The horizontal part of the wall, which is located between the wall cabinets and the work surface, is called an apron. This area in the kitchen is especially susceptible to various contaminants, as it is located near the stove and countertop, where they cut and prepare products.
Therefore, the kitchen apron should be not only beautiful, but also practical, not very easily soiled, it is desirable that it is well washed and resistant to temperature extremes and cleaning products. These characteristics are distinguished by an apron for a kitchen made of plastic.
Using panels
Typically, it is made using PVC panels. This material is well known and popular in our country, as it has a huge number of positive properties.
Before buying an apron for a kitchen made of plastic or a panel for its manufacture, you need to find out the advantages and disadvantages of this coating that may arise during operation.
The main advantage of this material is its affordable price. It is suitable for those people who need to make repairs quickly and inexpensively. In addition to durability and hardness, such an apron for the kitchen has the same properties as tile. It is well cleaned, resistant to chemicals, moisture, high temperature.
Plastic sheet
This wall covering is available in several forms. It can be panels of different sizes or sheets. An apron for a kitchen made of plastic (buyers confirm this fact) looks no worse than analogues from expensive materials. So that it does not have seams, it is better to choose sheet material. From it in the process, you can cut a plate of the required size.
And this is necessary not only for aesthetics. Thanks to the absence of connecting seams, you facilitate cleaning, thereby saving time. After cooking, you only need to wipe the kitchen panels with a damp cloth. Plastic aprons are considered environmentally friendly. Even people with a tendency to allergies can afford them.
Finished goods
An apron for the kitchen of their plastic allows you to realize any design ideas. On this material any drawing or pattern is easily applied.
Today, ready-made kitchen aprons are presented for sale - plastic, cut to a standard size, with a pattern applied to its surface. Some manufacturers of these products are not limited to this. They also offer spotlights to make the kitchen apron made of plastic look spectacular.
The use of a transparent wall coating visually increases the space, especially if the panel is combined with spot light. Advantages of the apron made of plastic:
- environmental friendliness and high durability;
- resistance to mechanical stress and moisture;
- high level of heat and sound insulation;
- simplicity in leaving;
- creating a perfectly smooth surface of the panels, which does not allow dust to accumulate;
- diverse design, allowing you to choose an apron for any interior;
- simple installation;
- lack of need for thorough surface preparation.
disadvantages
The minor disadvantages of this finish, some buyers include scratches that appear on the surface. We want to comment on this statement right away - most likely, this happens when ordinary wall panels are used rather than intended for an apron.
Some aggressive cleaning products can seriously damage the plastic kitchen apron and cause it to warp.
You can be sure of the durability of the finish, if you choose polycarbonate that does not break, is well washed, and its melting point reaches 120 degrees.
I would like to draw your attention to the fact that when buying plastic for an apron, you need to require a certificate, since low-quality material when heating (from the stove or in the sun) will emit compounds that are harmful to human health. Certified, high-quality material does not emit anything harmful, even if you accidentally pour boiling water over it.
Apron selection
There are several types of plastic panels on sale these days. They differ in the degree of heat resistance and the level of moisture resistance. Therefore, first of all, you should make sure that they offer you plastic designed specifically for this use.
In addition to quality indicators, differences exist in the design decision. The original and unusual option may be transparent plastic panels with backlight. If the kitchen is designed in a classic style, then the most appropriate solution would be white samples without a picture.
What should be the size of the plastic apron? This question interests many. In order to decide on it, it is necessary to build on the layout of the kitchen and at the same time take into account one important feature - the apron blade should be slightly larger than the distance from the cabinets to the work surface. Such a reserve is needed to protect the wall from grease and dirt, and additional centimeters are necessary so that the apron slightly goes beyond the edges of tables and cabinets.
For a spacious kitchen, material with a large and dark pattern is more suitable. Accordingly, for a small room, you should choose canvases of light colors with a light ornament. Do not forget that glossy surfaces visually increase the space.
DIY kitchen apron made of plastic
In order for the kitchen apron to look spectacular, it must be installed correctly.
Before starting work, make sure that the surface of the wall on which the panels will be mounted is completely flat. If your plans do not include its alignment, use as a base the material that will allow you to create a perfectly smooth surface. It can be wooden slats or a structure made of profiles.
If you think that such a job is too much for you, then you are deeply mistaken - even a novice can do it.
There are 2 ways to install a kitchen apron:
- installation with self-tapping screws;
- use of special glue.
It is worth noting that the use of the latter option is less convenient, since in the future you will not be able to dismantle it in order to apply it in another place, since the plastic put on the adhesive during dismantling is most likely to burst. As you can see, making an apron for a kitchen from plastic with your own hands is not at all difficult.
Installation on self-tapping screws
This method is the best. In this case, it does not matter what the apron will be attached to - to the profile, wood or directly to the wall surface. Technology does not change.
In the corners and edges of the plastic panels, small holes should be drilled with a diameter of approximately 3-5 mm. With the help of them, the apron is fixed with self-tapping screws.
Hats of fasteners can spoil the general appearance, and to prevent this from happening, you need to purchase plastic caps and caps in advance. If you want to do something unusual, apply imagination and create an original “disguise” of hats with your own hands.
Final touch
Having completed installation work, it is necessary to fix the curbs. If this is not done, then soon traces of dirt will appear in the area where the canvases join, and mold may form in open areas of the wall.
In addition, the border also plays an aesthetic role - it creates the completeness of the interior, this is the connecting link between the wall surface and the apron. The required size and color is quite easy to choose, moreover, they often come with a ready-made apron.
Price
A kitchen apron made of plastic, the photo of which you see in the article, should be made of high-quality material designed specifically for this purpose. With the wrong choice or use of wall panels, the apron will quickly lose its attractiveness and may even be dangerous to the health of your loved ones. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you buy it only in stores and only with a certificate.
Plastic is much cheaper than many finishing materials. That is why you can buy it at a very affordable price.
Despite the rather low cost, it meets all modern requirements. It is easy to operate and practical. The dimensions of the PVC panels are designed for the most convenient size of the kitchen apron. Most often, their height is from 85 to 100 cm. For example, a panel measuring 960 x 485 mm costs from 150 to 200 rubles apiece.
Naturally, the price of an apron made of plastic for a kitchen with photo printing is slightly higher, but it's worth it. For example, an apron measuring 3000 x 600 x 1.5 mm will cost from 1,500 rubles.
You can buy this material in all major construction stores.
Apron for plastic kitchen: reviews
Having studied the reviews of people who already have aprons made of plastic, it should be concluded that this is a very good option for decorating the kitchen. It is durable and easy to care for, at the same time affordable.