backsplash

「We love our stone wallplates. They have been in since the remodel finished in early 2007. These are the real deal, not faux. Columbia Gorge Stoneworks (stonewallplates.com) fabricated them from our sink cut-outs which we sent to them. There has been no issue of durability or cracking - they will look at the stone and make sure they are using a part of it that is sound. We got the optional magnets so we don't even have screw holes. We marked the part of the stone to use for each outlet based on where we felt the match would be best and the had access to pictures of our backsplash. One spot we had marked didn't work for fabrication so they picked another bit of the stone and the match is just as good as the ones we picked. Here is a before shot with black wallplates: After with stone:」に対する返信

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「Like trailrunner, I used paint. It was an interim solution because my intent was to have tile, until I found out my walls were so uneven I wouldn't be able to have the tiles neatly match up with the 4" backsplash on my Swanstone countertop. It's a BM semi-gloss and to my surprise has been easy to keep clean. A spritz of Windex is all it takes, and the paint is still perfect after five years of LOTS of cleaning.」に対する返信

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「A couple of people asked about my solid glass: it's not in yet (we're at the mid-remodel stage) but I loved the Glasskote, thought it was too expensive, so we're going with a local glass company who is distributor? franchisee? of US Color Glass. Look them up online at uscolorglass.com. I'll come back later today with prices, as we got a rough quote and are waiting for the final quote. They'll do any Benjamin Moore paint as back-coating for the glass.」に対する返信

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「Re solid colored glass. I have been considering Glasskote at least behind the range. I have had tile in my last two homes and trying to keep it and the grout clean drove me nuts. Does anyone have experience with Glasskote? Here is a link that might be useful: GlassKote website」に対する返信

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「I paid a little more for epoxy grout, which has worked fine with my tile.」に対する返信

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「Neeter, It is the Benjamin Moore Matte paint which has ceramic in it. It is a scrubbable paint. You can easily care for it with grease cutter ot dish soap. I use a rough wash cloth but you can also use a scrub brush. It doesnot burnish the paint . The fryer is perfect. It is exactly like what my son has in his restaurant only a 1 gallon size vessel. it is VERY easy to clean and only needs it once in a "blue moon". Believe it or not since it has a tight fitting top and we don't usually do fish in it it lasts months. You drain the oil out , and that takes a couple seconds. Then you wipe out with paper towel and then refill. that is it. It heats quickly and maintains heat perfectly when food is added. I will be glad to answer any other questions. Caroline...thanks for the compliments.」に対する返信

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「Solid colored glass backsplash, in one piece.」に対する返信

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「You can have an electrician disconnect the box's wires from the breaker panel....I think it is called "terminating the line" or something like that. We did that to cover up an unwanted box.」に対する返信

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「If you are still in the planning stages, consider moving the plugs up under the upper cabinets. We have LeGrande and it is awesome. No visible plugs. Look Ma, no plugs!!!! They are up under the upper cabinets!!! And they are on dimmers!」に対する返信

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「I prefer tile first and then hood. It's a cleaner look with no cut pieces or caulk smears abutting the hood. With hood first, it takes someone beyond the low $300 bidder to do a good enough job fitting around the hood so that it doesn't just make the whole project fall apart because of a halfass tile job. If you don't know that you have an impeccable tiler, it's just safer to have the tile first, hood second.」に対する返信

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「The order would be to install the hood first. This way the tile will butt up nicely and you will have the width defined so you can confirm if you want the entire wall tiled or just to the sides of the hood. Hood installation will be easier on drywall and the tile labor and materials should be less since the area will be slightly less.」に対する返信

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「Hoods are a pain to install, and no matter how carefully you read the manufacturers instructions during rough in something is in the wrong place. It's a lot easier to cut open drywall to move an electrical box than new tile! We usually install the hood over the tile (meaning after the tile install) but will not install the tile until I have test fit the hood and verified that everything is correct.」に対する返信

