28 Oct Tips on Picking the Right Back-Splash for Your Next Home Improvement Project.

Jared gives sound advice about adhesive “stick-on” back splash on In The House when Renee from Central Florida considers using it in her high-end kitchen.

Renee: Hello Jared. My home is a two bedroom, two bath villa with a really high-end, elegant kitchen that I absolutely love everything about – except that it does not have a back splash above the counters. I have seen some advertisements about an adhesive type of back splash that I can purchase at most big box stores. I believe it to be a less expensive solution that I can do myself rather than hiring someone to install a traditional tile or slab backsplash. I want to know if the adhesive back splash products would be a viable alternative for me as opposed to paying to have it done by professionals. I thought about experimenting with the different adhesive colors and styles until I found one I liked and wanted to keep.

Jared: Whenever you are considering using cheap materials, your kitchen and bathroom are the two areas you do not want to use them in. Kitchens and bathrooms are what sells a home so you don’t want someone to walk in your kitchen thinking, “What is this cheap backsplash doing in this beautiful home?” I can’t recommend cutting corners that way, especially with backsplashes being one of the main focal points of the kitchen. It’s better to use a good quality material with more longevity rather than the adhesive backsplashes you can get at the big box stores.

Now, if it’s just a small area you’re looking to cover up temporarily until your budget is more able to accommodate a better material, then the adhesive backsplashes can be a good quick fix. That way you’re not risking much of your money until you have the budget and time to get the job done right with a good quality tile or other material. As a homeowner myself, I understand that we tend to do home improvement projects in stages rather than all at once either due to budget or a limited time frame. When I remodeled my kitchen about two and a half years ago I decided to wait to do the back-splash until after everything else was done and I could use it for a while and decide what would look and function best on the walls. I ended up doing the back-splash six months after the rest of the kitchen was finished. Personally, I wouldn’t spend money on a temporary item like the adhesive back-splashes. I would wait, save the money, figure out what it is I want to do and have it done professionally once I was ready.

A very good thing about having your backsplash done professionally are the samples. A company’s design team will bring samples to your home so you can see how they look in your kitchen’s lighting and next to your counters, cabinets and appliances. You will also have the opportunity to set the sample up against the wall and leave it there for days or weeks to see how you like it over time and at different times of the day where the lighting changes before making your decision.

Renee: The kitchen was finished fairly recently and since it does not have a back-splash I thought the adhesive back-splash might be a way to bring it up a notch inexpensively.

Jared: I understand, but unfortunately that inexpensive notch usually brings it down, not up.

Renee: Fair point. Thank you for all the great information, Jared!

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