Kitchens and bathrooms are one of the most active and engaged spaces in your home. So, careful planning the design and composition of these spaces will help increase their efficiency, as well as functionality. If you’re not up for complex home improvement projects, you can still revamp your kitchen and bathroom without the hassle and hefty price tag that come with renovations. So, here’s a simple way to give your bathroom and kitchen a fancy touch with custom glass backsplash installation.
Why choose custom Glass Backsplash for your bathroom and kitchen?
Installing custom glass backsplash in the bathroom and kitchen is not just a question of aesthetics. Most glass backsplashes will cover the area between your cabinets and countertops; sometimes they could extend to the ceiling. The main reason why you would need a backsplash is very simple. So the kitchen, for instance, involves a lot of steam, grease, and grime building up over time. This can cause a great deal of damage to your walls. Not only that, but you will have to constantly scrub your walls to maintain a clean and polished kitchen.
On the other hand, your bathroom walls are regularly exposed to humidity and steam when you shower. And, if you don’t have proper ventilation, it could easily become a festering ground for mold. Installing custom glass backsplash in the bathroom and kitchen will protect walls from all the humidity and cooking splatter. In addition to that, glass is very easy to clean and requires very low maintenance. A simple swipe of a towel and liquid cleaner will leave the backsplash crystal clear, with zero streaks or residue.
Steps to install custom glass backsplash
- Get the right tools and materials
Before you venture into your DIY backsplash project, you need to make sure you have the necessary tools and materials. For installing custom glass backsplash in the bathroom or kitchen, you’ll need suction cups, a sanding tool, tile trowel, and gloves. As for the materials, you will need silicone, painter’s tape, and adhesive.
2.Prep your walls for installation
Before you start laying out the glass for the backsplash, it’s highly recommended that you sand the walls first. This will help flatten the wall and rough it up before applying the adhesive. The objective here is to create a smooth surface for optimal glass backsplash placement. If you have some visible lumps and bumps on the walls, it will translate into misaligned glass tiles. Since this surface serves as the foundation of your backsplash, you don’t want it crumbling because of chunky texture.
3.Apply adhesive
After determining the proper layout of your custom glass backsplash, you need to cover the edges with painter’s tape. This is mainly so that you don’t get any excess adhesive on the granite. For this step, use your tile trowel to spread the tile adhesive (mastic) evenly on the wall. Keep in mind that you should only use white adhesive since any other color will show through the glass. At a 45-degree angle, hold your trowel’s edge and use it to make creases in the mastic.
4.Place the glass
Before placing the glass, you need to knock the creases down so they’re not visible through the glass. Even after flattening, those ridges are necessary since they allow room for air so the tiles stick more efficiently. Now based on the shape you chose for your custom glass, get your suction cups and lift your sheets. The suction cups are mainly so that you don’t scratch the glass or get any fingertips on it. Carefully place the glass into the adhesive according to your previous layout. With your tile trowel, apply a bit of pressure into the glass to make sure it adheres to the mastic.
5.Apply silicone and seam sealing
Allow some time for the adhesive to cure before you move into the next step. When your glass backsplash is all set, you can apply the final sealant. You can either use silicone or grout for this process. In this context, the silicone or grout seals the glass sheets together for optimal water-tightness. If you’ve used grout, you will need a sponge and some clean water to clean the excess off.
After that, apply some painter’s tape to cover both sides of each seam. The final step is to seal all of the seams with some silicone. Accordingly, this allows room for the backsplash to safely expand when exposed to the heat. So thanks to the silicone, the glass sheets won’t collide with one another and crack.
How to keep it clean to ensure durability
After installing custom glass backsplash in the bathroom or kitchen, cleaning and maintenance shouldn’t be an issue. In fact, you’ll find the process a lot easier than if you had to clean your kitchen or bathroom walls. Get any cleaning agent designed for glass surfaces, spray it on the backsplash and wipe it with a clean cloth. Just like that, your backsplash will look as good as new with very little effort spent on your part.
If you’re worried about scratches ruining the overall design, you can get a specific polishing agent from any supermarket. Then when you apply the polish to your glass, it will instantly fill in any scratches and eliminate all blemishes.
