Blog posts tagged with 'faq'

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 is an upstand?

In kitchen terms, an upstand is a small strip of kitchen worktop, glass or acrylic usually 100-150mm in height that fits in the rear wall edge of your kitchen worktop.

Historically these were made from 18mm laminate or stone and used to hide any gaps between the kitchen worktop and the wall behind (walls are rarely completely flat).

More recently though they are available to compliment glass and acrylic splashbacks (see below)

As you can see, using the same colour of glass upstand as the glass splashback has really added a feature to this minimalist white gloss kitchen.

The above is something you can very easily measure and fit yourself for a few hunder pounds and allows you to introduce stronger colours to your kitchen pallette without overdoing it. 

Shop Glass Splashbacks

Shop Glass Upstands

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.

How much is a glass splashback?

Like any product or service, several factors can influence the cost...

-Do you plan on measuring and fitting yourself?

-Would you prefer a professional installed it for you?

-Is your prefered splashback:

Clear?

Coloured?

Printed with an image or design?

Toughened mirror?

-Would you like it behind the hob, or around the perimeter of your kitchen?

Measure and fit yourself- 'DIY'

Measuring and fitting a standard cooker splashback, or a splashback and upstands is very simple as you are literally measuring a rectangle and sticking it to the wall.

If you require a supply only option that you can fit yourself then you can quickly and easily get an instant price using any of the below instant quote pages/tools.

For printed designs and mirror splashbacks there are multiple product pages but once you find the right style you will still be able to get an instant quote.

Get a quote for a supply only coloured glass splashback

Get a quote for a supply only clear glass splashback

Choose a design and get a quote for a printed glass splashback

Choose a toughened mirror colour or design and get a quote

Use our installation service

There are a number of installation experts across the UK we can recommend to measure an fit our products. For the majority of the United Kingdom the installation service costs £375, to check if this fee applies to your location please see the fully fitted glass splashbacks.

This price is the contractor's fee to measure, fit and take liability for any mistakes or damage caused- meaning nothing at all for you to worry about!

To get a cost of the products themselves you can use any of the pages above to enter the size of each panel to get a quote, then just add the installation cost to this. All prices include VAT.

Guide prices

You can get instant, exact prices on any of the instant quote pages above.

However, as a guide - the cost of a glass splashback varies depending on the size and specifications required.

Should you require a simple 6mm thick cooker splashback for example it should be well under £200 for a typical size of 600mm x 750mm but again it depends on the specification.

Other variables such as... is it a solid colour? or digital print? and there are also specialist effects such as sparkles.

It's also possible to have it shaped to fit around your curved cooker hood.

The Main Benefit

It may sound complicated or pricy, however it really isn't! What makes the overall cost more affordable is how easy it is to install a glass cooker splashback.

As you are essentially just fitting a large tile in one panel it is a simple DIY task that should take no more than 10-15 minutes. It is also a task that anyone with even limited DIY skills can do with relative ease.

Please see our tutorial on how to fit a glass splashback here.

Professional Installation

Fully fitted glass splashbacks, like the below photo vary regionally in terms of price.

Due to the higher cost of living and transportation in London you may find the labour charge to measure and fit a glass splashback alone could be in excess of £500 (we do have installers in London at the minute though who can provide this service for £375).

The cost of labour to tile the same area is probably very similar. At the other end of the spectrum areas where wages are lower may measure and fit for as little as £150 in labour. All in all, for a typical L shaped kitchen with glass covering the entire area between the worktop and cabinets, rising to the cooker hood and around the window at the same height would usually be in the region of £900-£1800 (depending on the aforementioned options and locations)

Can I fit glass splashbacks myself, how do I measure around the plug sockets?

Again we have a number of tutorials on how to do this. If you are worried about correctly measuring around plug sockets you can of course install glass upstands. With a bit of thought and following our tutorials though you can indeed measure for a simple cooker splashback, a cooker splashback and upstands or a full wall including socket cut outs. If you need any advice our customer service team also have 10 years experience in measuring and fitting glass splashbacks, there's nothing they haven't came across before!

How to measure for glass splashbacks