The kitchen is the heart of the home. Thus, it makes sense to invest in its design and functionality. Recently, clear toughened glass backsplashes have become a core feature for hundreds of homes in the UK.
But what are the reasons behind this growing trend?
Let’s spend a few moments explaining what clear toughened glass is before running you through why it’s such a great choice for your home.
What is Clear Toughened Glass?
Sometimes called tempered glass, clear toughened glass is a type of safety glass that has been treated with heat or various chemicals to increase its strength compared to regular glass. The heat treatment involves exposing glass to extreme temperatures and then rapidly cooling it from the outside in.
However, despite the intense formulation process, the physical characteristics remain the same. If we could get inside toughened glass and have a look, we would see that after this process, the outer surface is under compression, and the interior is under tension.
These stresses work together to increase the strength and durability of the glass while also changing its nature so that it crumbles rather than shatters when broken.
What Are The Benefits of Using Clear Toughened Glass for Your Splashbacks?
Now that you have a better idea of what clear toughened glass is, let’s look at the benefits of having a backsplash made from this durable material and investigate the reasons for choosing a clear glass splashback for your kitchen.
Strength and Impact Resistance
Five times stronger than the same size and thickness of regular glass, it’s no coincidence tempered glass is called toughened and is classified as a type of safety glass! Due to its increased strength, toughened glass is much more resistant to impacts than regular glass.
Not only is it less prone to shattering, but it can also withstand more severe impacts than regular glass. Are you or any of your family members known for being clumsy? If you have a splashback made from clear toughened glass, you don’t need to worry quite as much since it will stand up to even the most heavy-handed of us.
And on the off chance it does break, toughened glass is less hazardous than regular glass to clean up. Typically when glass shatters, it forms large sharp-edged pieces that are likely to cut skin. By contrast, toughened glass is designed to break into small granular chunks that aren’t jagged or sharp, helping you avoid injury.
Versatility
We believe that your glass splashback should be designed to fit your kitchen, not the other way around. Our toughened glass backsplashes are custom made to fit your space, transforming your kitchen into something sleek and timeless that can withstand years of cooking dinners, baking cakes for birthdays, and entertaining guests.
Their versatility goes beyond their size and shape, however. Clear glass backsplashes are also incredibly easy to fit into your current or future kitchen styles. Other splashbacks options such as tiles usually only match a handful of cabinet or countertop styles.
One of our favourite things about our clear toughened glass backsplashes is the fact that they are so easy to incorporate into any kind of kitchen design. They look great whether you’re going for something super sleek and modern or you’ve decided to keep things understated and more old-fashioned.
Durability and Ease of Cleaning
Toughened glass is durable and less prone to breakage than regular glass. This type of glass ensures your homeware is safe to use and to work around. You can trust a toughened glass splashback to withstand all types of wear and tear. Its hard-wearing qualities have made it a firm favourite choice for kitchens across the UK.
In addition to its durability, its inherent waterproof properties make cleaning clear toughened glass a cinch! A quick wipe down of the nonporous surface with warm soapy water will have it gleaming and spotless in no time.
Heat Resistance
Toughened glass offers excellent heat resistance, meaning it is an excellent material for building kitchen splashbacks. It can withstand temperatures of up to 250 degrees (yes, we mean Celsius!), making it much safer in the event of a fire. In fact, it is often used for windows in schools, government buildings, and high-rise apartments.
Given it performs so well in windows subjected to fire, then you have peace of mind that it will comfortably deal with the heat that comes from cooking up a storm in your kitchen.
Are There Any Drawbacks to Choosing Clear Toughened Glass Splashbacks?
The one downside to a clear glass splashback is their price. Yes, splashbacks made from regular glass might be cheaper, but when you weigh in the benefits of toughened glass, many consider the price hike to be more than good value for money.
Remember, toughened glass is durable, stylish, resistant to heat and impacts, versatile, and can last in high-traffic kitchens for years without an issue. The fact that, if it happens to break, it’ll be safer for you to clean up just adds to our opinion that clear toughened glass is well worth the investment.
