Welcome to my blog. When I was a teen, I started dabbling with coloured glass and stained glass art. Later, I helped work on a number of houses, and my partner and I often changed the windows in those houses. Through that experience, I learned a lot about maintaining, protecting and repairing glass. Currently, I am not working on any projects, so I decided to create a blog full of the information I have learned about glass over the years. Whether you are an artist, a glass installer, a homeowner thinking about new windows or anyone else with a question or concern about glass, this blog is designed for you.
Investing in a glass splashback for your kitchen is a pretty major decision. Good quality glass splashbacks are expensive, and whatever you choose will be a significant part of your kitchen décor for many years. There are plenty of advantages to having a glass splashback fitted in your kitchen, but there are a few downsides too.
Here's a brief, balanced overview of the pros and cons of having a glass splashback fitted in your home to help you decide if one is right for you.
Light effects
One outstanding feature of glass splashbacks is that they reflect light exceptionally well. This can be utilised in a clever kitchen design to make your space appear larger than it actually is. It can also help to make the room lighter if you have few or no windows in your kitchen. Plenty of reflected light also helps to make the kitchen feel like a more welcoming family space during the gloomy winter months and dark evenings.
Tiles and paint simply don't offer the same light reflecting qualities as glass, meaning that your room can appear dark and drab.
Colour choice and versatility
When it comes to a choice of colours and effects, you really can't beat glass splashbacks for choice. You can opt for a plain, solid colour or choose a personalised, photo-effect of your choice; peppers and fruits are popular ones. The splashback can blend with and complement your design or act as the focal point of your kitchen. You can even enhance the look of your glass splashback with LED lighting if you really want the 'wow factor'.
Although paint and tiles offer you a wide range of choice when it comes to colours, they are not quite as aesthetically pleasing as one complete sheet of glass, and designs always work better without the fragmented effect that tiles give. Glass gives colours more depth and vibrancy than tiles and is much more versatile.
Cleaning
When it comes to ease of cleaning, glass splashbacks win hands-down. Grease and food splashes wipe away easily with just a dish cloth dipped in a solution of washing-up liquid and warm water. In comparison, grease collects in the grout between tiles, where it attracts dust that quickly accumulates to form a sticky, dirty grid pattern behind your cooker. Scrubbing the muck away using an old toothbrush and kitchen cleaner takes forever, and the grout never seems to look completely clean, no matter how hard you work!
Fitting and installation
Once your made-to-measure glass splashback is in place, it looks great, with smooth lines and a perfect, snug fit around fittings and fixtures. Tiles are much more fiddly to put up and never seem to achieve quite the same smart, clean finish that a glass splashback does.
One downside of glass splashbacks is that the installation process can be rather involved. There are usually several trips required to your home in order to scope, measure up and finally fit the splashback.
Once you've chosen your tiles and your decorator has worked out how many he'll need, you're good to go. The same can be said of paint.
Cost
There's no doubt that a custom-made glass splashback will look fantastic, but it will also be expensive. Designer splashbacks with personalised touches can run into thousands of dollars, before you even start factoring in measuring-up and installation costs. 'Off-the-peg' splashbacks are cheaper, but you'll still need a professional to fit one for you, as it will require specialist cutting to fit around light fittings, cupboard edges etc.
Tiles can work out cheaper than a glass splashback, depending on what you choose. Hand-painted, designer tiles can be just as expensive as a splashback, and you'll also incur the cost of a professional to measure up and install them for you. The cheapest option is clearly paint, although specialist kitchen and bathroom paint can be expensive and will need re-applying every other year or so to keep it looking fresh.
A glass splashback offers many advantages over tiles and paint in terms of aesthetics, effect, fit and ease of cleaning. Have a chat with a specialist splashback supplier to discuss your options.
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