As mentioned previously in this project, unless the manufacturer states that the acrylic you are using is safe to use behind a cooker or stove, it’s probably not worth putting it behind your cooker rings as over time, the heat will damage it and cause it melt or even catch fire! If measured by the manufacturer, all measurements should be taken accurately by someone with the experience necessary to ensure they are correct When using wet and dry paper, this will need to be done in several stages using several different grades of paper: Many people believe toughened glass is made in the same manner as normal glass and then any work that is needed such as cutting holes etc…. is carried out on the toughened glass. This is not true. All glass work is done to ordinary glass (be it laminated, plate, georgian glass etc….) and then the glass is toughened afterwards. Before installation, ensure that your walls are clean and dust-free - and you have filled any holes - the flatter the surface, the easier you will find the installation. Warm, soapy water is perfect for cleaning both your wall and the plastic itself.

If you are purchasing from a supplier then its well worth having one of their reps come out and measure up for you. This may cost a little extra but they will be very experienced in this job and if there are any discrepancies in the measurements then it will be up to them to correct where as if you supply your own plans and measurements then any mistakes will be down to you. Make sure the wall is nice and flat. When the silicone is applied you can always apply more to lift an uneven side that’s a bit lower but you wouldn’t want to be doing this more than necessary.

Before you begin, you’ll need to prepare your walls properly. Any previous tiles, wallpaper or wall coverings must be removed, and any large areas with blown plaster must be repaired first. The edges of the sheeting should be fixed in place in the joint using bonding adhesive and the joint itself can be fixed to the walls surface using the tape mentioned above. Repairing Scratches in Acrylic

Once the surface has been prepared and all loose material removed give it a good wipe over with a suitable cleaning agent to remove any dust or grease. Measure the total width and height of acrylic needed and then mark it on your plan (remember to leave 1mm or so top and bottom). Where it needs to cut in round any cupboards or other items, measure this also, again leaving a slight gap for movement. With all of the above in mind, find a nice clear, flat area that you can cut your acrylic in. As stated, make sure that you take your time, measure twice and cut once, don’t let the acrylic overhead when cutting and reduce any and all vibrations as much as possible. If your walls are particularly uneven, it may be worth re-plastering first. A few dips won’t cause much of a problem, but like tiling, a level base makes a big difference to the finish. 2. Clean and Seal the Walls

If you have to join two separate lengths of acrylic, you have two options. The first is to butt the two pieces of acrylic together, and providing you’ve cut two perfect edges, they should meet up against one another to provide a seamless finish. If cut correctly, you shouldn’t even notice the join. If you have made any cuts you might now notice that the cut edges are a little rough so we will need to now sort these out. If purchasing your own, you will need some with internal threads in the head. This will then allow you to screw in a ″finishing cover″. These types of screw are often called mirror screws. See our project on types of screws for more information.

The toughened glass is tempered at 700 degrees centigrade to ensure it is strengthened to the very highest level – this process also means it will shatter if dropped rather than break into pieces - tough and safe.

Measuring for Size of Splashback Needed

Try to clean off any splashes as soon as you can. The longer you leave that curry or beans, the harder your job will be. The condition of the surface of the wall you are fixing to is of paramount importance! You will need to make sure that any and all wallpaper is removed, any flaking paint is scraped off and sanded down and that the surface itself is flat.

If you find that there are extreme dips over large sections of the surface (more than 6mm in depth) it is propably worth considering getting the entire surface re-plastered ( more information can be found in our plastering projects section). Clean and Seal the WallApply the adhesive to the rear of the glass in dollops. Each dollop will need to be roughly 20 – 30mm in size and they will need to be spaced about 80mm apart. Also ensure that the dollops around the edge of the glass are set in about 40mm as when it is pushed against the wall these will spread out and you don’t want them spilling out from around the edges.