When designing kitchens and bathrooms, often one of the most visually impactful areas is the backsplash. Backsplash covers most of the walls in a kitchen and can be a focal point in a bathroom, and there are many options for backsplash available. Here are some of the most common types, what they mean for you, and how to prepare for a bid on each.
Tile Backsplash
The most common approach, tile backsplash provides full coverage with a lot of customization options. NOTE: Pius does not offer tile installation.
Pros
Huge variety of options
Potential to inject a lot of personality
Fully protects drywall when sealed
Appears seamless
Cons
Expensive installation cost
Time consuming installation process
Nearly impossible to remove without drywall damage
Will not be an exact match to countertops
Estimating
Tile estimating is typically done by square footage. To approximate the square footage, measure each wall where the countertop hits and add those together. Then, determine the desired height of your backsplash and multiply that by the length you measured previously. HINT: if your tile is going from the countertop to the bottom of the cabinets, you will likely need 18" in height.
Matching 4" Backsplash
The best budget choice, 4" matching backsplash carries the countertop up a portion of the wall.
Pros
Cost effective
Direct match with your countertop
Fast and easy to install, typically done at the same time as countertops
Quick to remove, with minimal damage to walls (NOTE: there will likely still be damage, but only in a 4" height range)
Cons
Only protects 4" of the wall from liquids
Has visible seams depending on wall length
Top lip can gather dust
Estimating
Estimating 4" backsplash only requires the lengths of each wall where the countertop touches the wall.
Full Wall Backsplash
The 'designer' choice, full wall backsplash has seen a huge increase in popularity over the recent years and covers the same area as tile but with a stone slab.
Pros
Visually impactful
Direct match with your countertop
Is installed at the same time as your countertop
Looks very high-end
Cons
Can double the cost of your countertops
Has visible seams depending on wall length
May result in a large amount of material waste
Very hard to remove due to weight, will damage the drywall
Has small gap between top of backsplash and bottom of cabinets
Estimating
Full Wall Backsplash requires the lengths of each wall where the countertop touches and the height you would like the backsplash to reach. You will need to determine whether you want the backsplash to be the same height the full perimeter of the kitchen or if you would like it to run higher in areas above the stove and sink.