Alternative Ways to Install Preassembled Backsplash

Nook in the Wall

• Remodeling your kitchen or building a new one is a good time to install a preassembled backsplash in a way that appears to be more permanent than it actually is. Have your drywall contractor frame a slight indentation in the wall the same dimensions as the preassembled backsplash. After the wall is painted, slip the preassembled backsplash, frame and all, into the niche. Your backsplash looks like it is permanently installed in the wall, but it can be slipped out and replaced with another when you change your kitchen decor.

Set in Mortar

• Incorporate a preassembled backsplash as part of a ceramic or stone tile wall installation. Leave a space when installing the tile in which to set the framed, preassembled backsplash. Make it 1/4 to 1/2 inch larger than the preassembled backsplash, to leave room for the grout between the tile and the frame. Set the backsplash after you have set the rest of the tile on the wall.

Create a Larger Piece

• Install more than one preassembled backsplash to make a larger backsplash. Line up several in a row to create a counter-length backsplash that is easily removed. Stack them vertically to make a higher backsplash that can also be a focal point in your kitchen. Individual backsplashes can be installed separately right on the wall, or they can all be affixed to a backing board and hung on the wall as a single unit.

Removable Backsplashes

• Apartment dwellers and renters can use framed, preassembled backsplashes that leave little evidence after removal. For more cost-effective ways of creating a removable backsplash, try hanging a large mirror on the wall behind the sink or stove. Use the same mirror clips that are used to hang an unframed mirror. They attach to pre-sunk drywall anchors, and the clips hold the edge of the mirror. Another idea is to install your design in ceramic tiles on a piece of stainless steel. Attach the stainless steel to the wall with stainless-steel screws and drywall anchors. Simply remove the screws when you move. Instead of ceramic tile, decoupage pictures with a common theme on a piece of stainless steel. Seal the top with marine-grade varnish, because regular decoupage glue won't stand up to heavy kitchen use.