I'm thinking about installing splashguards in my kitchen that will be constructed of plexiglass.
It will be painted on the back to produce a shiny mirror finish, in the color of my choice, when viewed from the front.
It will be installed in several sections, to accommodate different height cabinets, corners, obstructions, etc. (Doing it in one piece would be prohibitively complex, and expensive.)

Is it even possible to paint plexi? Any suggestions for an appropriate paint?
Can it be caulked like any other material, and the residue wiped off without damaging the surface?
Will caulk cause the paint to not adhere, if the paint is allowed to dry first?

Would I be better off to give up on the plexi and use real glass? (It might be workable, but will be much more difficult.)

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
(I have a vision... )

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 07-24-2009).]

plasticoat would probably be your best bet, but ive never done it...im sure it can be done tho, just howlong itll holdup is another question.

I would think that if one took an orbital sander and some 220 grit paper and roughed up the backside, then used a paint like Krylon Fusion or something it would probably paint OK. For caulking maybe a product like Lexel (it seems to have real good adhesion). I have never tried this though. Can you experiment on a piece first?

quote Originally posted by hammer: ... Can you experiment on a piece first?

I just started pricing this stuff.
As expensive as plexi is, I'll guarantee that I'll experiment with a small piece first.

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 07-24-2009).]

quote Originally posted by hammer: .... experiment on a piece first?

Best advice in the world.

I once had a window in my bathtub/shower. Lexan and krylon black did wonders but i was only there for 18 months. Worked great but I used mirror hangers and no caulk.

1. If you have not worked with the stuff before, I suggest you try Lexan instead of plexiglas. If you don't know the difference, plexi is the trade name for acrylic. Lexan is the trade name for polycarbonate. The main difference, is plexi, being acrylic will shatter and break when bent or hit hard, where lexan will bend quite easily without breaking. Lexan is also less likely to chip when you sawi it. To completely eliminate chipping as the sawblade's teeth exit the material--on both plexi and lexan, sandwich the material you want to cut between 2 pieces of wood--anything 1/4" thich & up will work.

2. Yes, it can be painted, but it also comes in a variety of colors, including mirror, chrome, black ice (which is a very dark tint, but with a mirror finish.
3. Caulk will adhere to either plexi or lexan just as well as it will to any shiny batroom/kitchen tile.

4. Sanding the back side and painting that side, will probably not result in the effect you desire. Sanding, regardless of the grit, will result in an opaque look when viewed from the front side, with very little if any of the paint showing thru. Sanding results in the same things as cutting with a saw--you destroy the transparency. Look at the edges of any sawn piece of plexi or lexan and you will get an idea what sanding will do to the flat finish.

4. You will want to cut it with a fine tooth circular blade, rotating at the highest rpm you can get, to eliminate saw tooth marks.

I've cut, glued, drilled, tapped, bent, and machined thousands of sheets of both acrylic and poly, ranging in thickness from 1/16 up to 1".

I don't remember who all has the pieces I provided, installed in the insets under their Fiero front hood--Revin I think was one of them. Maybe they can post a pic of the black ice.

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 07-25-2009).]

Another problem with either of the plastics is reflection distortion from the wall not being perfectly straight.Few are. There may be cleaning issues as well due to abrasion.
This may make glass the better choice and less expensive. Are you planning an even height splash or going to the bottom of the upper cabinets? Sign painters use a highly opaque paint called "One Shot" on glass that holds up well. Check with a local sign company for other possibilities.

Interesting idea. I've recently seen glass tile with color fired on the back side that looked pretty nice and it was fairly expensive. Another point you may want to consider is using textured glass. Many kinds are available.

OK, I read above that it will go it the cabinet bottom. I'd use foam board ,like from hobby lobby to make fitted templates and take them to the glass shop for dupicates in glass. Leave an 1/8 " at the top and close with a molding.


One Shot paint link.
http://www.tcpglobal.com/pi...zx8JsCFRmbnAod8GqW_g

[This message has been edited by Wolfhound (edited 07-25-2009).]

Thanks, everyone.

I would use glass, except that I still have to cut out around the electrical outlets. Thought about trying to use a cutoff tool to do that, but I suspect that the results (and maybe even the procedure itself) would be quite ugly. And I would need to take a 3/16" x 5/8" notch out of one corner (where a counter endcap rises above the back edge of the countertop.

But I may have to put the whole thing on hold anyway.
I was discussing this with "she who must be obeyed".
She said, "But it would be a shame to have to re-do all of that if we get new countertops".

I didn't know that that was on the table.

*sigh*

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 07-25-2009).]

I know you said it's "on hold", but you do know they make plastic mirrors, right?

I've used them on show cars and displays and even have a full length piece in my locker in the race car trailer. You can cut them easily with a jigsaw (just go slowly, you want to cut it, not melt it) and it's pretty durable. You MAY run into clouding issues several years down the line or you may not.

It will have a mirror finish and it's much easier to work with than glass (cheaper too).

John Stricker

quote Originally posted by Raydar: Thanks, everyone. I would use glass, except that I still have to cut out around the electrical outlets. Thought about trying to use a cutoff tool to do that, but I suspect that the results (and maybe even the procedure itself) would be quite ugly. And I would need to take a 3/16" x 5/8" notch out of one corner (where a counter endcap rises above the back edge of the countertop. But I may have to put the whole thing on hold anyway. I was discussing this with "she who must be obeyed". She said, "But it would be a shame to have to re-do all of that if we get new countertops". I didn't know that that was on the table. *sigh*

"if we get new counter tops".. Consider that a request

The old countertops wouldn't hold plates anymore? I never understood why women want to redo a kitchen to make it look different but everything is still functionally the same. Tile kitchens were all the rave, now granite. I wonder what the next kitchen fad will be? Stainless steel countertops? Bamboo countertops? How about polished and sealed cinderblock countertops?

quote Originally posted by Doug85GT: The old countertops wouldn't hold plates anymore? I never understood why women want to redo a kitchen to make it look different but everything is still functionally the same. Tile kitchens were all the rave, now granite. I wonder what the next kitchen fad will be? Stainless steel countertops? Bamboo countertops? How about polished and sealed cinderblock countertops?

I didn't see anythin wrong with the old plywood or plank countertops--either painted or covered in linoleum. It's just something to hold a sink and set stuff on.
No--I didn't get away with it either--solid surface it had to be.

quote Originally posted by Doug85GT: The old countertops wouldn't hold plates anymore? I never understood why women want to redo a kitchen to make it look different but everything is still functionally the same. Tile kitchens were all the rave, now granite. I wonder what the next kitchen fad will be? Stainless steel countertops? Bamboo countertops? How about polished and sealed cinderblock countertops?

Milk crates.

Go with Lexan. All you need to do to paint it is scotchbrite pad. Dont silicone caulk the edges till you paint it, unless you use paintable caulk. Then make sure you scuff it up BEFORE you caulk it anyway. If you do cutting, you will score it up so use a cutting board and dont put very hot stuff down on it. Id use plywood with formica if I was you though. Its easy to work with and very durable. My sink counter and desk counter are like new and did them 20 years ago. I even do some engine work on them.