Peel and Stick Backsplash for Kitchen: A Helpful Buying Guide (2023)

Peel and stick backsplashes have become very popular. The reason is clear – they are super easy to install and very affordable, providing great value for the price. However, not all peel-and-stick backsplash tiles are the same. They differ wildly in terms of material, quality, durability, and price. This article is all about exploring different options of peel-and-stick backsplashes on market and putting the research together to help you make an informed decision.

Peel and Stick Backsplash: Material options

When it comes to peel-and-stick backsplash material, there are eight main options:

• Vinyl is basically a waterproof wallpaper made of foam or plastic backing. Vinyl is the easiest to install and the cheapest option on the market. Compared to other materials, vinyl has no real depth.
• Metal: lightweight metal tiles that are usually made of aluminum composite. This is an eco-friendly material option that is heat resistant, resistant to moisture, and durable.
• Glass tiles are for those who appreciate the glossy surfaces of the backsplash.
• Natural Stone peel-and-stick backsplashes are the easiest way to get a real high-end look without having to deal with grouts and mortar.
• Ceramic tile does not come with a sticky back, but you can purchase a self-adhesive tile mat to install them
• Resin tiles usually come with glossy surfaces and they are just as easy to install as PVC, Gel or Vinyl tiles.
• PVC tiles should ideally be installed on Painted gypsum (after a 21-day curing time for fresh paint), Smooth ceramic/marble/stone tile, Wall panel (acrylic), Wall linoleum, or Mirror/Glass even surfaces.
• Gel: often times used to achieve the look of ceramic or glass tiles that has some 3d dimension.

Peel and Stick Backsplash: Prices per material

The prices of peel and stick backsplash varies wildly from manufacturer to manufacturer. However, the general comparison is still available. This table sums up the data from Wayfair and shows the least expected average price for different types of peel and stick backsplash materials.

Vinyl	2.86 per sq.ft.
Metal	14.9 per sq.ft
Glass	8.7 per sq.ft
Natural stone	From $12 per sq.ft
ceramic tile	$10-12 per sq.ft
Resin	6.1 per sq.ft
PVC	from $2.44 per sq.ft
Gel	2.7 per sq.ft

Peel and Stick Backsplash: Installation Easiness

Generally speaking, peel-and-stick backsplash tiles are very easy to install. However, the easiness of installation differs depending on what type of material you go for. For example, Gel, Vinyl, Resin, and PVC tiles can be cut with a utility knife to fit the wall, peeled, and stuck right away.

However, you will need to have a cutting saw or a glass cutter in order to install natural stone, glass, or ceramic tile peel and stick backsplash. For metal sheets, you might need a Chop Saw, Circular Saw, good pair of Scissors, a Utility Knife, or a Jigsaw.

While you can get real peel-and-stick tiles in any of the abovementioned materials, you also have another option: a self-adhesive tile mat for real tiles, such as Musselbound. This is a more durable alternative to peel-and-stick backsplash tiles and looks even better.

The reason why Self-adhesive tile mats are better alternatives to peel-and-stick backsplashes is that you have an opportunity to install real ceramic or stone tiles without having to deal with mortar, and they tend to withstand time better than other options.

The downside of self-adhesive tile mats, like Musselbound, is that they’re not as cheap as peel and stick tiles that you can get from Etsy or Wayfair. The process of installation is also more complicated because you will need to fill the grouts after tile installation.

Peel and Stick Backsplash: Thickness

The thickness of peel-and-stick backsplash tiles differs based on the material. The thinnest one is the vinyl which is almost as thick as wallpaper, but there are thicker vinyl tiles as well, which are around 2.54mm thick. It is followed by resin (0.6mm). PVC (2.54), gel (1.778mm) and metal (3.302) sheets are moderately thin, and natural stone or ceramic mosaics are the thickest – around 4.2mm

Due to thickness, some of the materials can be installed over different surfaces, including old tiles that you might want to cover. For thin materials, such as vinyl, this might not be the ideal case, and you should even out the surface first before placing the new layer.

Peel and Stick Backsplash: Durability

Generally speaking, durability varies from material to material and is proportional to the price you pay for it.

The cheapest option, which is usually Vinyl, is not as durable as metal peel-and-stick sheets. However, it still provides a good value for the price you pay.

The most common problem of the pieces falling off soon is related to PVC, gel, and resin tiles for some reason, but people use additional glue to solve this problem. However, if you are planning to remove the tiles soon, using additional glue might not be the best idea. Especially, if it’s a rental kitchen.

Bottom line: if you are looking for extended durability, go for metal, stone or ceramic peel-and-stick tiles. If you are looking for an almost permanent solution, go for a self-adhesive tile mat and real tile combo. However, if you need a temporary solution that looks good but should be removed easily soon, then resin, gel or PVC is the way to go.

Peel and Stick Backsplash: Easiness to clean and maintain

All of the solutions are extremely easy to clean and maintain, however, there are some differences when it comes to different materials.

For example, while all of the above-mentioned peel and stick backsplash options can be cleaned with a sponge and a soap water, you should be careful about using abrasive cleaners.

Another consideration for maintenance is the proximity to heat. While all the products claim to be heat resistant, some of them still require a minimum distance from heat, such as a stove for example.

For example, some of the natural stone peel-and-stick tiles should be 2” away from the heat, metal sheets need to be at least 6” from heat , the vinyl must be 10” away from heat.

Another consideration is sealing. This applies only to natural stone peel and stick tiles. Due to porosity, it might be recommended to use a sealer on top of them, but this is not an absolute must.

You should always check the supplier’s recommendations when it comes to heat and moisture.

Peel and Stick Backsplash: Easiness to remove

The easiness of removability depends on the material of the product. Even though the product descriptions claim that they are easy to remove, it might not be the case in reality. I’ve seen many cases where drywall was ripped out during the process.

The easiest to remove are the PVC, gel, and resin tiles, as they sometimes even need to re-apply pressure to make them stick to the place. The coin has two sides – you are less likely to rip out the wall during removing them.

On the other hand, metal or natural stone peel-and-stick tiles might be more semi-permanent solutions and less easy to be removed, but

The most difficult in terms of removability is the real tiles paired with self-adhesive tile mats, such as Musselbound. So, if it’s a rental kitchen and you are planning to remove temporary solutions when you leave, this is not the solution for you. Go for gel, PVC, or resin tiles. They might be a bit tricky to keep in place, but you won’t have problems when removing them.

Conclusion

This article covered peel-and-stick backsplash tile options that you might purchase online or locally. Different materials have different properties that make them perfect for different places or uses.

The best strategy is to define the goal and the budget and choose the perfect option based on that. For example, if you are looking for a temporary solution that will make your rental kitchen look better, then resin, PVC, or gel might be perfect for you – they are the cheapest, and they are super easy to remove.

However, if you are looking for more long-term solution that is easy to install, you might consider metal, glass, or natural stone sheets.

You should always check the description of the products to make sure the product fits your needs. Two most important considerations are how far the tiles should be from heat, and whether or not they are moisture-resistant.

If you are interested in updating kitchen countertops with ceramic tiles, then you might want to see my next article.