Skinali for the kitchen: pros, cons, selection criteria

Among all the options for finishing the kitchen apron, the skins stand out especially. Someone is simply delighted with this idea, someone considers this method of decorating a wall in a work area unacceptable. Our site of advice decided to figure out what it is that skinned, what are their pros and cons, how to make a choice.

From English “skin” translates as “sheathing”, which accurately characterizes the entire process of finishing the kitchen apron. It is a decorative glass panel, exactly the size of the wall section between the top row of kitchen cabinets and the worktop. Some experts say that they have skipped all panels – made of PVC, MDF, metal, and so on. This is true, because we will also talk about wall cladding. However, most often, skins for the kitchen are understood as large-format glass panels. Let’s focus on them.

The advantages of glass panels on a kitchen backsplash are obvious:

• They are not afraid of high temperatures, they will not change their appearance even directly above the hob or stove;
• They are not afraid of moisture, including hot water;
• The service life of tempered glass panels is unlimited! They are five times stronger than ordinary glass, you can not be afraid that you will break the kitchen apron, accidentally hitting with a knife or breaking a plate;
• The material is absolutely safe for humans;
• There are no seams in which fungus and mold can start;
• It is easy to take care of, glass simply does not absorb grease and dirt, it calmly tolerates wet cleaning with special non-abrasive agents against greasy deposits;
• Huge selection of decorative techniques. You can apply any drawing thanks to photo printing, the kitchen turns out to be bright and original. Skinali are often made to individual customer requirements, so you can choose any image, even family photos;
• Installing such a kitchen apron quickly – a couple of hours, a minimum of dirt and you have an updated look of the kitchen.

There are also cons for a kitchen apron:

• It is very difficult to make holes for sockets in tempered glass, and there are usually a lot of them in the working area of ​​the kitchen;
• The surface for gluing the skinny must be perfectly smooth, very careful alignment is required. Yes, the portal wrote that the glass panel can be mounted without removing the old tiles. However, in this case we are talking about fastening with screws. In addition, the glass must be opaque. If skinned is attached to mounting glue, irregularities are unacceptable!
• Price. Will be high enough.

By the way, more details about the cost. A square meter of unclarified tempered glass for a kitchen apron will cost an average of 3900 rubles, the same tempered, but clarified, that is, without the standard “bottle” shade – 5500 rubles. One hole for an outlet – 500 rubles, installation – 2500 rubles, regardless of size. So the price of an area of ​​4 square meters with installation and three outlets will cost you at least 20 thousand rubles. Expensive. But, again, beautiful and durable.

Important! If you want to save money, choose skins made of ordinary glass, plexiglass or polycarbonate. In fact, they cost much less, they weigh too, they are easy to install, but they are afraid of high temperatures, mechanical stress and chemicals. So in this case we are talking about savings at the expense of quality and durability..

Choosing an image for a skinny for their kitchen, homeowners can face difficulties, because there are so many options! Let’s list the most popular:

• Just a solid color, any shade. This panel looks more restrained and will not irritate for many years;
• Abstractions, small pattern, ornament. Not a bad option, it will hide splashes and stains, which are almost invisible on a variegated surface;
• “Kitchen theme”. Food, coffee, fruits, vegetables – just right for the cooking area;
• Landscapes – from urban to pastoral. The sea, forest, lake, river and other natural beauty are more popular. But in modern kitchens you can also find images of megalopolises;
• Flowers and leaves;
• Animals. Kittens and puppies, deer and so on. Up to insects – ladybugs and butterflies are out of competition.

The most inexpensive way to apply a picture to a skin is a polymer film. It is glued to the back of the glass. In this case, it is important that the panel fits snugly against the wall, otherwise steam and moisture will affect the film, it will deteriorate. The most expensive option is hand painting. In addition, there are skins with a mirror effect, as well as with drawings and coloring in the techniques of lacomat, lacobel and stencil.

Backlit skinalis are a good choice. Most often, the LED strip is mounted on the end of the glass panel – at the bottom or at the top.

What apron will be in your kitchen is up to you. The choice is great, but the skins definitely deserve attention.