Some people might be concerned with its ability to be cleaned, after a deep fry. How will grease be removed? Fortunately, I don’t do a lot of frying, but if you decide to replicate this look in your house, you can easily treat and seal the wood with Varathane or you can take a soapy rag to it if necessary. We like the look of raw weathered wood in our kitchen.
And for the most controversial topic that I’ve seen…I’ve read quite a bit of information on the internet about the safety of pallet wood. Or lack there of. The concern being whether pallet wood is heat-treated or chemical treated as a shipping pallet. Chemical treated being most dangerous. I soaked the wood in an ammonia based cleanser and scrubbed prior to use for my own piece of mind. Research that I’ve done on the potential hazards of wood pallets seems to be published by plastic manufacturers as in plastic pallet manufacturers so I have to question the source and how much of a sales tactic it is. At any rate, I am quite comfortable with the pallet wood on the wall. I do not plan to eat off of it and there are no small children in the house. Anyway, this is our choice and it may not be kosher with others but that’s life! We are comfortable with this decision as I am sure there are many other potential hazards we encounter everyday in and around our home. Plus, we like recycling. If you really like the look of the backsplash but are not comfortable using pallet wood, you can certainly buy new wood or I would suggest using slate as your backsplash. Many readers thought the wood was actually slate, at first glance, so you could achieve the same rustic look that way…and maybe fool people into thinking it is pallet wood! It will obviously cost you more than FREE though. We personally desired the weathered an age look of the pallets.
A reclaimed wood backsplash adds a dramatic feature to a room. Watch this step by step tutorial to see how he does this fabulous project!
