When we got the new kitchen, the fitters installed a glass splashback behind the gas hob. All was well for around 3 years and then the glass cracked into shards (so obviously not toughened) which emanated from a point at the bottom immediately behind the large wok burner. My investigations revealed that these splashbacks should be fitted with a minimum 2mm gap all around to allow for expansion. This installation has no such gaps. The glass rests on the worktop, is hard up against the extractor fan and against both side upstands and I believe that this was the cause of the failure. The fitting company don't want to know. Everything is black, so I don't want to replace the splashback with a stainless steel one if at all possible. I have discovered that Screwfix sell a Hafele black glass splashback which is undersize and so would fit the existing gap and leave sufficient room for expansion. The fly in the ointment is that the fitting instructions specify that the splashback must be at least 150mm from the nearest direct heat source and the edge of the large burner is currently around 110mm away. So the question. Are Hafele being overcautious given that the original glass lasted for 3 years without the proper expansion gaps or am I asking for trouble if I proceed with this?
John M