Blog posts tagged with 'acrylic backsplash'

Acrylic Splashbacks

When new kitchen worktops are installed it can be nice, especially with stone and quartz, to continue this around your kitchen with matching upstands and cooker splashback.

A nice high gloss complimentary finishing touch can be coloured acrylic splashbacks. The reflective, glass effect, finish can really lift the kitchen and add more light and colour to areas that are usually overlooked (and hard to clean).

Take it to the top

The below example makes a feature out of areas above, under and around the kitchen cupboards and we are sure you will agree brings a real pop to the kitchen colour palette.

Blue acrylic splashbacks surrounding the kitchen wall units

Blue acrylic splashbacks under wall units and around windows

Easy Installation

This kitchen looks so much more vibrant with this extra colour added and the problem areas to keep clean are now much easier to maintain. Our acrylic splashbacks are very easily cut using HSS drill and jigsaw bits (do not use normal power tool bits, HSS bits have many more, smaller, teeth and will not cause any problems). Using our cutting service we can cut the panels to the correct heights and widths for you leaving you to simply cut around sockets using conventional power tools. You can of course also ask your kitchen fitter  to do this, it's just as easy as cutting a laminate worktop!

Perfect in Bathrooms too!

Acrylic is not only suitable for most areas in the kitchen but you can also use it in the bathroom to create seamless coloured, easy to clean walls. Shower panels without the need for grout are a must as you minimise the number of areas where moisture sits therefore less areas where mould can grow. Add our easy clean coating and your shower or bathroom walls will be incredibly low maintenance as the water will run off just as it does with self cleaning glass windows.

Get an instant quotation

You can check prices and preview thousands of colours on our acrylic splashbacks page here.

How to fit an Acrylic Splashback

Acrylic Splashbacks are incredibly easy to fit, you are essentially sticking a lighweight panel to a wall using silicone. 

It's easy in just a few steps...

1. To measure the height, measure from the top of the area to be covered to the bottom and subtract 2-4mm for expansion

2. For the width use the same method (where panels meet each other do not allow any room for expansion at this edge).

3. Cut the panel to the desired height and width using a suitable power tool with the correct bit (HSS bits for a jigsaw for example).

 Should you need to drill the acrylic again mark the location of the hole required and drill using an HSS drill bit.

4. Lay the board painted or printed side up carefully protecting the front so it does not get scratched

5. Apply our Neutral Cure Silicone to the rear painted side of the panel. It is low modulus, so for really uneven walls you can use more in any shallow areas and it will be asily compressed.

6. Press the panel to the wall until these is zero bounce

7. Seal the edges with the same neutral cure silcione to prevent water ingress and extend the product lifespan

Photo of a typical amount of adesive applied, use more if the wall is uneven

Are Acrylic Splashbacks Heat Resistant?

Unlike Glass Splashbacks, Acrylic Splashbacks can start to melt and deform at 80C and are liquid at 160C so they are not very heat resistant. There are options though...

Induction Hobs

Acrylic Splashbacks can be used behind an induction hob, hot pots and pans should not come into contact with an acrylic splashback.

As all the heat is applied to pots and pans on induction hobs via a magnet there is very little heat loss- so they are highly efficient and the surrounding area has little excess heat. As long as there is not direct contact with a heated pot or pan (at the above temperatures) acrylic splashbacks are perfectly suitable behind an induction hob. For all other hob types we would recommend glass splashbacks (clear, coloured or digitally printed)

Mix glass and acrylic splashbacks

As our glass splashbacks are made from low iron glass and the acrylic is high grade clear perspex, there is minimal colour distortion from either material.

This allows you to use both glass and acrylic panels on your kitchen wall- a glass splashback behind the hob (heat source) and should you wish to keep costs down by cutting the acrylic on site yourself, acrylic splashbacks for the remaining walls, creating a fully fitted look.

The high gloss finish of our glass splashbacks and the high gloss finish of our glass effect acrylic panels mean they are indistinguishable when side by side.

Glass and Acrylic splashbacks can be mixed and matched!

What are Splashbacks?

Splashbacks are an alernative name for a backsplash or to put it simply, a wall covering to protect the wall behind sources of splashes from cooking or bathing.

Traditionally, the main option for a splashback was wall tiles and in the 20th Century times moved on to Stainless Steel splashbacks.

Despite the purpose of such coverings being primarily to protect walls from dirt and mould etc. these older variations of splashbacks have always been notoriously hard to clean (mould in a shower or oil / fat on a stainless steel splashback are incredibly hard to prevent and maintain!)

Finally! A better alternative!

Enter the new contenders- Glass Splashbacks and Acrylic Splashbacks

Due to their perfectly flat surfaces, newer splashback variations such as glass and acrylic are much easier to maintain.

Windows are of course made from glass and very easy to clean although as you literally see through them it is easier to spot streaks.

Glass splashbacks are back painted (or digitally printed) and much easier to clean- cleaning them with a dry micro fibre cloth is without doubt the easiest method. Medium grade wire wool can also be used.

Acrylic splashbacks can be scratched with abrasive cleaning products and cloths (never use wire wool on acrylic!) like glass though, a microfibre cloth is perfect for mainting an acrylic splashback in the kitchen or bathroom.

Glass and acrylic splashbacks can also be treated with a specialised coating to make them much easier to clean. This is known as EasyClean.

What makes Glass Splashbacks (and Acrylic Splashbacks) so special?

Glass & acrylic splashbacks instantly set themselves apart from tiles and stainless steel because there are almost unlimited colour and design options!

Both glass and acrylic start out completely transparent, this allows them to be customised to fit into any colour sheme or pallette.

They can also both be colour-matched to any paint colour, or digitally printed with any image.