Splashbacks and tiling in Christchurch

What prompts splashbacks and tiling in Christchurch?

Many people in Dorset choose a single panel of toughened glass behind the hob because it wipes clean quickly and has no grout lines to hold grease.

Homeowners in Christchurch often add a splashback as the final stage of a new kitchen, once the worktops are in and the bare wall above them needs a washable finish. Kitchens in every part of Christchurch are covered, and the survey visit is free wherever you are in Dorset.

What is included in the work?

Your written quote lists everything included. For splashbacks and tiling, that normally means:

Socket and switch plates refitted by an electrician once the tiling is finished
Old tiles removed and walls prepared, patched or boarded where needed
Stone upstands and splashbacks templated and fitted alongside a stone worktop
Grout and sealant chosen for easy cleaning, with flexible sealant at the worktop joint
Toughened glass splashback measured after the worktops are fitted, with socket cut-outs
Full-height or feature tiling behind the hob, sink or open shelving

What should you budget for splashbacks and tiling in Christchurch?

As a starting point for Christchurch, these ranges include VAT at 20% and allow for typical labour costs in the South West. For the South West, these ranges are close to the national figures.

What should you budget for splashbacks and tiling in Christchurch?
Typical project	Guide price
Tiled splashbackBetween worktop and wall units	£150–£410
Kitchen wall tiling, 4–6 m²Preparation, tiling and grouting	£310–£820
Toughened glass splashback behind the hob, fittedMade to measure after the worktops are in	£260–£620
Stone upstands and splashbacksTemplated with the worktop	Priced with the worktop

Tiling guide ranges cover preparation, adhesive, grout, trims and fixing, with the tiles themselves confirmed once chosen; the glass range includes a made-to-measure panel, and stone upstands are priced with the worktop. Prices include VAT at 20%.

Local homes and their kitchens

You will find thatched cottages, Victorian and Edwardian villas, 1930s semis and seaside bungalows throughout Dorset. Edwardian villas in Bournemouth often have a separate kitchen and scullery, while 1930s semis and bungalows tend to have a compact room at the back.

Flats in converted villas may have no lift and shared hallways, and narrow village lanes can make delivering long worktops difficult. Most of Dorset has hard water, so limescale on taps, sinks and boiling water taps is common, and a scale-reducing filter can help.

Regulations for kitchen work in Christchurch

Tiling or fitting a splashback in England needs no planning permission or building regulations approval. If sockets or switches are moved to suit the new wall finish, that is electrical work to BS 7671; adding to an existing kitchen circuit is not notifiable under Part P, but a new circuit is. Behind a gas hob, follow the hob maker's clearance instructions, and in a listed building, removing historic tiles or panelling may need listed building consent.

Thatched and listed cottages may need listed building consent for internal changes, and owners of flats in converted houses usually need the freeholder's consent before work starts.

Practical advice for Christchurch homeowners

Ask to see where the tiling will start before the first row goes on in your Christchurch kitchen, so narrow cut tiles end up in corners rather than on show.
Clear the worktop and empty the nearest wall cupboards before the tiler arrives at your Christchurch home, as cutting dust and adhesive travel further than you expect.
If your Dorset kitchen has a gas hob, check the hob instructions for splashback clearances before choosing glass or tiles for the wall behind it.
Pale grout behind a hob or sink shows stains quickly; a mid-grey or stain-resistant grout in narrow joints is easier to keep looking fresh.

Questions about splashbacks and tiling in Christchurch

How much do splashbacks and tiling cost in Christchurch?

For a tiled splashback, budget around £150 to £410 including VAT in Christchurch. That reflects typical costs in the South West; we confirm the actual figure in writing once we have measured up.

Do you work near Christchurch as well?

Yes. As well as Christchurch itself, we cover the rest of Dorset and nearby towns such as Bournemouth and New Milton. The process is the same wherever the kitchen is.

Can you tile over existing kitchen tiles?

Sometimes, but it is rarely the better choice in a kitchen. Tiling over old tiles adds thickness, so sockets, switches and the edge against the wall units may no longer line up, and the new tiles rely on the old ones staying firmly bonded. If the existing tiles are sound and flat it can work for a small area; otherwise we remove them and prepare the wall.

Which grout and sealant are easiest to keep clean?

A darker or mid-tone grout in narrow joints is usually the easiest to keep looking clean in a kitchen, and an epoxy or stain-resistant grout helps behind the hob and sink. Where the tiles meet the worktop, a flexible sealant is used rather than grout, because that joint moves slightly. The sealant can be cut out and renewed later without disturbing the tiles.

Can a glass splashback go behind a gas hob?

Yes, usually, as long as the glass is toughened and the hob maker's instructions allow it. Toughened glass handles heat far better than ordinary glass, but a gas hob must still keep the clearances set out in its installation instructions, so we check those before ordering. The panel is measured after the worktops are fitted and made with cut-outs for sockets, because it cannot be cut once toughened.

Splashbacks and tiling near Christchurch

We also carry out splashbacks and tiling in these towns near Christchurch: