I was told the same thing. We HAVE to put in the backsplash before the hood since it goes all the way up. Otherwise they have to tile around the hood and they said they could do it but it would be much more expensive b/c of many cuts to go around the hood.

I think you should do it before the hood anyway, to give it a more finished look so you don't have to have tile cuts butting up against the hood.

Well, it CAN be put on after the hood, but as the previous poster said, it will cost a bit more because of the cuts. That doesn't mean it would not be stunning.

If you don't have a tile picked out already I wouldn't rush to get something just because of the hood. You need to be happy with it in the long run.

Should I just SHUT.UP.??

(LOL!!)

CR@PPPPPP!!!!! Thats what in was afraid of. How in the bloody h-e-double-hockey-sticks am I going to get THAT done in the next 3 weeks???

Maybe I just go hoodless above my Culinarian rangetop then for a couple of months until I can get tile shopped for, chosen, ordered, shipped, and installed? Domt laugh at me. I'm being serious.

Well, my husband is doing ours after, but that is because his contract isn't running out anytime soon around here :)

I think the concern for many if you do the hood first, is that you can't accommodate for the thickness of the tile to know how far out to place the hood. I have heard of some on these boards that took sample tiles and made-up plywood spacers.

I can see you doing plain white (and cheap!) subway tile from a box store. You don't want something with too much "oomph" if you are covering such a large space. You want a subtle background. Or, maybe a classic 4x4 on the diagonal with some rope molding accents and herringbone subway feature for behind the range.

We're waiting on the hood install till DH gets the tile done. I'm just watching what I cook, and am not making anything that really needs the exhaust.

Hoping he makes progress on it this weekend.

Open the windows or put up a cheap $50 exhaust fan so you have something, and install the hood later.

I say get the tile in first so that the wall is done, before the hood goes in. What if the hood fails down the road and you want another style hood. The tile will be intact if you have it in first. I'm with AnnaC54, work without the hood but not greasy stuff. Open the windows for steamy cooking and put a fan on the counter to help it out the window. It's looking great!

Oh I love Palimpsest's idea!

PITA......hahaha! I just got it! I shouldn't laugh....I'm sorry to hear of your bump in the road. I'd wait on the hood too. You don't want to make matters worse! And you don't want to feel forced into making a tile choice in a rush.
I'd take the kids on a road trip!

OK. I'll wait. Decision made. Problem is, I cook a lot. Every meal. I'll just have to feet by for a few months without a hood. My heart is set on cooking Thanksgiving for my entire family, like I usually do, in my new house.

As far as white subways go......While I really like that look, I wanted something different for my space. Again, don't laugh please, but here's one I like.

{{!gwi}}

I can't take this thread turning into a discussion about how my tile choices are all wrong so let's not go there, please. I don't think I have a very good sense of design judging by my pendant thread. Be gentle.

I want to wait until my marble goes in before I choose tile.

This must be a dumb question, because it seems too obvious if it will work: Can't the hood go up now, and come back down when you do the tile, and go back again?

Ferrygirl--you're laughing! No laughing! ;). The kids don't like long road trips where they're dragged around from store to store for hours on end. I'll have to work something out though.

Rhome--I'm guessing that its because the tile thickness wont allow the hood/ducting intersection to meet at the same place as it did before tile. That probably made no sense the way I wrote that. The hood will be set off the wall with tile than before tile.

LAst sentence wasn't complete. I meant that the hood will be set farther off the back wall with tile than before tile.

DH just told me he will NOT allow me to cook on the gas rangetop without a hood. Some days....I swear.....I want to throttle him!

Azlee--Is your cooking surface gas or electric or induction?

Anna--same question above. Which do you have?

This must be a dumb question, because it seems too obvious if it will work: Can't the hood go up now, and come back down when you do the tile, and go back again?

That's exactly what we did! In fact, we put our hood up, took it down and put it back up again more times than anyone would want to (flashbacks to those late nights standing on a sliver of counter trying to guide the keyholes on the chimney cover onto the screws in the wall--shudder, shudder, shudder!).

Well worth it in the end though--if you ever change the hood, you're not locked-in to a particular shape/size.

