Hey Sara - Yes we actually shimmed out the wall behind the vent hood surround by the same thickness and width as the stainless cover. Once the drywall work was done we painted the 1/2 spacer to match the walls. At the end of the day one can not even notice the stainless tube is not actually resting against the back wall. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Thank you, this helps a lot!