Jacy - so far it's holding up just fine - even around the sink, where it gets pretty wet. I do be sure to wipe up when I use the sink, we have the Ikea farm sink which goes all the way back to the backsplash, so it gets wet when I'm cleaning up!

Your friend is partially correct, though - lots of the beadboard and paneling that I found is MDF, which I would not use, especially around water. The stuff I used is oak, which we got partially because of water, and partially because I like the look of painted oak

The kit I got wasn't for backsplashes, it was for wainscotting. The beadboard part is 32" high (or so, can't remember exactly and is tongue and groove. There is also a trim kit with the upper and lower molding that has a groove cut into it that the beadboard slips into. It was available in solid oak and pine, white MDF and white vinyl. I would imagine the vinyl would be best for backsplashes, but I couldn't bear the thought of using it!

Good luck!