Regulations to Observe When Installing Glass Splashback in Your Kitchen
Posted on: 10 February 2017
If you are considering making changes to the appearance of your kitchen and are thinking of fixing a glass splashback, then you should know that there are regulations regarding such an endeavor. Therefore, the construction of the glass splashback in your kitchen must comply with such regulations, which are set out in the Building Code of Australia. These regulations are meant to protect your family and your house against hazards such as fire. This applies especially if you will be fixing your kitchen's glass splashback near the stove or behind gas pipes. This article provides regulatory requirements that you need to think about before installing glass splashbacks in your kitchen.
Glass Strength -- Using glass for your splashback will require you to comply with the Australia/New Zealand Standards 1288, which stipulates that the glass splashback must be built from toughened glass. Additionally, you will need a letter from an architecture and glass supplier ascertaining that the glass you are going to use meets the requirements. Once you have met these regulations, you can go ahead and construct your glass splashback.
Minimum Clearance Allowance -- As mentioned above, most glass splashbacks are fixed near cooking implements such as cookers, ovens, and stoves. The proximity of such fixations around gas cookers is an area that is often overlooked despite its importance in ensuring safety around the kitchen. As such, you are required to give an allowance between the splashback and the nearest cooking implement during installation. According to the AS 5601/AG 601 in the Building Code of Australia, a glass splashback should be approximately 200mm away from the nearest cooking implement. Although glass splashbacks are non-combustible, they do conduct heat well, which may be transferred to nearby flammable materials thereby causing fire.
Installation on Walls -- When installing a glass splashback, it is prudent for you to take note of the material used in the construction of kitchen walls. If the wall is constructed from a combustible material, then you should never install your glass splashback directly on it. This is because if the wall catches fire, it will damage the splashback. If the walls are made of a non-combustible material, you still need to leave a space behind the splashback. This will prevent heat conducted by the wall from reaching the glass splashback. To be certain what materials have been used on your kitchen's wall, you can refer to the structural drawings of your house.
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