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 (kraft or red rosin paper), masking tape, packaging tape and a roll of paper drywall tape. 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, 80-grit sandpaper and TSP or other grease-cutting cleaner.

Find a Top-Notch Sheet-Metal Shop
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.

Make a paper template. Switch off the circuit breakers or remove the fuses at the main panel to disconnect the power to all the switches and receptacles in the backsplash area. Take rough measurements of the backsplash area. Then cut kraft or red rosin paper about 2 in. smaller than the area you intend to cover and tape it to the wall with small pieces of masking tape, leaving about an inch of wall showing all around. Cut around the outer edge of the outlet and switch boxes. Secure strips of paper drywall tape to the pattern paper to establish precise edges. Mark the "face" of each template, that is, the side that shows. Note: The "ears" on the switches and receptacles (Photo 3) 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 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 disk 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. Glue the metal backsplash to the wall with silicone caulk. Start by unscrewing the switches and receptacles and tilting them out as shown in Photo 2. Check each one with a voltage tester to make sure the power is disconnected before proceeding. Apply a straight bead of silicone caulk around the perimeter and a squiggly bead in the middle. Then tilt the metal into place and press it into the caulk. Use pieces of duct tape or masking tape to hold the metal in place until the caulk grabs.

Caulk the joint between the countertop and the metal with silicone caulk. For a neater job, space two strips of masking tape about 1/8 in. apart and apply the caulk in the space. Smooth the caulk quickly with a wet finger and immediately pull off both pieces of tape. Screw on the receptacles and turn the electrical power back on.

Utensil Rack
Photo 4 shows one of many handy utensil storage racks you can buy to mount anywhere in the kitchen. The 24-in. bar shown cost about $60 and came with screws and wall anchors. There's no need to find wall studs for anchoring the bar, but use an appropriate wall anchor. The plastic tube anchors shown in Photo 4 work great in sheet metal or solid walls like those made of concrete. Drill holes in the metal to mount the utensil rack. Measure up from the counter and mark pieces of tape for the center of the holes. Use a center punch and hammer to make a small divot in the center of each mark. Place the tip of the bit in the divot and drill very slowly with heavy pressure. Use a special cobalt bit to drill stainless steel ($5 at home centers).

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