Stone Vs Glass Splashback – Pros and Cons

Whether you’re planning to upgrade your kitchen or do a complete refurbishment, choosing the right kind of splashback to protect the walls around your countertop, cooker, and sink is an important consideration for several reasons.

Splashbacks aren’t just a practical necessity that enables easy cleaning after cooking and protects your walls from water splashes when you’re doing the dishes. The right splashback also complements your kitchen aesthetics and makes an elegant statement.

There are various materials to choose from for your splashback, including glass and stone. Each comes with its own advantages and disadvantages. If you’re contemplating the question of stone vs glass splashback, the right choice for you depends on a number of factors.

In this article, we’ll examine the pros and cons of stone vs glass splashbacks and explore the conditions that would render one the better choice over the other.

Which Is Better for Your Kitchen: A Stone Splashback or Glass?

Before we dive into the pros and cons of each option, it’s important to note that your choice – be it a stone splashback or glass – should complement your general kitchen design theme and the material of your countertops.

If you have a stone countertop, choosing the same kind of stone for your splashback would ensure aesthetic consistency. Stone splashbacks are also more suited to traditional, country, and rustic style kitchens whereas glass splashbacks, on the other hand, are ideal for modern or contemporary kitchen designs.

Pros & Cons of Stone vs Glass Splashbacks

Stone Splashbacks

Of the different types of stones used for splashbacks, marble and granite are two of the more popular options. Marble is beloved for its unique veining patterns and hard-wearing properties of heat and water resistance, while granite is famous for its durability and is available in a wide variety of colours and patterns.

Pros & Cons of Stone Splashbacks

Pros

• Stone splashbacks are extremely strong and durable, which makes them a long-lasting solution.
• Besides being elegant and classy, stone splashbacks are highly resistant to heat, water, and scratches. Quartz, in particular, is ultra-resistant to heat and stains.
• Stone splashbacks come in an array of options – from natural stone varieties such as marble, granite, and limestone, to engineered stone such as quartz, each offering a timeless appeal in its own unique way.
• There are plenty of colour and pattern choices to suit your taste and kitchen decor.
• If easy maintenance is important for you, stone splashbacks are incredibly easy to clean – all you’ll need is a mild detergent and a non-abrasive cloth – assuming that the sealing is done properly.

Cons

• With the exception of quartz, which is an engineered stone, natural stone such as marble, granite, and limestone is highly porous and therefore require annual sealing in order to be stain-resistant to food splatters. This increases the maintenance cost of stone splashbacks to keep them in tip-top condition.
• Installing a stone splashback is a job for professionals as it involves a complex process. The sealing, likewise, needs to be done by professionals who have the right expertise and tools to ensure it’s done right.
• Compared to glass, stone splashbacks are generally more expensive due to the higher material cost, installation, and annual maintenance.
• Stone splashbacks are best suited to classic, traditional, and country or rustic kitchen designs rather than modern or contemporary styles.

Glass Splashbacks

Ideal for modern and sleek kitchen designs, a glass splashback automatically brightens up the kitchen and makes it look all smooth and shiny. Thanks to the innovations in printing technology, glass splashbacks are now available in endless colour options and customised prints and designs. Images, illustrations, colours, patterns – if it can be printed, you can have it on your glass splashback.

Pros & Cons of Glass Splashbacks

Pros

• Glass splashbacks are extremely light-reflective, which naturally illuminates the kitchen and makes it look more spacious – a bonus for small or windowless kitchens. This fantastic light reflection also creates a bright, welcoming ambience, particularly on dark evenings and cold winter nights.
• Besides its naturally smooth and glossy appearance that doesn’t fade, glass splashbacks are incredibly stain-resistant and probably the easiest to clean, of all splashbacks. Simply wipe down with a clean cloth and warm soapy water to get rid of oil and grease.
• Glass splashbacks have a high tolerance to heat and can withstand high cooking and baking temperatures to 400 degrees.
• There is a wide range of options for glass splashbacks: coloured, mirrored, custom-designed – whether you fancy a simple solid colour or like the idea of looking at art on your kitchen splashback, the possibilities are endless!
• Installation of a glass splashback can be done fairly easily by trained professionals. It can go straight over existing tiles or a wall with minimal fuss.
• Glass splashbacks are perfect for modern and contemporary kitchen styles.

Cons

• The installation of glass splashbacks is a job for the professionals. Being a fragile material, glass needs to be handled with care and installed using professional tools to ensure the perfect fit.
• While a glass splashback is highly stain-resistant, its light-reflective properties make dirt more visible, though this is compensated by the fact that it’s super easy to clean!
• Knives and other sharp objects should be handled carefully around glass splashbacks as they can scratch the glass.
• Glass splashbacks are not aesthetically compatible with traditional, country, or rustic-style kitchens.

Get a Free Measure & Quote with DecoGlaze

If you’re in the process of planning a kitchen remodel or upgrade, the first thing you need to do is to arrange a FREE measure & quote.

DecoGlaze is a trusted and respected Australian-owned company making quality Australian products for 25 years, specialising in creating beautiful bespoke kitchen splashbacks made-to-measure with precise accuracy and care.

All DecoGlaze glass splashback panels are strengthened to Australian standards (if the size & shape permits) to withstand reasonable heat in the kitchen and are made from toughened glass, so they won’t shatter easily. In addition to using state-of-the-art equipment to handmake each glass splashback, all our technicians are professionally trained and fully insured.

Book a free measure and quote today or call us on 02 9624 7099 for more information on our glass splashback products.