Made-to-measure clear glass splashback

A clear splashback suits any room where a wall needs to be protected without being hidden:

• Behind the sink and worktop: it protects paint or plaster from splashes of water and grease along the whole length of the kitchen.
• As a clear cooker hood splashback, behind the hob: 6 mm toughened glass withstands the heat of all types of hob and lets the paint or tiles on the wall show through. See also our back-painted glass cooker hood splashbacks.
• In front of a feature wall: brick, stone, wood, wallpaper or old tiles that you want to keep visible.
• In the bathroom, around the washbasin or bath, and in the utility room, to guard against splashes.
• As wall protection behind a desk or a piece of furniture or in a hallway, against rubbing and fingerprints.

Translucent frosted glass is suitable when the wall should be softened rather than shown; grey or bronze tinted glass gives a contemporary smoked effect.

The price of a clear splashback depends on its surface area, the glass and the thickness, and then on the edgework. As a guide, toughened glass per m² starts at:

• 6 mm clear glass: from 61.40 €/m²
• 6 mm low-iron glass: from 81.30 €/m²
• 6 mm clear frosted glass: from 115.70 €/m²

Depending on your project, the following are added: the shape (L-shaped, U-shaped, arched), rounded corners, each fixing hole, socket cut-outs and notches. The configurator calculates the exact price as you make your choices.

Compared with tiles, a glass splashback is fitted without grout or masonry work, in a few hours, and can even be fixed over existing flat tiles: the cost of fitting and removal is greatly reduced. To optimise your budget, keep to a rectangular shape, limit the splashback to the area that is actually exposed (sink and hob) and choose clear glass if the wall is dark, low-iron glass if the wall is white or light.

Toughened glass undergoes a heat treatment that makes it around five times more resistant than ordinary glass to impacts and temperature differences (around 200 °C). If it breaks, it shatters into small, blunt pieces: it is a safety glass, manufactured to standard EN 12150.

• Heat: 6 mm minimum behind a hob; with gas, keep at least 10 cm between the flame and the glass, ideally 12 to 15 cm.
• Moisture and stains: glass is non-porous and waterproof and does not hold grease or mould; the wall behind stays sound.
• Hygiene: a smooth, joint-free surface that can be cleaned with a microfibre cloth and a non-abrasive product.
• Edges: flat polished, not sharp, before toughening.

A clear splashback is not bonded: the adhesive would be visible through the glass. It is fixed mechanically, with holes and fixing screws with decorative caps, or on a rail along the bottom. Position the holes in the configurator: it automatically checks the minimum distances from the edges and between holes required for toughening. The holes are made in the workshop, before toughening; no drilling is possible after delivery.

For a successful installation: allow a 2 to 3 mm gap between the splashback and the worktop, then fill it with clear silicone sealant, and check that the wall is flat. Beyond 2.90 m in length, the splashback is made in several panels, butted together with a fine joint.

Standard clear glass has a slight green tint, visible on the edge and in front of a white wall. Low-iron glass, almost colourless, is the ideal choice for a truly invisible splashback. Frosted glass gives a satin look that hides imperfections in the wall and water marks. Grey, bronze or dark grey tinted glass creates an elegant smoked effect.

Fancy a solid colour? Discover the back-painted glass splashback, in every RAL, NCS and Pantone colour, or compare the two solutions on our clear or back-painted splashback page.