What Is an Upstand in a Kitchen? Upstands vs Splashbacks Explained
Updated: 5 days ago
An upstand in a kitchen is a low strip of worktop material, usually 100mm tall, that runs along the back edge of the worktop where it meets the wall. It's made from the same material as the worktop and seals the gap between worktop and wall, preventing water and crumbs from falling behind the cabinets.
Most upstands are between 50mm and 150mm tall, and we specify one on most jobs as part of our kitchen fitting in Kettering. Below we cover what it does, the standard sizes, tiled and coved upstands, and when you can leave one out.
What does an upstand do?
Three things:
Seals the gap: Walls are rarely perfectly flat. The upstand covers any uneven gap between the worktop and the wall, giving a clean, finished line and stopping water from running down the back.
Stops crumbs and spills: Food, water and cleaning products inevitably end up at the back of the worktop. Without an upstand, they fall behind the cabinets where you can't reach.
Visual transition: The upstand gives a deliberate edge where the worktop ends and the wall (or splashback) begins. Without one, the wall paint or tile meets the worktop directly, which looks unfinished in most kitchens.
Upstand vs splashback
The two terms get confused, but they're different things.
Upstand: A low strip, typically 100mm tall, running the full length of the worktop. Made from worktop material. Functional rather than decorative.
Splashback: A taller panel, often the full height between worktop and wall units (typically 400 to 600mm). Sits behind the hob and sometimes the sink. Designed to protect the wall from splashes during cooking and to act as a decorative feature.
A standard kitchen often has both: an upstand running the full length of the worktop, and a taller splashback behind the hob. They can be in the same material (a full stone splashback plus matching upstand) or different (a stone upstand plus a tiled splashback).
Standard upstand dimensions
Upstands are usually:
Height: 100mm is the UK standard. Some kitchens use 50mm or 75mm for a more discreet look, or 150mm for a more substantial feel.
Thickness: Typically 15mm to 30mm, depending on the worktop material.
Length: Cut to match the worktop runs, with mitred joints at internal corners.
The upstand sits on top of the worktop, flush with the back edge, and is sealed to the worktop with a thin bead of clear silicone.
Upstand materials
Almost any worktop material can be used as an upstand. Standard options:
Quartz or granite: The most common choice in modern kitchens. Matches the worktop exactly. Wipeable, durable, no joints.
Laminate: Cheaper option. Comes in matching pieces with most laminate worktops.
Solid wood: Suits country and traditional kitchens. Needs sealing and occasional re-oiling.
Solid surface (Corian and similar): Joined to the worktop with no visible line. The most expensive option but the cleanest finish.
Tile: Less common as an upstand on its own. Some kitchens use tile from worktop upwards as both upstand and splashback in one piece.
Do you need an upstand on your kitchen?
Not every kitchen has one. The decision usually comes down to two things:
Are you tiling the wall? If the wall is tiled all the way down to the worktop, you may not need an upstand at all. The tile and grout do the job. Most kitchens with a tiled splashback still include an upstand for the worktop runs that aren't behind the hob.
What's the look you're after? Modern, minimalist kitchens sometimes skip upstands for a cleaner line where the worktop meets the wall. This works only if the wall is flawlessly straight and finished, and even then water-tightness becomes a concern over time.
In most kitchens, an upstand is the practical default. It's a small addition to the worktop order for a clean finish and a sealed edge.
Tiled upstands and coved upstands
A stone upstand is cut from the same slab as the worktop, so the colour and pattern match exactly and there is only one joint to seal: the line where it sits on the worktop. A tiled upstand is a single row of tiles (or a tiled splashback running down to the worktop), which gives you more choice of colour and texture but adds grout lines right where water collects.
As a rule of thumb, stone or quartz upstands suit busy sink runs, where water sits against the wall every day. Tile works well away from the sink, or where the tiles carry on up the wall as a full splashback. Laminate upstands are the sensible match for a laminate worktop; a stone upstand on a laminate worktop tends to look like an afterthought.
A coved upstand has a curved (radiused) join where the worktop meets the upstand instead of a sharp right angle. The curve leaves no corner for dirt to collect in and no silicone joint at worktop level, which is why it is popular in solid surface worktops, where the cove can be formed as one piece with the top. In stone, a coved detail has to be cut from a thicker piece, so it costs more than a square upstand.
Corners need planning whichever material you choose. Internal corners are usually mitred so the joint is a neat diagonal line, and the ends of a run are finished with a polished or matching end rather than a raw cut edge. On a tiled upstand, internal corners are sealed with silicone rather than grout, because the two walls move slightly differently.
Can you tile above an upstand?
Yes. This is a very common layout: a 100mm stone or laminate upstand along the worktop, with tiles running from the top of the upstand up to the underside of the wall units. The upstand takes the wet joint at worktop level, and the tiles protect the wall above it.
A few details make it look right:
Line the tiles up with the upstand, not the worktop. The first row of tiles sits on top of the upstand, so the grout line runs level with its top edge.
Use a slim trim or a clean silicone line where the tile meets the upstand, rather than grout, because the two materials move slightly differently.
Keep the upstand height consistent all the way round, including behind the sink, so the tile rows don't have to step.
Upstand and splashback combinations that work
Most kitchens we fit use one of these:
Upstand everywhere, full-height glass or stone behind the hob. The cleanest option. The splashback behind the hob takes the heat and grease, and the upstand finishes every other run.
Upstand plus tiles to the wall units. Good value and easy to change later. The upstand protects the joint, the tiles give the colour.
Full-height stone splashback, no upstand: The stone runs from the worktop to the wall units as one piece. Expensive but very easy to clean, with no joint at worktop level at all.
Upstand only, painted wall above: Fine in low-use areas such as a utility or a dresser run, but a painted wall behind a sink or hob will mark quickly.
If you're weighing up colours for the area above the upstand, our post on splashback colours for a grey kitchen goes through the options that tend to work.
Upstands and socket heights
An upstand affects where the sockets and switches go. With a 100mm upstand, the bottom of a socket plate needs to sit clear of its top edge, which in practice puts socket boxes around 150mm or more above the worktop. If you are renewing the kitchen and keeping the old sockets, check the heights before choosing an upstand, because moving sockets up afterwards means chasing the wall and making good.
The same applies to worktop depth. If you choose a deeper worktop than the standard 600mm, the upstand moves with the wall, not the cabinets. Our guide to typical kitchen worktop sizes covers the standard depths and heights the upstand has to work with.
How is an upstand fitted?
Upstands are fitted after the worktop is fixed and levelled. The fitter scribes the upstand to the wall if the wall is out of line, bonds it with adhesive, and seals the joint along the worktop with a thin bead of silicone. Stone upstands are usually templated and fitted by the stone company at the same visit as the worktop; laminate and wood upstands are cut and fitted on site by the kitchen fitter.
We handle the design, supply and fitting of kitchens across Northamptonshire, including worktops, upstands and splashbacks, and as Federation of Master Builders members with over two decades of residential and commercial projects behind us, we template and fit them to the same standard on every job. That includes our kitchen fitting in Oundle and the villages around it.
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