Lucite International have developed a range of non reflective Perspex® finishes, These non Gloss finishes are being used for new applications every day. I used Platinum colour "metallic" non reflective Perspex® Silk for the splash back in the last house that I renovated.

The advantages of Perspex® are that a splash back can be made in one piece with no joints, it looks great and is hygienic and is easy to clean.

The Perspex® was not used behind the cooker as the heat would distort or even set it on fire, Stainless steel was used behind the cooker. Remember measure twice cut once! It is important to make sure that the cupboards are fitted squarely, then the splash back is easy to fit.

For the Kitchen Plinth I used the gloss side of the Platinum non reflective Perspex® Silk, this looks fantastic but is difficult to photograph.

• Cutting Acrylic sheet is a delicate operation, use the incorrect blade or saw and it will crack with ease, great care must also be taken when drilling as this too can cause it to crack! When cutting a splash back it is important to take extremely accurate measurements! Although gaps around the edges can be sealed with sealant!
• Measure the exact size of Perspex® sheet that you require, make sure you leave a 5mm gap at the top of the splash back, below the wall cupboard (this will not be seen as the pelmet will obscure it) and leave a 5mm gap at one side (preferably next to the wall). Where the splash back is near an oven it is best to butt it up to a sheet of stainless steel or similar, Perspex® is not suitable for use behind a cooker as it will distort or even catch fire!
• Cut the sheet to the exact size and take your time as if it breaks you have wasted the sheet!
• Offer the cut piece to the wall and check it fits!

 

• Measure the position of the socket back box, this is smaller than the actual socket itself as the socket is normally larger than the back box.
• Being extremely careful drill a hole on the inside of the sheet which is just inside the cut line for the socket, this is so that you can use a jig saw to cut out the shape of the socket, it is best to practice this first on a piece of scrap!
• Cut out the holes for the sockets and offer the sheet to the wall to check it is correct, when you are happy fix it to the wall using a good quality panel adhesive, you will need to isolate the Power supply and remove the sockets. After fixing with adhesive put the sockets back on as the screws will help hold the splash back in place until the adhesive has set.