Two of the most frequently asked questions we get at Cut Plastic Sheeting are “how easy is it to fit an acrylic kitchen splashback?” and “how do I install an acrylic splashback in my kitchen?”. The answer is simple: fitting one of our cut-to-size plastic kitchen splashbacks is an incredibly straightforward process, especially if you have this handy DIY guide on hand to help lead you through.
Obviously, you’re aware of the benefits of an acrylic kitchen splashback and are eager to get started, but before you begin we’d strongly recommend that you get in contact with a member of our technical team to discuss your requirements. Though not strictly necessary, we can help you in a number of different ways, including giving you advice on how best to measure your kitchen. We can also provide you with technical PDF sheets to help you throughout the whole process, and given enough information we can even pre-cut holes for sockets and other similar areas.
Before placing your order we recommend you request a small sample piece that you can try your chosen adhesive on. This is because depending on the colour of the splashback and of your wall the adhesive may be visible and the glue will show through the panel, so running a quick test will undoubtedly be worth it. We offer a clear adhesive and a white adhesive on our site, both of which are ideal for fixing opaque acrylic splashbacks to walls, but, depending on how light the colour of the material is, screwing it into place would be the better option.
You can install your new acrylic kitchen splashback from the moment it arrives, but before you get carried away try holding the splashback up to your kitchen wall and make sure it fits well. If it is a little too big, do not worry. Acrylic is an extremely durable material and it is not difficult to remove a little bit of the material using sandpaper in order to make it fit.
To sand down the material properly start by using 180 grit paper, then 320 grit, and finally 600 grit sandpaper.
Acrylic is also a very easy material to saw and cut, so if you need to take off more than a couple of millimetres you can always bring it to the size you want with a fine-tooth saw or hacksaw. If you need help with this feel free to contact us or read our user guide on how to machine acrylic.
Ideally, your cut-to-size splashback will be delivered at the right size, but to ensure this please make sure you double-check all your measurements before placing your final order. Irrelevant of whether you have to cut the material yourself or not, make sure you leave the protective film on until all the work has been done and it is installed.
If you’re going to glue your acrylic splashback to your kitchen wall make sure that you are happy with everything before doing so, as any adhesive suitable for this kind of job will be permanent. You will be able to adjust the splashback and get it into place while the glue is still wet but the second it is dry you are stuck with it how it is.
To get the best possible results when using an adhesive, please ensure that the acrylic panels and the wall are dry prior to being fixed. It is also advised that you do not apply the adhesive close to the outside edge of the acrylic panels, because it will ooze outwards when pressed against the wall. 10mm ought to be enough to guarantee that this does not happen.
If you are going to attach your splashback to a wall using screws you will need to drill holes into the material first (unless we have already done so for you). Drilling acrylic sheets is not a difficult task, but if you are hesitant to do it without guidance we have a simple 8 step guide on how to drill acrylic on our website. Once the holes are drilled the process is no different to if you were screwing anything else into a wall. Make sure that you have the holes on the sheet lined up with those you have planned for the wall, and check that you will not be drilling into a pipe, cables or anything like that.
For a more in-depth look at how to install cut-to-size acrylic kitchen splashbacks yourself, or if you’d like to do the entire process(cutting and all) yourself, we have a comprehensive installation – how to actually go about installing acrylic. This guide can be used for fixing any acrylic sheet to any possible substrate, not just installing acrylic splashbacks to a kitchen wall
For more information on Acrylic, Perspex, MDF, Dibond and Polycarbonate please visit our Guide and Blog sections of the website.
Cut Plastic Sheeting are based on the south Coast in Ivybridge, Devon UK. We have a full manufacturing facility which enables us to offer Cut To Size Acrylic as well as Cut To Size MDF. Shop our full range of products, including our Clear Acrylic, coloured acrylic and more recent MDF Wood Sheet ranges.
Our Team are always here to help with any enquiry, please send us an email or for more urgent needs give us a call – Contact Us
