Without backsplash panels, water will gradually damage your walls.
Acoustic Ceiling Products (ACP) offers a line of ready-made Fasade-brand thermoplastic wall panels. The panels look like tin tiles, but they cost less and better resist stains and scratches. The company advertises the line as backsplash panels because homeowners install them behind sinks to protect the wall from splashes of water. Unlike some fixtures, Fasade panels don't require nails, screws or cement for installation. ACP instead encourages buyers to attach the panels to the wall using adhesives.
Instructions
1. Measure the space behind your sink. For example, suppose that your wall space measures 30 inches high and 45 inches wide.
2. Measure each Fasade panel. For example, suppose that you have bought panels that measure 18 inches high and 12 inches wide.
3. Cut some of your panels to accommodate the wall space. With this example, you will need one panel and a further 12 inches of paneling to cover the wall's height, and you will need three panels and a further 9 inches of paneling to cover its width. Cut three panels down with the utility knife so that they measure only 12 inches in height. Cut one panel so that it measures only 9 inches in width. Cut another panel so that it measures 12 inches in height and 9 inches in width.
4. Cut off squares from the overlaps of certain panels. Cut the top left corner square from any panel that will have a panel to its left and a panel above it. Cut the bottom right corner square from any panel that will have a panel to its right and a panel below it. These squares must measure one-half inch in height and width.
5. Clean and dry the wall. Remove wallpaper or any other added texture, and sandpaper the wall until it is smooth.
6. Apply adhesive tape to the wall. Apply three strips along each length of wall that will take one row of panel. Press the tape to remove all air bubbles, then remove the strip's outer protective layer.
7. Press the lower left panel to its position on the wall. Affix additional tape on the panel's exposed overlap.
8. Add the remaining panels, working from left to right to complete the first row. Continue in the same manner to complete each successive row.
Tips Warnings
Cut against a straightedge in Step 2 to properly align your cutting path.
Consider adding an edge trim between the outer panels and the perpendicular walls.
Though some backsplash tiles can withstand direct heat, Fasade panels cannot. Do not install them directly behind stoves or ovens.
