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Stainless Steel Backsplash
Covering the wall between the countertop and wall cabinets with stainless steel is a great way to quickly jazz up your kitchen. Because stainless steel is difficult to cut without special tools, we’ll show you how to make a precise pattern that a local sheet metal fabricator can use to cut out your panels. Once you get the precut panels back, you’ll be able to complete the job in a few hours. We spent $500 for the material and the fabricating labor to cover about 34 sq. ft. of backsplash.
With the sheet metal being cut by pros, you don’t need any special skills or tools to complete this project. And you’ll still save about $300 by measuring and installing the backsplash yourself.
You’ll need a few common hand tools like a scissors, utility knife, tape measure, caulk gun and voltage tester as well as screwdrivers and leather gloves. You’ll need a drill to install the utensil rack. To make the pattern, you’ll need a roll of heavy paper (we used red rosin paper), masking tape, packaging tape and a roll of paper tape normally used for covering the joints in drywall. All these materials are available at home centers. In addition to the metal backsplash material, you’ll need three 10-oz. tubes of 100 percent silicone caulk for every 20 linear feet of backsplash.
Find a Top-Notch Sheet Metal Shop for a Trouble-Free
Backsplash
The success of this job hinges on finding a sheet metal
fabricator that’s willing to work with you to choose the material and cut
it exactly according to your pattern. Check the Yellow Pages under “Sheet
Metal Work” for fabricators in your area. We used 20-gauge No. 304
stainless steel with a No. 4 polish. It cost $5.50 per square foot plus $300
labor for cutting four pieces to size and cutting the holes for five switches
and receptacles. You can also use copper, brass or galvanized sheet metal as
well as “pillowed” or “swirl finish” stainless
steel.
The sheet metal must be attached to a smooth, clean wall surface. Prepare the wall for sheet metal by removing all cover plates and other hardware and repairing loose or damaged wall materials. Clean the backsplash area with TSP or other grease-cutting cleaner. Then sand the walls with 80-grit paper to remove bumps and to rough up the surface for maximum adhesion.
Paper drywall joint tape works great to create the edges of the pattern because it’s stiff and straight.
Note: The “ears” on the switches and receptacles should rest on the new metal backsplash. Don’t make the holes too big.
Tip: Temporarily position the paper tape with masking tape. Then secure it to the red rosin paper with package wrapping tape before you remove the pattern from the wall.
Take the pattern to the sheet metal shop and ask them to cut the metal to match. Our metal fabricator smoothed all of the exposed edges and cut perfectly straight lines where two sheets butted, like under the window in our kitchen. The resulting edges and seams fit perfectly and didn’t require metal moldings or caulk. Don’t worry, though; you can order moldings from your metal fabricator to cover edges and seams if you find they’re needed.
With the pattern-making method, any problems you encounter are likely to be small ones. We had to use a grinder with a metal-grinding disc to notch the metal to fit around some small protrusions in the vent hood. We also had to slice the drywall at the inside corner to slide one sheet behind the other. You can also loosen the wall cabinets to slide the metal behind. If the metal simply won’t fit, you’ll have to take it back to the shop for a trim.
Tip: Cover the countertop with paper to protect it from the sharp metal edges.
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