Remodeling with a Glass Backsplash

Remodeling with a Glass Backsplash

If you’re remodeling your kitchen, laundry room, or even your master bath, you should consider using a glass backsplash as an alternative to a tile backsplash. There are several advantages to a glass backsplash that can’t be achieved with any other kind.

What Is a Glass Backsplash?

A high-quality glass backsplash is a series of solid sheets of glass that are custom cut to fit your project’s backsplash area. Many glass backsplashes are “back-painted,” or coated with the paint color of your choice. Others can be in patterned, tinted, clear, or frosted glass. The right glass backsplash creates a high shine, nearly seamless plane for your surface areas, in a modern look that is favored highly in Europe and by design leaders all over the world.

What are the Benefits of a Glass Backsplash?

• Modern Look – With few or no grout lines, a glass backsplash presents a modern, stylish expanse of clean surface lines.
• Hygienic - Glass is a non-porous product, so it doesn’t hold the bacteria and mold like tile and other porous surfaces. This is especially true of backsplashes with grout, which has a rough surface that attracts stain.
• Easy to Clean – Glass is one of the simplest surfaces to keep looking brand new. Just wipe down with a glass cleaner or even a homemade cleaning solution of vinegar to keep your glass surface shiny.
• Customizable – From the colors to the type of glass, you can customize a glass backsplash to meet your needs. Many glass fabricators will use popular paint color libraries from leading paint manufacturers so you can match other surfaces in your home. Glass is also easy to cut to just the right size, including cutouts for outlets.

How to Choose a Glass Backsplash

Choose a glass manufacturer that deals in high-quality glass and fabricates the glass themselves (this ensures you’ll get a high-quality end product). It’s generally a good idea if you have a representative from the glass company come out and double-check your measurements (especially for pesky details like cutouts). And while this is a project that an advanced DIYer can do, if you’re not confident about your DIY skills, consider finding a glass company that also has expert installers who can put the backsplash in for you.

If you’re thinking about upgrading your kitchen, laundry room, or even master bathroom, glass backsplash might be the way to go. We’ve all likely seen this type of glass in remodeling magazines, or even when we’ve walked through a custom model home. The reason why is simple - glass backsplash can provide any home with a warm, majestic glow that you simply can’t find with other types of glass.

Purchasing Glass Tile for Backsplash DIY Projects - What to Know

As with most types of glass, backsplashes provide many different patterns, shapes, and designs. Their colors will vary greatly as well. Before you settle on what appears to be a quality deal at a regular store, make sure that you scour the internet for a better deal. The last thing you want to do is install your glass backsplash only to realize that the type you actually wanted was available for half the price online. Here are some buying tips to keep in mind:

• Shop in more than one online store. Don’t just rely on catalogs as their options can be limited depending on what you’re shopping for.
• Purchase a single tile and see how it looks against the different fixtures in your home. You don’t want to purchase the backsplash in bulk only to conclude that it really isn’t the color or size that you wanted.
• Remember that the whole backsplash doesn’t need to be made from glass. One DIY tip that some experts recommend is interlacing your glass backsplash with regular ceramic.
• There are two primary types of backsplashes to choose from: non-mounted glass tiles and mounted ones. In the following sections, we’ll talk more about what they are.

Mounted Glass Backsplash Tiles

These will typically come pre-mounted on a piece of mesh. The purpose of this is to provide the unit with a consistent look. If you’re taking a DIY approach, mounted glass backsplash tiles are usually much easier to work with than non-mounted units.

Non-Mounted Glass Backsplash Tiles

As a general rule of thumb, any backsplash tiles that are stained aren’t going to come with a piece of mesh baking like mounted units have. It’s important to note that these take much more time to install, so make sure that you plan ahead accordingly. The good thing about non-mounted backsplash tiles is that can provide you with much more creative flexibility when installing them in your home.

Tools Needed for Installation

If you’re going to be taking the DIY approach, it’s important that that you acquire the right tools beforehand. Some of the major things that you’ll need include a mixing trowel, tile spacers, a v-notched trowel, a wet tile saw, and a water bucket (with a sponge). For the mixing trowel, make sure that you purchase a separate bucket. A grout flat will also be used to help you spread the grout. There are many different ways to install glass backsplash, so make sure that you’re using the proper resources for guiding you through the DIY process.


Author Bio:
Ricky Ahuja is a Glass Backsplash Expert at www.dullesglassandmirror.com an innovative manufacturer of glass table tops, glass shelves, and all other glass and mirror products. Follow Dulles Glass and Mirror on Pinterest or on YouTube to see how they’re changing the way glass products are manufactured, customized and delivered.