Choosing a decorative apron for the kitchen made of plastic
The kitchen apron is a specific area. This small area should not only be a beautiful accent in the interior of the room, but also serve as protection against splashes of grease and boiling water. The choice of material for a kitchen apron must be approached thoroughly. There are a lot of different types of finishes, but the plastic kitchen apron is considered the most inexpensive and easy to install. In terms of reliability, it is also not inferior to other types of aprons.
The advantages of a plastic apron
- Moisture resistant. Such an apron can be safely used near the sink, deformation does not threaten it.
- Any pattern can be applied to the plastic surface. It can be bright and muted, matte and glossy. This allows you to choose an apron made of plastic for a kitchen of any design.
- Installation is so simple that it can be done independently, without the help of expensive specialists.
- To make the room surprise guests with its originality, you can order an apron for the kitchen made of plastic with photo printing. Modern technologies make it possible to transfer any photo to plastic, while maintaining the clarity of forms and natural colors.
- High thermal stability. Such material will not suffer from hot air above the stove.
- The plastic surface is easy to care for. It is perfectly cleaned with traditional detergents.
- This material can be used on lightweight plasterboard structures, it is lightweight and does not overload the wall.
- The low price of a plastic apron makes it possible to transform the kitchen for quite a bit of money.
Characteristics of different types of plastic for a kitchen apron
Decorative plastic panels can have a different composition and parameters. When choosing the best option, you need to take into account some characteristics of their varieties.
PVC panels
These are separate small elements, from 10 to 50 cm wide, which are attached to the wall tightly to each other. Installation of such an apron should be trusted only by qualified craftsmen. Self-installation can lead to the formation of cracks, and this is highly undesirable, because water and dirt can get into them.
Sheet plastic
This type of material for a kitchen apron is much more practical than the previous one. Sheets of plastic are large enough to be cut into a single piece of any size.
carbonate glass
This is also one of the types of plastic. In terms of strength and resistance to wear, it is not inferior to metal. It is very difficult to make a scratch on it, it is also almost impossible to break or split it. Due to its high heat resistance, it can be used over the stove, near the microwave or bread maker.
Advice: If food is cooked daily in your kitchen and the wall above the countertop is constantly exposed to steam and water, choose a backsplash made of all-sheet plastic or carbonate glass.
Important! Despite the high heat resistance of the material, it is better not to experiment with direct fire or boiling water on the plastic panel and install the stove with a hinged lid.
When buying or ordering plastic for an apron, you need to consider several important nuances:
- The sheet dimensions should be slightly larger on each side so that the edges of the panel can be hidden behind cabinets and countertops.
- If the plastic will be located in close proximity to the stove or hob, then when buying, you need to make sure that the material is thermally stable and ask the seller for a document confirming fire safety.
- In large spacious kitchens, large drawings on a dark background will look very impressive, and for small rooms, a small repeating ornament of delicate shades is more suitable. The "wood-like" pattern will fit equally well into the interior of both small and large kitchens, and plain panels are generally a universal option. A well-chosen pattern can expand the space or visually "raise" the ceiling. Family photos transferred to plastic look very nice. Also, various design models with different textures are now considered very fashionable: imitation of brick, wood, metal, ceramics, etc. In order to emphasize and protect the wall with an already applied finish, you can install a transparent plastic kitchen apron.
Advice: To prevent moisture from the countertop from flowing under the panel, it is advisable to install a special protective border for the joints.
Photo of some types of plastic aprons
This model very well balanced the saturation of the color of the lower cabinets and the whiteness of the upper ones.
An example for large kitchens.
Bright accent.
Against the background of a plain apron, kitchen accessories will look very good.
Such an apron, of course, whets the appetite.
Black and white photos on a kitchen apron look unusually stylish.
And the colors enliven the monochrome furniture.
Installing a plastic apron for the kitchen
If you purchased a large sheet of plastic, it must be cut to the required size. This can be done with a fine-toothed hacksaw or a sharp knife. If you need a perfectly even cut, then a nichrome wire or a laser knife is used. At home, not everyone has such equipment, so you can contact the workshop for cutting sheet materials.
It happens that an apron can only be made from a few pieces of plastic. In this case, the seams must be vertical.
You can paste over plastic with a decorative film with your own hands, but without certain skills there is a risk of getting a "bubble" surface. To make the panel beautiful and perfectly glued, it is better to leave this task to specialists. And the most ideal option is to order a ready-made apron with the desired pattern and suitable parameters.
You can fix the apron to the wall in one of several ways:
- Attach with screws to the wall. To do this, you need to pre-drill holes in the wall and in the plastic. The prepared panel is applied to the wall and self-tapping screws are screwed into the holes. To improve the aesthetic appearance of the apron, you will need to disguise the caps of the fasteners. Important! It is impossible to drill two surfaces at the same time, since dust from the wall will fall on the inner surface of the panel. This does not look very aesthetically pleasing, especially if the panel is transparent.
- Screw with screws or glue to the frame. If the walls in the room are not very even, this will be the most optimal solution. The panel will not warp and deform. In addition, it will be possible to lay LED lighting under the panel - the view will be very spectacular, the apron will immediately turn into a work of art. The frame is made of wooden slats or a metal profile. In the case of self-tapping screws, you will also have to somehow mask their hats.
- Stick to the wall. The plastic panel must be prepared in advance by cleaning the inner surface of dust. Technologically, everything is very simple: glue is applied to the plastic and the panel is pressed tightly against the wall. The good thing is that no fasteners are visible, but if the apron needs to be dismantled, then it will not be possible to keep it intact.
Installing a kitchen apron from MDF (video)
Using a plastic apron for the kitchen gives more opportunities for self-expression of the owners of the house. It is inexpensive, easy to care for and immune to damage.
In addition, ease of cutting and installation allows you to periodically change aprons depending on preferences and mood. No other material can reproduce such vivid colors and make accurate photocopies.