I love that tile or anything like it as long as the colors work.

Hey Breezy, here's a thread you might like

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread Breezy Might Like?

Breezy, I love your backsplash tile idea! So sorry you will have to wait until you tile to hang your gorgeous hood. We also had to wait until we'd finished tiling to hang the hood.

Breezy, we put our hood up, took it down again when we tiled later on, then put it back up. You're not going to want to tile around the hood, anyways - tile lasts a lot longer than any electrical device will, and tiling it in would be a bad idea.

The 3/8" or so of mortar and tile doesn't make any difference you can't compensate for when you rehang it. That's why ducting is made of sheet metal -- you can always extend it a tad, etc. These hoods invariably have a hanging system that will be adjustable for whatever new depth you have. Honestly, I think you're worrying unnecessarily. Hang the thing now, use it to your heart's content, and tile at your leisure after the holidays.

We have gas cooktop. I would either go with the waiting for the hood or putting it up and taking it back down. even if you have a great tile guy it will not look as flawless if you try to tile around it.

DH just told me he will NOT allow me to cook on the gas rangetop without a hood.

That is okay -- let him do the cooking instead! Problem solved.

Lots of people have cooked on lots of gas ranges for lots of years without a hood. I realize you are getting a flamethrower (Culinarian), but just don't go all out until the hood is in.

Breezy, I really like your backsplash idea! I think it will be pretty and calming and unique (without being freakishly unique, somehow it's still a bit familiar if that makes sense)

I'd put up the hood if you're cooking, then take it down for the tiling and rework the ducting after the tile goes in. That's what I'd do if it were me ... one of the reasons better venting is required with gas is the potential for noxious fumes to be released when natural gas is burned, not so much the extra grease or steam that you make when cooking with gas over other methods. I wouldn't want to risk it in my house no matter how many people told me they had done it without any problems (kinda like seatbelts or bike helmets ... tonnes of people have gone without for many years but that doesn't make it a good idea!). It would be a small amount of extra time and work that would be so worth it for your sanity now and the chance to take your time to pick the backsplash you really love.

Breezy, this can all be worked out.

If you have an ordinary hood with a metal housing, removing it to tile shouldn't be a big problem. One reason why you want to do the tile first is that that way the hood actually can be removed without disturbing the tiles! Though, if anyone were to remove mine, they'd be disappointed because behind it are ugly, scrap tiles, not completely filled in, just used as spacers, not pretty tile all up where no one can see it. :)

DH just told me he will NOT allow me to cook on the gas rangetop without a hood.

Get some cheap metal flashing from the lumber yard and tack it up behind the stove. It isn't a significant cost, won't look too awful, but bad enough to keep you looking for tile, and will protect the wall.

I like the idea of putting the hood up now and taking it down when you tile later. More work, granted, but you'll have a feeling for what the kitchen looks like with all of the elements in place. It could totally change your mind of what tile you'd like to see there.

By doing that you'll also satisfy DH's wish for safety for his family.

Breezy,
Cool tile! And....I love BBQ turkey!!

(((Doh!!!!!))). Why didn't I think of putting up and taking down the hood? Probably because I've never had a freestanding wall hood before. I feel better that this can be done. DH will feel better about me cooking, and, as kellie suggested, then I can judge any potential tile knowing what the hood looks in place. Thank you Cat mom, Circus, Plllog for confirmation this can be done.

Plllog--don't worry. I won't tell about your tile cheat!

Angie--yeah, right!! If DH did the cooking we'd all starve. He doesn't get home until about 8pm and travel out of state a lot.

Azlee--thanks for answering my question.

Enduring, Francoise, Good, and Ferrygirl--I'm glad you guys like that tile. I'm sure it's uber-expensive though. We'll see when I start tile shopping in a few weeks!

Thank you again, everyone! No more hood worries.

I like the tile, too. Very pretty.

I think the tile choice you posted will look great it your kitchen. It's the "new" 'splash look, very chic IMO.

If you can make the tile decision and get it in, they can put it up just after the counters go in (less messy) and then they can install the hood over the tile. They do need to drill it.

Everything is possible but safest/cheapest is to do it in sequence and once if possible.