DIY - Install a Stainless Steel Back Splash

Kitchen back splash material comes in lots of fun kinds of metal ideas; stainless steel, copper, and brass are among the popular back splash materials easily available today. While shopping for ideas in back splash materials that would look nice in your kitchen, please keep in mind that backsplash can be spelled as one word or two for searches.

How to install a metal kitchen backsplash:

To start your DIY stainless steel (or other metal) back splash project, get out a roll of cheap shelf paper. Cover your wall with this cheap shelf paper in the exact measurements that you would like your kitchen back splash to be in.

Trim your back splash paper edges with scissors or a razor blade until you have an exact paper replica of what you would like your stainless steel kitchen back splash to look like. Stand back and decide if you will like the look of a new stainless steel back splash in your kitchen. If you do not -- stop. This project does not look nice in all kitchens

Carefully remove the paper back splash from your kitchen wall and save this paper to use as a pattern to have your stainless steel back splash material cut from. Not all walls are even; if the paper back splash pattern is not exactly straight after looking nice on your wall, don't worry about it. If the paper looked nice, your metal back splash will also look nice. Make sure that your pattern has holes cut neatly where any light switches will go.

If you have a store near you that sells sheet metal, you can go buy your stainless steel back splash material there and cut it yourself. Ask the sales girl to explain which thicknesses are easiest for you to cut with a tool that looks like overgrown scissors, called a pair of metal sheers.

Lay your paper pattern down on top of your stainless steel or other sheet metal and cut out your pattern. Use goggles and a strong sander to lightly buff the edges so that they are not razor blade sharp from the backside of you back splash.

DIY Idea: If you are making a copper back splash, you can use leather working stamps or a ball-ping hammer to tap in a nice raised decorative pattern if you would like.

Your stainless steel metal back splash is glued to the wall with either silicone caulk or a product called Liquid Nails that fits into your caulk gun. Draw a thin like of caulk slightly in from your stainless steel back splash edges and squiggle the rest of the caulk around in the center of your stainless steel until there is enough to hold it to the wall.

Put your stainless steel back splash onto the wall pressing from the bottom towards the top; excess caulk may come out of the top as you press, remove that with a damp wad of paper towels. Once the stainless steel back splash is in position on your wall, use Gorilla brand extra-sticky tape to hold the unit in place for 24-48 hours while the caulk dries.

DIY Idea: Some people like to caulk the edges of their stainless steel back splash. Use tape to make straight lines, or transfer caulk into a disposable cookie decorating tool icing bag and squirt onto your stainless steel back splash edges with the tiny cookie tip included in the disposable set. The cookie set is generally cheaper than buying tape rolls.

DIY Idea: Some people prefer a pretty decorative metal trim around the edges of their new stainless steel back splash. A company online called VanDykes Restorers carries decorative metal trim strips for restoring old trunks. These come in many styles, glue up the same way as the back splash did, and look very nice as trim on a back splash.

DIY Idea: While exploring choices in metal back splash material, don't forget to look at raised pattern ceiling metal designer-styles choices. Raised pattern stainless steel back splashes will not show the dirt as quickly as a shiny flat piece of metal will. They are harder to clean, but for some lifestyles hiding the dirt is nicer than constant cleaning.