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「I love my touchless faucet. So convenient when hands are yucky! Also backpainted glass black splash turned out to be a great decision. No grout, beautiful and super easy to keep clean.」に対する返信

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「Plus, with all that molding lying around, there should be a light rail molding in there. Is there? Don’t tell me that whomever designed this didn’t design light rail into the mix? Not with those old fashioned obtrusive under cabinet lights being used? Something needs to change there too. LED tape lights are standard for a reason.」に対する返信

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「I am a fabricator. As stated previously sealer does not make the stone stain-proof; it only slows the adsorbtion rate so a staining agent left in contact with the stone for several hours can still stain. That said; the good news is most stains can usually be removed with one or a couple of applications of a poultice wetted with the correct solvent. There are also various stain removers that your fabricator will know about. I once had a job where a rookie plumbers helper stuffed every faucet hole for 7 different sinks (2 kitchen, five vanity) with oil based plumbers putty and stained every top. It took a couple of visits but we were able to completely remove all the darkened area caused by the oil stains. For oil stains I have had the most success with a wet paste made of diatamaceous earth and acetone. put the paste on the stain and cover it with plastic wrap taped on 3 sides. after the paste has dried out remove it and reapply if the stain is still there. it helps to warm up the stone with a blow dryer immediately before you apply the paste. Good luck.」に対する返信

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「I had a similar issue with a large pomegranate juice stain on my kashmir white countertops. After calling my granite installer, I ordered a product called Mangia Macchia that they recommended. It took about 6 applications but it finally did work, much to my relief! This was after several applications of an acetone poultice that didn't help much. As soon as I got the stain out I resealed the granite, :o) Hope this helps, and good luck!」に対する返信

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「Kashmir White is a hardened sponge, geologically speaking. Prepare for a life of poulticing please.」に対する返信

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「We just got a white granite called snowflakes. Even though the fabricator sealed it, we noticed that it was absorbing water (the water spots looked like dark spots on the granite which evaporate in an hour or so). We decided to reseal it using Dupont Bulletproof sealer (recommended by oldryder on this forum). Since then, we've had no problems. My sense is that if you seal the granites well, you should be fine.」に対する返信

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「Awe, I'm flattered! Although I must admit that I'm disappointed that the backsplash doesn't look as nice with our counters as the two samples looked together. Oh well. I sure do like both of them enough to let that slide. We've only had our backsplash up for a couple months, but we have no issues with staining or difficulty cleaning it. And let me tell you, I am a MESSY cook. And you can't always depend on me to clean up right away. Of course it was sealed with Miracle 511 Impregnator as soon as the grout was cured. Get a few tile samples, seal them and experiment. That way you'll know how easy or hard it will be to maintain.」に対する返信

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「My fabricator used a sealer that I had never heard of, HMK S35. I didn't realize that it was a topical sealer (versus penetrating) until I called the manufacturer for their countertop cleaner. So far, it has held up well & I have no stains and minimal etching. I would still recommend a penetrating sealer & will probably go that route when I reseal.」に対する返信

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「Thank you, we are very happy with the kitchen :) we have polished marble. I added a sealer (NOT stone enhancer, as that will change the colour) so far maintenance has been very easy. But I always immediately wipe down the backsplash areas that get wet behind the sink and by the stove after cooking. It's been a year and looks as good as new.」に対する返信

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「The grout width looks like it's 1/16" or maybe 1/8". You should use unsanded grout. I just bought the grout for my Carrara marble backsplash which was installed yesterday. I bought Laticrete Silver Shadow which looks like a good match. I've also heard TEC Silverado is a good match, but that's very hard for me to find.」に対する返信

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「We did a simple herringbone pattern (no border) behind the stove using the same subway tile and grout as the backsplash. It adds some interest and, in my opinion, doesn’t fight with the countertop to be the star. It’s an idea if you decide to go with subway tile but still want a little something different behind your stove.」に対する返信

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