Glass

Glass has become the most popular splash back material due to its modern appearance, ease of cleaning and the multitude of colours it is supplied in.

A new addition to the glass splash back range is toughened mirror which not only looks modern but also creates the illusion of a larger space.

There are a number of colours available, please see below suppliers websites for more details:

Engineered Stone, Natural Stone and Corian/Staron

Whatever you have as your bench top, can be returned up the wall to become your splash back. There are however limitations with doing this. Some bench top materials are not heat resistant and are not suitable for installation behind a gas hotplate.

To find out which ones are and to see the variety of colours and finishes available, please see below suppliers websites for more details:

Stainless Steel

There are two types of stainless steel commonly used in the cabinet making industry, 306 grade and 316 marine grade. 306 is adequate for most interior and exterior applications but if you live near the coast, the salty air conditions will require 316 grade for any external work.

There are a number of stainless steel finishes: # 2B flat grey surface usually used in commercial applications, #4 brushed finish, # 8 mirrored finish, black mirror finish.

For all stainless steel and high-end architectural metal work:

Timber/Veneer

There's nothing stopping you from having veneer as a splash back. Obviously moisture is the enemy of timber so this should be taken into consideration when deciding where to use timber and veneer in your project as a splash back. A sheet of clear toughened glass can be used over the top of a veneer panel to give it more protection.

Timber veneer comes in the same variety and finishes as those used for cabinet doors. Natural veneers are the cheapest with man made veneers being significantly more expensive.

Please see below suppliers websites for more details:

Tiles

Though tiles as a splash back have become less popular over the years due to the grout lines tending to stain from fats and oils during cooking, they should not be overlooked as an alternative to the above materials. Tiles have come a long way and there are some amazing architectural tiles on the market which make a stunning feature when used as a splash back.