Kitchen splashbacks / uprights

[WetAugust]

I've decided (reluctantly) on laminate worktops.

The question now is what to do about the walls.

I cannot decide whether to have matching laminate splashbacks (about 14 cm high along the length of the walls)

or

Glass splashbacks along the walls

or

Stainless steel splashbacks.

I'm not talking about the large oblong splashbacks that go behind cookers - I mean the lengths of laminate / wood / stainless steel that run along the walls at the rear of the worksurfaces.

Worried about getting glass in case of water penetration behind the glass splashbacks in the sink area in case they get mildew in the adhesive that keeps them glued to the wall and you start to see that mildew through the glass IFYWIM.

Quite fancy a very simple small wooden beading strip - but that could look a bit DIY.

Does anyone have any experiences?

Thank you

matching laminate looks neat - would be what I would go for I think in your situation . :-)

I think so too OnePlan. Just looks a bit 'institutional'.

oh dear !! go with your gut instinct then ! but bear in mind that laminate wasn't your first choice and you might wish to change it at some point in the future - so some kind of buffer between the worktop and any tiling will make replacing easier !

True. The one thing I absolutely do not want are tiles. I've taken them off and am having the walls skimmed.

Tiles are unnecessary in a lot of areas in the kitchen - the odd splash on the wall could just be wiped off. I am just fed up with tiles

T&G can look nice and can be painted in easily wipeable paint ?! a lot cheaper than glass or SS splash back ?! Vertically is not so good in an 'uber modern' look though ?! for an unusual twist - use 4' T&G horizontally rather than standard T&G vertically - that's more forgiving in a modern kitchen - sort of urban warehouse style ....

Hmm - hadn't thought of T&L. It's only 15cm tall. Have kitchen designer at 4. I'll see what he thinks

What about non-glass solid shiny splasbacks? (sorry there must be an industry term for them, just not sure what it is). Howdens do a product that is basically MDF about 6mm thick, then it's covered with a glossy plain laminate of some sort. Have this installed in white in our kitchen and it's absolutely fab - much cheaper than glass, takes one second to wipe, and it's totally smooth and reflects light beautifully. Am sure similar products must abound?

Ah - the man from Howdens who called this afternoon says they are 'upstands'. They match the work surfaces. He is quoting for them.

Thank you.

I think upstands are the small vertical bit - about 15cm high. Howdens catalogue calls the shiny splash back "glass effect splash back". This is 60cm high or up to wall cabinet height. You can see it in their website but there is a very small range of colours, about 5 shades. But there are tacks of similar products around. Way better than tiles IMO.

Unless you are very dedicated to buffing (i'm not!) be careful about getting something like glass, it needs wiping and buffing anytime anything goes anywhere near in my experience. We've got wooden worktops at the minute and only a splashblack by the hob. The paints kept surprisingly clean and wipes down well (B&Q). The wall is fairly straight so there's a low bead of sealant at the back of the worktop which looks tidy and works well.

Thanks cowmop - good tip