Where to find Kitchen Splashbacks?

[AlterMyEgo]

We're looking at splashbacks as an alternative to tiling above the kitchen worktop, but can't seem to find any specific and *significant* mention of these, at least on the web. The big DIY places appear to carry a limited (i.e. one) range as well.

1. Any feedback on how the cost compares to ceramic tiling ?
2. Similarly, ease vs. hassle of doing it ?
3. Any pointers towards good sources of splashbacks would be very welcome. We would probably favour easy-to-maintain surfaces (like frosted glass) over chic but high-maintenance (like stainless steel). Lest that statement start a sub-thread itself, let me say that we have young kids - enuff said.

Cheers.

[Owain]

"AlterMyEgo" wrote | 3. Any pointers towards good sources of splashbacks would be | very welcome. We would probably favour easy-to-maintain | surfaces (like frosted glass) over chic but high-maintenance | (like stainless steel). | Lest that statement start a sub-thread itself, let me say that | we have young kids - enuff said.

Stainless steel isn't high-maintenance; if it was I doubt it would be used in commercial kitchens. It does not, however, keep a polished finish, but neither will frosted glass once you take the brillo to it. Also, if you use glass, it should really be toughened which will bump up the cost and once it's toughened it can't be worked on site. Even toughened, it may still crack or chip when a frying-pan hits it.

Cost from a commercial kitchen ss fabricator for a worktop-length piece should be amazingly reasonable compared to what Ye Fashionable Shoppes charge for one little square to go behind the cooker.

Owain

[Dave Plowman]

I'd have said there's no difference between cleaning tiles and frosted glass.

[TonyK]

I also have young kids (2 & 5) and we had a full-on "magazine" style granite and stainless steel kitchen with few accidents over 3 years. Trick is to make sure the SS is out of their reach! The worst we had was when my mum came round and cleaned the kitchen (wife prego with no 2). She scrubbed the hob with a kitchen scourer and completely ruined it. To this day she is admant that "the hob was wrong" and it shouldn't have scratched. We ended up buying another.

I looked at using glass splashbacks (frosted and toughened) but went for

20mm granite in the end. Worked out a similar price. If you do go for SS use meths and a cloth to clean it and it comes up like new.

Tony

[Michael Chare]

Neff market a product. Local Stainless Steel fabricators would no doubt be much cheaper, I did consider it, but in the end have just used tiles, but I expect the grouting will get dirty. One question with the SS was how to attach it to wall.

Michael Chare

[si]

Just take a trip to you loal glass merchants, they will cut the glass to the size you want, put fixing holes in where you want (if needed) and also "frost" the glass, this is done on the REAR of the glass, so it will just clean like a normal piece of glass.

I got a 600 x 600 piece of green glass, frosted, 4 holes, toughened for £49 made to measure in 3 days!! regards Si