Upstands help please

[Disneymadhouse]

Hi all, first post here, so apologies if this is in the wrong section!

So we have decided to fit a smeg glass splashback behind our free standing cooker when we re do the kitchen over Easter. We are now looking at the glass upstands as well. However we are wondering about how easy glass upstands are to cut? We do not own ( or are confident with!) a mitre saw. The other problem is that as well as having to cut them width wise, we have a gap of about 5cm between the bottom of the kitchen window sill and the worktop (only under the window - the rest could be left at the proper height), so would need to cut this as well. Is it easy to cut the height / depth of an upstand?

Thanks for any help.

Claire.

[Grumps]

Claire.

Cutting 'glass' (if indeed it is what you describe) is, I would suggest, beyond the capabilities of most, if not all, here.

I've 'cut' glass in the past, and even 'rounded off' edges but, what you are talking about is a specialised technique.

It's not going to be cheap and, Glass Upstands! I think you'll regret it. It will never look 'smear free' and you will be forever cleaning it. I wouldn't even entertain a glass splashback above a cooker. Tiles are perfectly adequate and can be left a few days/weeks before a 'wipe over'. Although SWMBO might be doing otherwise unseen by myself.

The other issue to consider is the quality of the plastering. Particularly the transition from the plain wall to the bottom of the window cill. Have you actually put a 'straight edge' across the transition points and considered how variations could affect the overall finish.

Sorry to appear to be on a 'downer' but, at the end of the day, I think it is a 'naff' idea.

[apcbob]

I've done this on a recent budget kitchen refit in one of my rental properties that my daughter was moving in to.
For trimming to length I used a metal glass & tile scribe (not a wheel type) with a metal ruler. Scored it a couple of times then a sharp tap with the palm of my hand on the offcut and it's done.
For cutting the full length down to 7cm height to fit below a window, I used an electric tile cutter,and it did a great job.
Got the glass upstands and splash back from a company called Premier Range.
The upstands are around £10 each and are 100cm long and 14cm high.
Went for plain gloss black.
Looks great.

[apcbob]

Small budget kitchen refit, obviously not finished at the time I took the photos. Daughter been living there a few weeks now and loves the glass upstands, and finds it all easy to keep clean.

[Russkirk77]

Glass is tricky..I have not cut normal glass but I always come across glass tiles. They are a nightmare and always expensive if you mess up..I wouldn't go near a glass up stand even after years of cutting and scoring!

[Disneymadhouse]

Thanks for all your help.

apcbob - your kitchen looks great!

Mmm, may have to go back to the original idea of tiles then! We are not exactly experienced DIY ers! I do joke with my husband that Frank Spencer comes to mind.........

Thanks again

Claire

[herds]

Small budget kitchen refit, obviously not finished at the time I took the photos. Daughter been living there a few weeks now and loves the glass upstands, and finds it all easy to keep clean.

That looks great. I was quoted £320 for toughened ones from a glazing company but worked out that for what I need, i'll only need 5 lengths and a splashback which comes to £126.

Not sure what the glazers will charge for cutting if I take it to them.

[herds]

I've done this on a recent budget kitchen refit in one of my rental properties that my daughter was moving in to.
For trimming to length I used a metal glass & tile scribe (not a wheel type) with a metal ruler. Scored it a couple of times then a sharp tap with the palm of my hand on the offcut and it's done.
For cutting the full length down to 7cm height to fit below a window, I used an electric tile cutter,and it did a great job.
Got the glass upstands and splash back from a company called Premier Range.
The upstands are around £10 each and are 100cm long and 14cm high.
Went for plain gloss black.
Looks great.

Great tips.

I might give this a try myself in that case. I was going to get the glazing company to do the cuts but I think i'd prefer to do it myself so I can get the measurements right in place. The 140mm height is fine, its just the lengths i'll tackle (thankfully).



Questions:
1) For the corners, black silicone?

2)Something like this?:
http://www.toolstation.com/shop/Hand+To ... 150/p46004

3) Adhesive, what did you use? I see some people saying you must use a specific type otherwise it will bleed through over time.

