Kitchen apron of glass: installation features

Glass kitchen apron is an excellent alternative to tile. It's much easier to take care of, and the design of the kitchen immediately acquires a unique style and accuracy. The apron can consist of either one panel or several elements of different heights. The main feature is that the joints between the panes are practically invisible or absent at all. The installation of the glass apron can be ordered from specialists, but if you want to save money, you can actually make the installation yourself.

Glass selection

Not every glass is suitable for making an apron. Specificity of operation dictates certain requirements for coverage. Since it is usually installed in the work area, that is, where the plate and sink is located, the glass should be unresponsive to temperature changes and accidental mechanical influences. It should be strong enough and at the same time have a beautiful appearance.

These requirements fall into only two types - tempered or ordinary glass, but with a large thickness. To ensure that the surface is strong and durable, the thickness of the product should be at least 6 mm, but experts recommend that you do not install conventional glasses in order to avoid traumatic situations. Toughened glass to break in domestic conditions by accidental impact is almost impossible. Even if you succeed, it will crumble into small pieces with sharp edges, which can not be cut. If the ordinary glass breaks, then the fragments will scatter throughout the kitchen. However, the apron of tempered glass is not machinable, so when ordering such a product, you must immediately describe the final dimensions for installation.

Ordinary glass, even very thick, has a characteristic "bottle" tint, which can distort the picture behind it. For the manufacture of aprons use a special discolored and fully transparent glass, which not only does not change the image, but even makes it brighter and more expressive.

Advantages of glass aprons for the kitchen:

• Elementary care - it is enough to wipe the surface with a cleaner for windows;
• hygiene - due to lack of or a small number of joints, they do not accumulate grease and dirt, as in surfaces made of ceramic tiles;
• strength;
• longevity;
• the ability to choose a pattern or color for the style of the interior;
• visual expansion of the working area and kitchen space;
• simple and fast installation.

So, the glass apron is much better than the usual tiled surfaces, but it also has its drawbacks, more precisely, a lack. It is to choose the right glass, and a good glass is quite expensive.

Fortunately, a large selection of panels allows you to choose the option for every taste:

1. Transparent glass - protects the wall from splashes, fumes and dirt.
2. Frosted glass - can be uniform or patterned.
3. Colored glass is a great way to add a bright detail to the interior without repair.
4. Glass with a picture - made on individual projects. Drawing a picture manually at home is not realistic - for this purpose, special factory equipment is used.
5. Mirror - the panel visually expands the space, so this option is ideal for a kitchen with a modest quadrature. However, you should take care of the mirror surface very carefully, since even small contaminants are clearly visible on it.

Tempered glass is the best option for creating a kitchen apron. It is able to withstand heating up to 1000C, so it can be safely installed right next to the cooker or hob. Before ordering it, make a thorough measurement. In this case, as in the saying, it is better to measure seven times, because then it will not be possible to cut such material at home.

Mounting technology

When you have made all the necessary measurements and noted the location of the sockets and switches, you can prepare materials and tools. The installation of the apron should be carried out after the installation of kitchen furniture.

For work you will need such tools and materials:

• glass panel - if you want to install several panels, then under the hood choose a longer( tall) piece of glass. Size of the apron of glass in width should be the same as the width of the hanging closets of the kitchen set, so that the composition looked harmonious. The edges of the glasses do not need to be processed;
• installation profile - if you do not plan to mount the backlight, use the profile to install the glass panel with the L-shaped section. For lighting, you need another special profile, while the lower edge of the glass will be pressed against the surface of the wall with a plinth attached to the table top;
• LED strip with adapter - if the apron is backlit;
• Wall Mural - if you want to disguise wall defects, there is nothing better than wallpaper. Simply paste them, and top off with an apron. Alternatively, you can immediately order a kitchen apron from glass with photo printing;
• plastic spatula;
• screwdriver;
• hacksaw for metal;
• pliers;Soldering iron;
• electrical tape.

Please note that there is no drill, bolt or screwdriver in the tool list, because too aggressive impact can damage the glass panel.

