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Glass/Mirror Backsplash

Candyce Preston

13 years ago

I recently installed a mirror backsplash in the kitchen of a rental and loved it! The kitchen is small and has no windows and the mirror really opened it up and made it look bright. The renters also loved it and said it was very easy to keep clesn.

Here's the problem: just behind the stove there is a crack that runs up the mirror about 18 inches. (It looks like a cracked windshield.) I assumed that she had hit it with a pan but she swears that it just cracked from the heat. Can this be so?

I know that painted glass is a very popular backsplash and I'm thinking about using it in another apartment - but if glass and mirror will crack due to heat, I may have to rethink this. Also, I now have to replace the cracked mirror and thinking that I should use something other than mirror behing the stove. Would really appreciate your opinions and experience with glass and mirror backsplashes and any problems with cracks due to steam or heat. Thanks so much for your help.

Featured Answer

rookie_2010

13 years ago

Forgot the link....

Here is a link that might be useful: colorful plate glass backsplash

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Comments (8)

sabjimata
13 years ago
I believe you need to install tempered glass or a glass specifically fabricated for this application since thermal shock can be an issue.

Here is a link that might be useful: thermal shock info
rookie_2010
13 years ago
Another GWer, Montanamaven, painted her backsplash red and installed plate glass over it. It looks awesome, with the right type of glass, sounds like it might be something you would consider. Pictures of Montanamaven's kitchen are at the bottom of this thread:
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0500562828929.html?43
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Google "back painted glass" and your city and you should get some options. At least where I am (DC metro area) the prices varied wildly. All of my outlets are under cabinet, but i understand the glass folks simply cut out the outlets and polish the edges, just as the edges at the end of a counter run are polished to a smooth finish. My glass has little tiny notches cut out for the wire for the under cab plugs. Best of luck.
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Posted by budgeteer_s (My Page) on Wed, Dec 31, 08 at 18:18 Thanks for all your suggestions. I wanted so much to follow with ci_lantro's suggestion because then I'm done. I'll gladly let you snatch that paint brush out of my hand. ha ha. But at the same time if a little tiling will tie up the project, then I'm game. jodi_socal: I'm a little disappointed when you said fire and ice won't work. I just LOVE that F&I BS. But then agin, I think I know all along it's a little too much for my kitchen. Caryscott & petra: Thanks for the picture petra, it says a thousand words. Is spectralight glass tiles? Prices are pretty reasonable. What about that milk green color? will it work? maybe with some garnet pieces sparingly mixed in. I will take some pictures and post two HD Behr's paint card to aid in the discussion of color. Thanks again ALL! Correction: My tiles were Alfagres: Gema4x4: different from what caryscott posted: I loved what caryscott linked:
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plllog
13 years ago
I think metal behind the stove and glass for the rest would be nice. I've worked with glass, and can definitely see it cracking due to the heat. The heat expands the glass where it's hot and not where it isn't and the expansion has nowhere to go, so breaks the plane of the surface and cracks. Or something like that.

Do you have a separate panel over the stove? That might give enough expansion room. Or maybe do mirror tiles over the stove and sheet mirror elsewhere. Or something like that?

I have a mirror backsplash in my butler's pantry, but nothing much happens there...
riskaverse
13 years ago
I second the sheet of metal behind/over the stove. I think it would go well with the mirror and yet not crack. I can definitely see mirror cracking simply from the heat of the stove -- also check where the oven vents because heat can really focus there.
Diane Clayton
13 years ago
I have a painted wall with a plate glass back splash, but am putting stainless steel tiles in the small gap between my stove and the fan.
pharaoh
13 years ago
We used laminated glass for backsplash.
Candyce Preston
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks so much for all your replies. I plan to put some other material behind the stove and keep the mirror on each side. I'm thinking of either stainless steel sheet (like montanamavan)or SS tiles (the stove and venting microwave are both SS) or tempered painted glass (like pharaoh) or glass tiles.

I just started using this site and love it. I've spent hours looking at posting today! Still trying to get used to the format and learning how to post pictures.

Again - Thanks to everyone!
Candyce

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