decision, there is even a 22% discount today. My friend has experience with the thicker film but recently only applied the simplest "0.32 mm" (0.32 mm (0.013 inches)). That one should be easier to install and even looks better.

If something doesn’t fit or you don’t like it, there is a return policy. In my opinion, you don’t need to overthink it with these affordable prices but just rely on your own experience.
If it seems too cheap to you, just get rid of it and order the 900 EUR solution 😉
If you’re not satisfied with the quality after two years or you no longer like the design, then replace it. That’s the big advantage of these kinds of solutions, which in my view do not actually look "cheap" at all.

It’s not really a matter of better or worse; it depends on your preferences and what you value most.
Glass is very hard and the only material that remains permanently food-safe. This means even if spoiled meat sat on it for four weeks, you can still clean it thoroughly. However, it is brittle and can easily crack or chip from impact.
Safety glass (which breaks into small blunt shards) is more expensive. Processing it yourself, such as drilling, is difficult.
Acrylic glass is quite impact-resistant, reasonably scratch-resistant, and very versatile. You can buy it pre-colored or printed, or use a decorative wallpaper behind transparent acrylic. For sun-exposed areas, make sure to choose the UV-resistant version.
The big advantage of acrylic glass, aside from its price, is its ease of processing. In theory, you can cut it yourself and drilling is generally no problem.
I have no experience with aluminum (Dibond?).

The issue with transparent (acrylic) glass is that it cannot be glued for mounting since you would see the adhesive. Therefore, you usually have to screw it in place, either by drilling directly or using a mounting system.

I myself used a coated particleboard panel as a kitchen backsplash and glued it. The joints were sealed with silicone, and I left a 1cm (0.4 inch) gap at the top next to the wall cabinets without sealing to allow potential water vapor to escape.

Were we so old-fashioned? It seems like tiles are no longer considered, right?
When we built our house, we had large-format tiles installed, about 60 x 120 cm (24 x 48 inches) or something similar.
The tiler did complain because they were really heavy, but he actually recommended them to us himself.

Musketier schrieb:

Were we that old-fashioned? It seems like tiles are no longer considered at all, right?

I personally think tiles are the most beautiful option. They’re also not that expensive. With tiles, you can really create any look you want. I have matte black tiles, and no one has ever said, “Oh, tiles are out of style, what were you thinking?” 😀