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1 So exactly what are glass splashbacks? They are glass that has been processed to a specific size, normally have polished finished edges and then a special glass paint to your required colour sprayed onto the back face, just like spraying a car panel, the glass should then be put through a drying oven to adhere the paint to the glass correctly, once this is done a foil backing is usually applied to the painted surface to provide extra protection. 2 Is normal glass used? Normal float glass has a green tint to it which would change the required colour if used so glass splashbacks are made from a more expensive glass called “Low Iron Glass”, this is an optically perfect glass which gives a true representation of the glass paint being applied, 6mm is the most usual thickness used. 3 Do I require toughened glass? Toughened glass is glass that has been put through a thermal process to change the characteristics of the glass, if toughened glass breaks it breaks into tiny pieces to ensure no one can be seriously harmed, very similar to the side window of a car. Although toughened glass is not required if glass is being bonded directly to a wall it does have excellent characteristics that make it an excellent process for this purpose, it withstands heat without cracking so is perfect for any glass near a heat source i.e. a hob and it is also 5 to 6 times stronger than normal glass so is the perfect choice if you have cut outs for plug sockets etc, nothing more annoying than cracking your beautiful new glass splashback with the last ¼ turn of the screwdriver whilst re fitting your sockets. 4 Can we have our glass splashback any shape and size? Glass is made in stock sizes of 3210mm x 2250mm so any size within that isn’t a problem as long as your glass processor is capable of working on glass of that size, many aren’t! if you’re requirements are for glass larger than this then a jumbo sheet can be bought in, 6000mm x 3210mm but will incur extra costs. The shape of glass that can be manufactured is mainly down to two things, your glass processor will require a CNC machine to manufacture complicated shapes accurately and to a perfect finish so ensure they have the correct machinery in house to manufacture what you require, secondly there are certain rules that need to be stuck to to ensure that the finished piece of glass is able to go through the toughening process, any decent glass processor / merchant should be able to advise you on this. 5 What colours can I have? The most commonly used colour range is a range called “RAL” and any colour in the “RAL Colour Range” can be replicated onto glass splashbacks, the other usual colour ranges are Dulux, Crown and Farrow & Ball although any colour at all should be able to be colour matched and applied to your glass splashbacks, ask your glass supplier this should not be a problem making your colour choice endless! Always request a sample before proceeding as the colour could be a shade or two different when applied to glass rather than other materials, better to be safe than sorry! 6 Do my walls need to be perfectly flat? The flatter the wall the easier it will be to survey and install, glass splashbacks for kitchens are normally fitted with an adhesive very similar to silicone so can take up discrepancies in your wall up to approximately 6mm! 7 Are glass splashbacks hygienic? Glass is probably the most hygienic substance you could put in your kitchen, have you noticed the amount of glass chopping boards available? Glass is a very easy product to look after and dirt, germs and grime easily wipe away leaving you perfect shiny splashbacks time and time again, with the larger sizes you can have fitted compared to tiling you also decrease the amounts of joints and get rid of the unsightly dirt attracting grout lines. For the ultimate in hygienic glass splashbacks ask for Ritec Clearshield which is a non stick, easy clean coating applied to your finished splashbacks and lasts for 10 to 15 years.
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