Glass apron in the kitchen: everything you need to know about it

Glass kitchen aprons rapidly in vogue and pressed with a decorative pedestal traditional wall tile. What is the interior element is so fond of professionals and amateurs? How to choose a glass apron in the kitchen? And you need to know to avoid disappointment? The answers to these questions, as well as other useful information - the theme of today's article.

Pro and con

Glass apron has a number of advantages over traditional tiles:

hygiene: no grout joints and other irregularities, which can accumulate dirt,
ease of installation,
unlimited design choices (you can apply any color or pattern of your choice)
glossy, reflective panels visually enhance the kitchen space,
ability to set the backlight.

As for the cons, the glass aprons have only one significant drawback: Ready (Hardened) panel defies cutting, and thus adjust the dimensions or additional holes for outlets during installation is not possible.

Glass apron in the kitchen: everything you need to know about it

Design apron

Let's see how to do glass may look apron. The easiest and most cheapest option - a panel of ordinary clear glass . Typically, such an apron performs functional, not decorative role, that is protected from contamination painted or wallpapered walls of the kitchen and at the same time remains virtually invisible.

Our opinion:

- Clear glass can also be a bit of spice, for example, make it dull. Another way - to put sandblasting drawing: line, similar to those that decorate the windows of coffee houses, will look very impressive on the apron in your kitchen.

Glass apron in the kitchen: everything you need to know about it

More popular material for kitchen aprons is colored glass . It is obtained by applying the paint on the underside of the glass and a special heat treatment, which adds to the price of 15-20 percent. The main advantages of this method are durability pattern and an unlimited choice of colors. The ideal solution for the interior with a complex coloristic palette.

Glass apron in the kitchen: everything you need to know about it

Perhaps the most popular kind of glass aprons are models with a full color picture. It is not surprising, because it is able to personalize the design kitchen interior, make it unique, and even visually expand the space that is often a small room (with the prospect of an image, 3D-drawing).

Put the image on the panel in two ways: Stick to the underside surface of the glass vinyl film with a pattern or using printing. The first option - the budget, but short-lived. Depending on the quality of work and materials may become darker film, wrinkle or even come off. But the second option is more reliable and looks much more spectacular. But you have to pay for quality.

Apron with a full-color photo printing will cost about 50% more expensive than a similar clear glass or decorated with vinyl film. And if you want to surprise your guests effect 3D, then the budget will have to increase by two and a half times.

Our opinion:

- Choosing a glass apron with photo printing, check with the manufacturer, the type of glass it uses: Clear Float or Optiwhite. The first type of glass is most common because of its lower cost, but it has one drawback: bottle (green) color, which can distort color perception of your chosen pattern. The second type of glass goes further bleaching, so it is suitable for all images. But worth it, of course, more expensive.

Glass apron in the kitchen: everything you need to know about it

Another interesting option kitchen apron, which many people forget is the mirror panels . It's just a godsend for small kitchens. With the help of mirror panels can change the geometry of the kitchen, for example, to make a narrow room seem a little wider. And what is freedom for design of experiments: tinted mirror, antique mirror, mirror with a picture, a combination of mirror panels.

Glass apron in the kitchen: everything you need to know about it

Setting

There are three main ways to install glass apron: using the passage of fasteners (screws), hinged fasteners or liquid nails. The first method is particularly attractive because it requires no special training walls. Between the apron and the wall remains a gap of about four millimeters, that is, if you really lazy, you can even do not remove the old tiles and glass panels to mount on top of it. Disadvantage: fasteners, though covered with decorative caps, but remain visible. Hinged fasteners is an inconspicuous metal clips, which are inserted in the glass panels. This installation method is to choose apron, consisting of several parts, as it provides the most accurate docking elements. The easiest way at first sight mount the apron on liquid nails in practice it may be more complicated than you might expect. First, glue the apron can only be perfectly aligned walls, and secondly, it is important not to miss with docking panels.

Glass apron in the kitchen: everything you need to know about it

Tips for Choosing Kitchen apron made of glass

Glass panels for kitchen aprons are in the process of hardening, which gives them the necessary strength. Toughened glass can not be cut. Therefore, when ordering apron must specify its exact dimensions, as well as the number, size and location of holes for outlets and fasteners.

If you are obsessed with security or doing kitchen remodeling on a "once and for all," you may be interested in a special kind of glass for aprons - triplex. He is a kind of sandwich of two sheets of tempered glass, which is sealed between the drawing. This provides a method of making a double panel strength and protects the decorative image.

Note that the total estimated installation apron consists of gager services, prices of glass, preparing design layout, the value of its hardening and applying image processing ends, cutting holes (depending on quantity), the cost of the additional protective film and lighting (if any), delivery. Therefore, comparing the prices of producers or by sending a request for cost calculation, be sure to ask what kind of a set fee is included in this price.

Glass apron in the kitchen: everything you need to know about it