[herds]

Thanks for all your help.

apcbob - your kitchen looks great!

Mmm, may have to go back to the original idea of tiles then! We are not exactly experienced DIY ers! I do joke with my husband that Frank Spencer comes to mind.........

Thanks again

Claire

I suppose you could order the pieces and then take it to a glazers to cut if you're in doubt.

[herds]

Spotted this Vid, makes it looks easy and the size is upstand height...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1bRi8ygZWE

[Job and Knock]

Isn't there a safety requirement to use either toughened or laminated glass for upstands? If you just use plain glass and something hard gets knocked against it there is always the possibility that it will crack or break. That's why galziers offer toughened or laminated glass for splashbacks. Of course, toughened glass can't be cut to size once it has been toughened (you size it first, then toughen it), whilst laminated glass can be cut, but it requires a different technique to plain glass. Once any glass has been cut it is highly desireable to at least "safe edge" it using either a diamond hone or blue zirconium abrasives, although again a proper edge polishing job always looks and performs better. My point of view on this is from a commercial standpoint - on the sorts of buildings I work in I'd be in serious trouble with the insurers, etc if I installed plain glass as splashbacks - no matter how good it looked

[herds]

Isn't there a safety requirement to use either toughened or laminated glass for upstands? If you just use plain glass and something hard gets knocked against it there is always the possibility that it will crack or break. That's why galziers offer toughened or laminated glass for splashbacks. Of course, toughened glass can't be cut to size once it has been toughened (you size it first, then toughen it), whilst laminated glass can be cut, but it requires a different technique to plain glass. Once any glass has been cut it is highly desireable to at least "safe edge" it using either a diamond hone or blue zirconium abrasives, although again a proper edge polishing job always looks and performs better. My point of view on this is from a commercial standpoint - on the sorts of buildings I work in I'd be in serious trouble with the insurers, etc if I installed plain glass as splashbacks - no matter how good it looked

You're right, in fact, I couldn't even find a splashback that wasn't toughened.

The upstands you can by and cut are thick glass, I wouldn't recommend them for a rental etc but otherwise against a solid wall they're tough enough and fixed with adhesive I cant see the shards going far.. i hope :D

So what I have is a toughened splashback and regular glass upstands like in the pictures above.

[herds]

Update.

My order arrived from premier range, all packaged well and came in a couple days.

In preparation for attempting the cutting myself I bought a scriber from toolstation for a couple quid.

The upstand glass is as thick as the toughened glass at 6mm. The upstands feel very very strong.

Cutting

I used a slightly different method to apcbob, I used a square and used spring clamps to hold the glass in position, I think a square is a better tool for this as you can be sure you're getting a straight cut. I found that after around 15-20 firm passes of the scriber was enough, then position the glass at the end of the bench you're working on and give it a firm push just past the cut and it should snap cleanly.


Putting on wall

Pop a couple tiles spaces on the work surface against the wall and if its butting against a cabinet one there as well,
offer the cut piece to the wall and check see if it rests plumb.. if not then remember where where and then apply more less silicone in that area..
apply silicone (they say you must use there silicone which I purchased to be safe but a mirror adhesive will be ok i'm sure)
press onto wall.




That's about it really, i still have to do a bit around the boiler but overall I am very impressed, 5 metres and a splashback and their adhesive for under 100 quid (i caught there sale) which was a few hundered cheaper than 2 glazing companies quoted, in total will take around 2-3 hours to fit in a kitchen of that size and anyone can do it so saves on tiles, adhesive, mess and a day or 2 for a tiler... i can see why tilers aren't a fan of upstands now.


The only downside I really see is that the lengths are only 1m so you will have a seem if you have a wall that requires a length greater than 1m/1000mm, its not really a show stopper and as with most kitchens you could just put the kettle or sugar jar in front of it if it really bothered you.

[speed]

ive always made mdf templates and dropped them off at the glaziers to be made/coloured/toughthened

last job i saved £340 doing the template myself