Backsplashes · Montreal
Tempered glass backsplashes for condo and plex kitchens
A glass backsplash, the dosseret you'll see on a French quote, is one sheet of glass where there would otherwise be rows of tile and grout. It's painted on the back in the colour you choose, or left clear, and it wipes clean in one pass. In an older plex kitchen it can also cover a tired wall without retiling, if the wall is sound. We connect you with an independent local glass professional who measures, plans a cut-out for every outlet and installs the panel.
- Every outlet cut before tempering
- Any colour, painted on the back
- Measured to walls that aren't flat
Behind the range
Why tempered glass goes behind the stove
The wall behind a range gets hot, splashed and knocked by pots. Tempered glass is heat-treated to be much stronger and more tolerant of temperature changes than ordinary glass, and if it ever breaks it crumbles into small, blunt pieces.
Gas and electric ranges both work with glass. The pro checks the clearance between the burners and the wall and follows the range maker's instructions for the space behind it. Away from the heat, the same tempered glass is used so the backsplash matches end to end.
Colour and clarity
Colour, extra-clear glass and back-painting
The colour you see is behind the glass, so the glass itself matters as much as the paint.
Back-painted glass
Paint is applied to the back and sealed, so the front stays smooth. Almost any shade can be matched, from soft sage to charcoal. The same glass can also line a wall in a custom shower.
Low-iron glass (extra-clair)
Standard glass has a green tint that shows through white and pale colours. Low-iron glass, extra-clair on French quotes, keeps them true.
Clear glass over the wall
Clear glass can protect a painted wall or wallpaper, but every mark behind it shows. For a reflection, a mirror cut to size suits a bathroom better than a kitchen.
Measuring
Outlets, cut-outs and measurements
Tempered glass can't be cut, drilled or trimmed afterwards. Every outlet opening, every notch and the final length are fixed before it's heat-treated, as with any tempered glass cut to size. The measurement is the step that matters most.
Finish everything else first
Counters, cabinets and the range go in first. The pro measures the finished counter to the underside of the uppers, not from plans.
Locate every outlet and switch
Each box is measured from fixed points and becomes a cut-out. Cover plates go back on over the glass; the pro will say if a box needs adjusting.
Template the tricky parts
Around a window, a hood or an out-of-square corner, a template makes the glass follow the real shape.
Fabricate, paint and install
The glass is cut, tempered and painted to order, then installed on a second visit.
Older walls
Old or uneven walls
Most of Montreal's housing predates the 1980s, and plex kitchens show it: wavy plaster, corners off square, old tile to remove. Glass is rigid; it bridges a wavy wall rather than following it. The pro checks with a straightedge. Small dips are taken up by the adhesive, larger ones may need skim-coating or a thin backing panel, and old tile usually comes off unless it's flat and firm.
In a newer condo the walls tend to be flatter, but a long counter may mean two or three pieces. Put the joints where they'll show least, behind the range or at an inside corner. Open shelves above can be glass too: see tabletops and shelves.
What affects the quote
What drives the cost of a glass backsplash
The price is set by the glass and by the openings in it. The pro will ask about:
- Total length and height, and whether it comes in one piece or several
- Standard or low-iron glass, and the paint colour
- The number of outlets, switches and other cut-outs
- Notches around windows, hoods or cabinets, and any angled corners
- Wall preparation, such as removing old tile or evening out plaster
- Carrying long panels up stairs or into an elevator
A photo of the wall with counters in place, the counter length and the height to the upper cabinets are enough for a first estimate.
Everyday care
Everyday care for a glass backsplash
With no grout lines to hold grease, glass is about the easiest backsplash to keep clean. Warm soapy water or a glass cleaner on a soft cloth handles daily splashes; wipe behind the range before grease bakes on. Skip abrasive pads, scrapers and powders. A damaged panel can't be patched, so keep the colour reference and glass type from your quote. For other glass around the home, see glass and mirrors.
Questions
Glass backsplash questions
Explore your options
Other glass for kitchens and interiors
Independent glass pros install backsplashes across Montreal and nearby, including Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, Villeray, Verdun, Saint-Laurent and Brossard.
Send a photo of the wall
A photo with the counters in place and the length of the counter are enough to start. We pass them to an independent local glass professional who installs backsplashes, and they follow up with questions or a quote.