Reality check: doesn't there have to be a back splash?

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John,

It's that Flip-this-house, less is more look and the budget ran out.

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badair http://www.adairinspection.com Garland, TX 75042
Residential-Commercial-Construction-EIFS-Infrared Thermography
life is the random lottery of events followed by numerous narrow escapes

Actually, it's new construction. But hey, they "forgot" half the attic insulation, too, so maybe the budget did run out.

Seriously, though. There doesn't have to be a back splash?

Don't remember that there is a "requirement" for a back splash, but, yes, 'it should have' a back splash.

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Jerry Peck
Construction / Litigation Consultant www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com
Ormond Beach, Florida

A requirement ? probably not but without it surely looks un-finished

I have had customers request no back splash because they like the way it looks without it. More often when using a flat top ceramic tile is used on the wall.

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www.eagleeyeinspectionshome.com

Lee,

"ceramic tile is used on the wall." and that becomes the back splash.

To me - just my opinion - the wall adjacent to the countertop should be impervious, back, sides, ends, whatever part of the countertop which is touching something, as that will keep water and liquids 'on the countertop' and 'out of' the wall (so they do not penetrate into the wall surface).

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Jerry Peck
Construction / Litigation Consultant www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com
Ormond Beach, Florida

Just a shocker, If you look at the IRC (any year) there is no requirement that i can find in the codes that say a Kitchen counter top even has to be non-obsorbant? We had a contractor (use your judgement here) that wanted to put in Plywood counters and seal them with water seal and we had to let him due to no code section to back up the arguement that it needed to be made of a non-obsorbant materal ( edit addition clearifycation tyle or other normal coverings)....Now showers are listed this way but not kitchen counters or bath room counters.

If it exists id like to see the section my self for future reffreance!



Matt

Who is "we"?

The builder's customer, the buyer, should have a say in what type of countertop they want.

What type of circumstance was there which 'allowed' the builder to do that? "Code" does not even come into play here.

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Jerry Peck
Construction / Litigation Consultant www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com
Ormond Beach, Florida

The city had to... this was his personal house so in effect he did state what he wanted

Yikes!

Wonder how long it took for that countertop to get all soft and fuzzy from bacteria/mold/etc.?

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Jerry Peck
Construction / Litigation Consultant www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com
Ormond Beach, Florida

I havent ever been back to it again, but that was my thought exactly. I tryed to get it but couldnt back it up in code.

Matthew,

He could have wanted to finish the counter tops in Concrete or other some other surface material himself.

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It Might have Choked Artie But it ain't gone'a choke Stymie!
Billy J. Stephens HI Service
Memphis TN.

Possible, but who am I to argue with the seperior intelligence of the general contractor LOL!!! at that time he told me that it was going to stay that way. I assume that he was going to live in the house till he could sell it but thats hear say !

Got to love our legal system

Well,,,,in my case. I had contractor install Granite and I installed the wall stone. When I got it i looked veeeeery similar to that. I personally did not like th Granite backsplash offered with the counter.

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If I had two faces, would I be wearing this one?
Abraham Lincoln

Michael,

When I gutted the kitchen in our home here and re-did it, I had the granite countertop installed and no granite back splash either - my wife did not like it ... too much granite.

After about 3-4 months we found something we liked - copper slate tile. Goes well with the granite we have and makes a nice back splash. Of course, though, I again choose to install it on the diamond - something I swore I would never do again with a countertop or back splash because such a high percentage of pieces needed to be cut, but this one worked out that I could cut the copper slate tiles in half and one half went at top and the matching half went at the bottom directly below it. There was so much copper in the slate it was almost seemed like I was cutting copper with a wet saw.

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Jerry Peck
Construction / Litigation Consultant www.ConstructionLitigationConsultants.com
Ormond Beach, Florida

Sounds like an easier install than I had with the stone. My wife liked the sound of it; too bad for her I am already "done" with the kitchen,,,whew.

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If I had two faces, would I be wearing this one?
Abraham Lincoln

Saw that coper / slate used on one of the remodeling shows......................looked pretty cool.