A backsplash can inject style and personality into your kitchen, whether you're starting from scratch or remodeling your current space. To help you decide which material will work best for you, we explain the pros and cons of the most popular backsplash materials.

Porcelain & Ceramic Tiles: Tiled backsplashes are a popular choice, as they offer versatility, practicality and style. Thanks to advances in printing technology, ceramic and porcelain tiles can be produced to resemble natural stone and wood, but with none of the associated performance challenges. With such a range of shapes, sizes, colors and patterns now available, tiles give you the freedom to put your own creative stamp on your room without compromising on practicality.

Quartz (Engineered Stone): Also known as a quartz composite, engineered stone is made of crushed quartz mixed with resin. High-performing engineered stones are heat and scratch resistant as well as extremely tough. It’s easily cleaned with warm, soapy water and comes in a wide range of different colors to suit all tastes. It’s supplied in large panels, resulting in fewer or no seams. It is important to not that installation of an engineered stone backsplash must be done by a specialist. It is certainly not a DIY job.

Granite: Granite is still a favorite for backsplashes, working equally well in traditional and contemporary settings. What’s more, no two slabs of natural stone will ever look exactly the same, so you are guaranteed a unique look. If you choose honed granite, test some samples with water and oil, as certain variations of the stone can show wet marks longer.

Marble: Nothing beats the natural beauty of a marble backsplash, which never fails to bring a luxurious look to a kitchen. It’s important to be aware, however, that marble is porous, so it needs sealing and periodic resealing to prevent staining. It also gets scratched more easily than other materials. Cost can be an issue, depending on the marble you want. What’s more, marble can get stained easily. You have to accept marble for what it is, it’s beautiful, but not maintenance free. However, lots of marbles have wonderful streaks and patterns that tend to help hide any areas of staining.

Glass Tile: Offers a custom look Available in an endless array of attention-grabbing colors and transparencies, glass tiles are a perfect option for making a bold design statement in an otherwise utilitarian space. The look is truly customizable and it also expands the space Glass has the special ability to shimmer and sparkle, which bounces light around a room to visually expand the space. If your kitchen is small or dark, glass tile will reflect light to make the room appear larger and brighter. Glass tiles can be costly, it is often considerably more expensive than ceramic or stone tile.