How Practical Are Glass Splashbacks For Kitchens?

There has been a great deal of interest recently in glass splashbacks for kitchens, particularly with certain popular daytime television shows highlighting their outstanding style and visual appeal. Certainly through the use of a television camera it’s clear to see the advantages, and many people have expressed interest in having glass splashbacks in their own kitchen. But although the visual appeal is undeniable, one of the real concerns many people have relates to their durability. After all, glass splashbacks are made of glass – aren’t they?

Many people tend to assume that glass is delicate and fragile, and only suitable for windows, and even then, should be treated cautiously, as though they might crack or implode at a moment’s notice. The fact that these are the same people who quite happily sit with their faces just inches away from a very thin sheet of glass whilst travelling along the motorway at 70 miles an hour just shows how easily people can fervently believe one thing whilst failing entirely to put their beliefs into consistent practice.

Further evidence for this is the fact that on almost any of the popular daytime television shows which feature renowned chefs, the food is almost always prepared on glass chopping board. With the rapid fury of chopping and crushing, as well as the undeniable razor sharp edge on the professional knives being used, to say nothing of the acids, steam, boiling pans, heavy pots and other ‘dangers’ occurring in the vicinity of the glass chopping boards, it’s clear that glass is certainly not necessarily fragile.

The truth is that toughened glass is, as the name really ought to suggest, tough. It’s virtually scratch resistant, shatter proof and cut proof, and offers a clean, smooth surface which is easily cleaned and provides outstanding style and brightness in any kitchen. Glass reflects and refracts light, rather than traditional kitchen worktop or splashback surfaces which absorb most of the light. Having glass splashbacks is a great way of making the most of any light, creating a beautiful look which makes the whole room seem lighter, brighter and more spacious.

But glass doesn’t have to be colourless or even transparent. Having coloured glass, or even transparent glass with a coloured backing, creates an incredible fiesta of light that immediately transforms the ordinary into an extraordinary sight. One of the quickest and most effective ways in which anyone can simply transform the look of their kitchen is by fitting glass splashbacks. But then if you’ve seen pictures or you’ve seen home development and decoration programs on television feature glass splashbacks for kitchens you’ll know all this. The real question is just how deep beneath the skin is the beauty of glass splashbacks?

The answer is – all the way through, because glass offers many benefits beyond merely being stunning to look at and highly durable. Because unlike with any other material used in kitchens, glass splashbacks offer nowhere for bacteria to hide. Whether you’re looking at peeling wood veneer, chipped stone or the natural crevices in porous materials such as granite, bacteria have no end of places to breed. Even tiles used for splashbacks can provide a wealth of surfaces for bacteria to breed, from edges, corners and across the whole of the grouted areas.