Glass splashbacks bring a svelte, streamlined look into your kitchen. However, you do need to be extra careful when planning and marking the splashback area. This type of material is not forgiving of measuring inaccuracies or mistakes.

The Importance Of Measuring The Splashback Area Accurately

With glass splashbacks in particular, the initial measurements need to be perfect. They need to be exact and should take account of any cutouts for electrical outlets or other fixtures. In the case of a tiled splashback, for instance, you might be able to make adjustments on the fly. You might, at times, be able to simply add extra tiles to make up for a measurement error or for a change of mind. But a piece of toughened safety glass cannot be trimmed or adjusted after it is manufactured. Here's why.

The Tempering Process

Kitchen splashbacks are constructed from toughened glass, which has undergone a special tempering treatment to make it durable enough to withstand being near cooking areas. The glass is heated to extreme temperatures in an oven until it becomes molten. Icy jets of air then blast its surface. This rapidly cools and hardens the outside of the pane, while the inner part remains liquid for longer, before it too solidifies. This temperature difference within the pane has a chemical effect, making it much stronger than standard glass. If this type of safety glass does break, though, it crumbles into relatively harmless cubes rather than sharp pieces. 

Why Tempered Glass Can't Be Trimmed

These are the two attributes that make this glass safe to use in the home. It is incredibly robust and unlikely to break, and if it does, it does so in a way that is unlikely to cause injury. However, these same characteristics also mean that the glass cannot be trimmed after it has been tempered.  Any attempt to do so will result in it safely shattering into blunt, cube-like pieces as it was designed to do.

Glass creates beautiful, sleek splashbacks that can be back painted, digitally printed or frosted to complement your kitchen design. No matter what decoration you decide on, though, the glass will always be toughened safety glass as prescribed by regulations. So you just need to take extra care and thought when designing and measuring the splashback area. Once the glass has undergone the tempering treatment, it cannot then be further trimmed or adjusted.

Contact a remodeling contractor to learn more about your options for kitchen splashbacks.

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