Installing a kitchen apron
Installing a kitchen apron is one of the important points in kitchen equipment.
What is a kitchen apron? This is the distance between floor and hanging drawers. It must be decorated so that the interior has a finished look.
The apron should carry several functions at once:
- Protective. The apron protects the wall from various negative influences. It should be easy to wash, be resistant to various chemicals, withstand changes in temperature and humidity.
- Aesthetic. This is a kind of decoration that can serve as an accent in the interior, as well as soften the bright colors of the kitchen and support the interior, connecting it together.
Kinds
The choice of material for the apron is very wide. Here are the main ones.
- Glass. This is a modern solution for arranging an apron. Here frosted, transparent or tinted glass is used. To create an unforgettable interior, you can place any photo images under glass and organize interesting lighting. Installation is easy, but there is one caveat. The wall must be perfectly flat, otherwise the glass may burst during installation. It is necessary to clean such an apron often, since all splashes, even from plain water, immediately become visible. Also, over time, scratches appear on it, and it will need to be changed.
Ceramic tile. High quality and durable material. It tolerates heat and humidity well, it is easy to clean, chemical and some abrasive substances can be used. The disadvantage is the complexity of the tiling process.
- Plastic. Such an apron is a budget option, but has a significant drawback. At temperatures above 80 it can deform. Therefore, when installing it in the area of \u200b\u200bthe stove, it is recommended to cover it with glass. There are several subspecies of plastic aprons.
Plastic lining. Its width is from 10 cm to 12.5 cm, the length of the panels is 3 m. Clapboard can be finished as soon as the apron itself, as well as the entire wall. Her colors are usually plain in light tones, beige, white, light green, blue, but you can also choose with different patterns: flowers or stains. Easy to clean, but with frequent cleaning, the paint can be washed off.
Plastic panels. Their length is up to 3 m, width 60 cm. Very often they imitate the coating of mosaics or brickwork. But there are panels with a floral print.
Sheets of ABS plastic. Dimensions 60x200 cm or 60x300 cm. Such foxes are decorated with photo printing, they look stylish and modern. Drawing on such panels can be selected from catalogs or made according to an individual project.4. MDF panels. By their properties, they are very similar to an apron made of ABS plastic.
- Mosaic. It looks rich, durable, but it is unlikely that you will be able to lay it yourself. It is better to order the installation of a mosaic apron to specialists.
- Brickwork or natural stone masonry. Due to the uneven coating, it is difficult to wash it. If there is no experience in laying such material, it is also better to entrust it to specialists.
You need to choose an apron based on your desires and the interior of the kitchen. It should not only be combined in style with it, but also complement it, making the picture of the kitchen complete.
Installation
Of course, the installation of an apron can be entrusted to specialists, but you can do it yourself, especially since it is not so difficult to install an apron made of tiles, plastic, glass and MDF.
Initially, you need to consider the placement of electrical outlets so that all wiring can be hidden in the wall with an apron. Almost everyone knows how to install a ceramic tile apron. The wall where the apron is to be installed is prepared by making special notches for more reliable adhesion, treated with a primer, and the wall is laid out using tile adhesive. The thickness of the adhesive should not exceed 6 mm, otherwise the tile will fall off. Also, do not apply to the entire surface at once, as it dries quickly and the tile will not stick.
At the end, when the glue finally sets, we overwrite the inter-tile space with a special compound. It can be either in the color of the tile or in contrast. If you choose the latter option, it will give an interesting and unusual look to your apron.
Now it is very popular to install an apron made of ABS plastic and MDF. Consider how to do it yourself.
The installation process is quite easy. It is performed as follows.
- The location of the apron is marked on the wall.
- On sheets of plastic or MDF, the required dimensions are marked and the necessary panels are cut out.
- Sheets are attached to the wall. They can either be glued or screwed to the wall with self-tapping screws.
- The joints are closed with special skirting boards so that such an apron looks more neat.
With the installation of a glass apron a little more difficult.
Initially, you need to perfectly align the wall, since at the slightest unevenness during fastening, the glass can burst. The corners, if the apron closes them, must be strictly 90. A tempered glass panel must be installed near the hob, this must be taken into account when ordering glass in the workshop. Be sure the glass must be with a polished edge. Its width should be equal to the distance from the countertop to the lower edge of the wall cabinets with an allowance of 5 mm. The length can reach 3 m, provided the glass thickness is 10 mm. Under it, you can stick photo wallpapers or apply photo printing on the glass itself, but in a mirror image. Keep in mind that if you are installing a tempered glass backsplash, all holes for screws and sockets will need to be made on it in advance, as it will not be possible to drill it after hardening.