Installation of kitchen apron of glass:

1. Attach a mounting profile to the wall that will hold the glass panels.
2. If you will mount the backlight, fill the LED strip in the profile and bring it to the mains network.
3. Attach the profile. The method of fastening is determined by the variety of fittings. So, there are profiles that need to be attached to the wall, while others can be installed on the underside of the kitchen unit. For beginners, the second option is better not to choose, because the profile is difficult to fix and at the same time there is a risk of damaging the integrity of the LED tape.
4. Glue the film onto the glass. If you have ever tinted the windows in a car, this job will not seem difficult. Lay the glass on the floor in the order in which they will be installed on the wall. Clean and degrease the surface with any alcohol-containing product, then sprinkle with water from the spray gun and apply a film. Smooth the surface from the center to the edges with a plastic spatula and expel the water from under the film. Glue the film immediately on all panels, if there are several, and after the smoothing, cut at the junctions.
5. It remains only to install the glass in place. Move the bottom of the panel away from the wall and insert the top edge into the profile. Then lower the bottom part to the wall and with a slight push, press the guide. The glass should stand as hard and close to the wall as possible. Make sure that there are no large slits left between adjacent panels. To reduce this distance to a minimum, lightly strike the rubber kyanki to fit the panels to each other. Control the impact force to prevent the glass from breaking.

Useful advices

The desire to save as much money as possible on repair or construction is justifiable, but in this case you need to know the measure. So, if you do not want to spend money on expensive tempered glass with a pattern, you can put the usual thick glass and place under it any picture. Of course, the installation of an apron of glass should be carried out very carefully, and then handle it later should be very careful not to accidentally break.

As for the picture under the apron, it can be made even without photo wallpapers. If you want to disguise any wall defects, the best way is painting or pasting. Conventional wallpaper is best not to use, so that the condensate, accumulating behind the glass when heated, does not spoil the paper. The same goes for the usual drawings. It will be very difficult to get them from the panel.

Before installing the kitchen apron of glass with your own hands, it is recommended to level the wall as far as possible. Installation is performed only after the installation of the furniture set, the finishing of the walls and ceiling. If the kitchen has a long wall, it is better to make an apron from several separate panels than to put a monolithic one. Specialists do not recommend the installation of segments longer than 2.5 m.

Before ordering the panel, make precise measurements and designate locations for sockets, fastener switches. They should be located no closer than 5 cm from the edges. Cut the holes under the fasteners after drying the film on the apron.

Designer tricks

Glass, like ceramic tiles, is an ideal material for use in the kitchen. It calmly refers to high humidity, temperature changes, does not burn out and long serves. But why not go further and do not make a practical protective coating also a stylish interior addition? There are several design techniques that will help you successfully organize space, even in the smallest kitchen.

By the way about small kitchens. For them, there is nothing better than aprons from mirror panels. Paint the walls in a monochrome light shade and put the apron-mirror to the ceiling - the kitchen will immediately become "lighter" and visually more spacious. If there is no opportunity to purchase expensive mirror panels, give preference to the maximum glossy surface of the glass - it will also reflect objects and can visually increase the area.

When choosing the color or pattern on the apron, start from the general style of the kitchen. So, if you liked the model with funny rabbits, and the kitchen is made in retro style or vintage, then this apron is unlikely to fit. The style of hi-tech is suitable for monochrome dark tones or minimalistic drawings. In a modern kitchen with European design, an apron with photo wallpapers will look good: fruits, vegetables, flowers.

Above we have already described what kinds of glass panels there are, but now we will look at how they can be used to create a harmonious interior:

1. A clear glass apron is suitable in case you do not want to overlap the beautiful color of walls or wallpaper. The task of such panels is, for the most part, to protect the surface, not its decoration. This option is most often used in apartment-studio, where the kitchen is combined with the living room, so as not to distract attention from the overall design.
   
2. frosted aprons perfectly conceal the defects in the decoration of the walls. If you do not want to glue wallpapers with a picture or paint a wall, install a matte panel.
3. Multicolored monophonic aprons can instantly "revive" any kitchen. They make the interior fresh and brighter, without disturbing the overall design. This option is suitable for those who want to organize a modern kitchen, but not ready for radical changes. Modern technology allows you to make a panel of tempered glass of any shade.
   
4. The panels with drawings are a great opportunity to create a unique interior. The image is applied directly to the glass with the help of full-color UV printing or a special vinyl film is glued on the back side. The first method gives a better result. Moreover, UV printing allows you to apply even 3D images, which, like a mirror, can visually make the space wider. Very beautiful look drawings with a deep perspective, for example, the sea surface, wiping far beyond the horizon, or a poppy field in the setting sun. Panels with pasted patterns are cheaper, but the vinyl film eventually loses color from temperature changes and exfoliates due to condensation.
   

Kitchen aprons made of glass, photo

As you can see, it is quite easy to install a kitchen apron made of glass, it is much more difficult to choose a suitable option. To facilitate this difficult task, we suggest looking at how aprons of different colors and textures look in the interiors.