Blog Detail

Kitchens and bathrooms are high impact areas. The wall behind the sink and countertops is prone to moisture, while the area behind the stove is subject to heat and food splatter.

Tile these areas with mosaic glass or porcelain tile, cover it with metal ceiling panels, or simply coat it with glossy paint–almost any water-resistant material or treatment can act as a backsplash.

Sheet backsplash is the catch-all term for any large, continuous material that is used for a backsplash, usually behind a kitchen or bathroom counter.

The beauty of the sheet backsplash is that it provides protection with zero, or minimal, seams. Seams make kitchen clean-up difficult and are one reason why tiled countertops are not more widely installed.

Sheet backsplashes are in sharp contrast from those that are constructed of hundreds of smaller individual units such as tiles, which in turn create grouted seams. Seams collect dirt, need maintenance in the form of sealing, and can eventually fail.

• Height: Height is at least 18″, as that is the minimum distance between countertops and the bottom edge of wall cabinets. Sheet backsplashes never have horizontal seams.
• Length: Length is determined by the type of material you use, as some sheets have maximum production lengths at 144”.
• Usually One Sheet, but Not Always: While one large piece is typically used as a sheet backsplash, some are formed from several large bonded panels. As long as these panels are imperceptibly seamed, They too qualify as sheet backsplashes. Solid surface and quartz are examples of two counter materials that can be bonded with nearly invisible seams.
• Costs: Kitchen and bath designer Nicolette Patton says that the installed cost for sheet glass backsplashes is about $40 to $60 per square foot. Quartz, stone, and solid surface backsplashes cost the same per square foot as countertop materials.
• Typically Solid Color/Texture: Solid color sheet backsplashes remain the most popular.
• Other Graphics Available: Large sheets of veined, striated marble are found in many kitchens. Laminate offers the widest range of non-solid visuals. One design blogger notes that she used a linen-look Formica for her sheet backsplash–Jonathan Adler Collection Crème Lacquered Linen pattern.

• Easy to Clean: Continuous sheets mean no seams or cracks. Seams and cracks harbor food particles and other debris that hinder wipe downs.
• No Seam Sealing: Because tile grout is porous, it needs to be sealed right after installation and then again on a regular basis.
• Up-to-Date Looks: Sheet backsplashes are found in many high-end kitchens. If you want to impart a premium look on an ordinary kitchen, a continuous backsplash is one way to do this.
• Finish Coat Cannot Scratch-Off: In the case of glass sheet backsplashes, the paint coat is applied to the back side of the glass and cannot scratch off from daily use.

• Professional Installation: Due to the large size of the material, sheet backsplash installation is usually best left in the hands of professional technicians.

• Glass: Glass is a popular type of sheet backsplash material because of the back-coating process and because it is non-porous.
• Countertop Material: Any kind of homogeneous material used for countertops–solid surface, quartz, and natural stone–can also be used as a sheet backsplash. Countertop thickness material can be prohibitively expensive, though. Solid surface is one countertop material that is available in a thinner, 1/4″ version (countertop thickness solid surface is 1/2″ thick).
• Countertop Laminate: Laminate materials are the most cost-effective way to create a sheet backsplash.