Kitchens - Tiles or just paint?

[sereneswan]

(I'm strikethrough:totally mildly obsesse with kitchens at the moment.)

Do you have tiles on the wall behind your kitchen worktop or just paint? Or tiles/splasback just behind the hob and/or sink?

I currently have tiles, but prefer the look without. Does the wall get grubby and hard to clean without tiles? I find random speckles of heaven knows what all over my tiles - worry my walls would look a state if I just had paint.

I have to have tiles. I'm the messiest person I know! apart from DP.

Have you considered a glass splashback instead? Or stainless steel if your kitchen is modern?

I'm just about to have a new kitchen and I'm having glass splasbacks.

we have a full height stainless steel splashback behind the cooker and only 150mm of mosaic tiles in a strip elsewhere. we opted for a crown washable paint so can clean marks and we ocassionally re-touch. in hindsight might go for something full height by the sink but otherwise it has worked ok.

with glass how do you stop dust/dirt/dead flies getting stuck behind?

also did you wait until your electrics were in so you could measure cut-outs?

is it toughened?

i liked the idea of glass but got stuck on those points so would gladly be educated for next time!

We don't have tiles.

Have stainless steel splash back behind the cooker and a small matching upstand (to our worktops) of about 3 inches the rest of the way round the work surface.

Works absolutely fine - we used kitchen paint and I only wipe it occasionally it doesn't get as grubby as you might think.

Good point tricot, one of my friends got a daddy long legs stuck behind hers (can't believe it made such a huge mess! The glass is toughened, and some sort of laminated backing so you can't se through to the wall behind or the glue outline. The edges are sealed I am told, do no insect/steam can get behind. The cutouts are done in advance so yes the electrics have to be in place. They say they come out and template (like a worktop) then fit a week later. I have had 3 quotes, and I'm going with my local glass company, best price and the best range of colours.

We don't have anything. Behind the sink is a bit of tongue and groove panneling (installed by the previous owners) and that's it.

I occasionally wipe down the wall behind the stove.

We are wondering what to do with our new kitchen (to be installed in July) but will probably do the same apart from maybe a few tiles behind the sink.

The glass splashbacks are great and can be done in custom coloured (takes a bit longer about 3-4 weeks). The glass should be toughened for behind the hob and we do have them backed as well so with a good quality one you shouldn't see any insects.

My slightly anal kitchen making DH has recessed the sockets up behind the top cupboards so the splashbacks don't have cut-outs and look all smooth and clean.

Wow! That's really quite clever remembering.

We have a piece of toughened glass behind our cooker/hobb extending up to the extractor fan and painted walls either side under the cabinets. After just 3 years, I have to say it looks pretty awful and we're planning to re-do the whole area with tiles. The glass is hard to keep properly clean, particularly grease spots and the end result tends to be quite smeary, even using degreasing spray products. The painted walls are also spotted with grease, though this may be sign that I need to cut down on fried foods!