you could just use any old cheap tile behind the range since it won't be visible once your range goes in.

or you could install a stainless plate. or go with the standard trim instead of the island trim.

you might also want to ask this question in the appliance forum. this issue has been discussed at length in there.

We were originally planning to use cheap tile like edlakin suggested, but wound up using a slab of scrap soapstone instead. Edlakin's suggestion of stainless plate is also very good. You would only have to screw it in at the studs.

Like several others on this forum, my temporary backsplash was heavy duty aluminum foil.

Thanks nuccia & edlakin! I think I'll make a trip to HD to see if I can find a stainless plate or some sort of heat-proof metal.
I can't go with another trim since it has been ordered and should be here in another week and I sort of like the lower profile back.
I posted on the Appliance forum and will see what I get there as well. Just couldn't find anything in the search, but probably wasn't inputting the right words in the search.
Thanks!!

1) The trim is a separate piece, so you could swap it out.

2) If you're tiling the backsplash anyway, adding 6" of tile will cost almost nothing (that's about 1.5 sq. ft. of tile, which even for *really* expensive tile won't be more than $75, and labor will not increase)

heimert - I agree about adding the 6" of tile behind the stove - no problem there and I had originally thought about doing that. But what about in the time before I can get it tiled - can I still use the range safely? Can it still be pulled out to tile behind it?? If it takes special dollies and air jacks to get it in, how easily is it going to be to pull it out for tiling behind it and then putting it back in place??

...so many questions....so little time....

Our tile person was able to get behind to tile after installation. Not sure how, since I wasn't there, but he did.

What's the material currently? I think you could if nothing else get a scrap of aluminum sheet and tack that up temporarily. What you don't want is wood, since it might get scorched. Or don't use the oven.

Right now the wall is drywall mounted to studs and behind that is the back of a brick chimney from a fireplace in another room. (There are lots of holes cut into the drywall where I was peeking into walls) So, I need to replace the drywall and seem to remember seeing something at HD that was fire resistant drywall (??).
Sometimes I wonder if it would be good to just place it up against the studs and the brick chimney (no drywall in that 36" area) then drywall above that area so that I can tile over the drywall above the range. It seems like that would give it the air space, but then the mice would have a real open door to crawl right under the BS!! hmmm....is that a viable option??

I'll go look for some aluminum or metal or cheap tiles. Does the whole back of the BS get extremely hot?? What do other professional ranges recommend for the wall behind their products?? So what have other people done??

I really appreciate all the input I can get. Thanks!!

It's a safety issue, but in many places it's also a building code issue, so regardless of whether or not it's a *real* fire hazard (as opposed to a 'we don't want to be sued' issue) it's a good idea to get that fire-proof material there. We used a stainless steel backsplash as well, which we would have used regardless of the code issue. I wouldn't get the fireproof drywall because, if you live in an area like mine, you're just as likely to get a building inspector who won't accept the company's word that it's actually fireproof and refuse to okay your kitchen without tile or metal behind the stove. Granted, it wouldn't hurt to check either in case you really want just drywall.

It really has nothing to do with the back of the BS but rather the risk that flame from one of the top burners can somehow get behind the stove. (the different trim has no impact on how hot / not hot the back of the BS gets). If you ask me, its just their lawyers really doing CYA. That said, we installed a nice thick piece of galvanized metal - 36" wide to match the width of the range and 24 inches high. This runs from the top of our base cabinets down (we didn't go all the way to the floor - leaving the base of the wall painted drywall).

We also have the BS pulled out between 1 and 1 1/2 inches from the wall and will have a small strip of granite put there behind the island trim. That not only will "seal off" that area, but will allow us to run the backsplash down to the granite behind the BS. Plus it lets you use some bigger pans on the back burners without potentially hitting the walls (a tip we read on the appliance forum)

Putting the galvanized metal is a cheap, easy fix - it just gets screwed in over the drywall to the studs

I also found the slab of soapstone we have behind our BS (at counter level) has a couple more advantages besides what berryberry mentioned about more space for a larger pan. That 1 1/4" is enough space to be able to place the backsplash tile neatly and it is plenty of space to wipe the area just behind the island trim. Now that I think of it, if the island trim butts up to the wall, it would be nearly impossible to clean it properly.

Thanks to all of you!! OK, I just came back from HD where I bought a 36"x24" piece of galvanized steel that we'll anchor to the wall behind the range.
And, with all of your good advice, I've decided that I want to pull mine out about an inch or so to allow for cleaning of the island trim, install tile neatly and have the room for a larger pot on back burner.
This site is the best for information!!

Thanks everyone!!