There are certain types of tile which require very exacting standards and methods for a proper and lasting installation – glass tile is one of the most demanding. Unlike most ceramics or porcelains, each different glass tile requires different installation methods.
Some of the things that make glass tile a specialized installation are, above all, manufacturer’s requirements, as well as using the correct installation materials, the ability to cut the tile without chipping it, grouting it without scratching it, knowing what substrates are acceptable, even the color of the thinset and how it is applied to the wall. If any of these are incorrect it may limit the life or change the look of the glass tile installation.
Why glass is different from every other tile
Every other tile hides what is behind it. Glass does not. That single property is the reason almost everything about the installation changes.
Because the setting material shows through, thinset color becomes a visible design decision rather than a hidden one. White thinset under a pale glass keeps the color true; standard gray thinset under the same tile mutes it and can seem dirty. Worse, trowel ridges that would be invisible under porcelain telegraph straight through glass as stripes across the finished wall. The thinset has to be flattened, not just combed, so what shows through is uniform.
Glass also does not absorb anything, so it bonds by adhesion alone – the adhesive cannot penetrate the pores of the tile to assist with bonding the way it does with ceramic. That narrows the acceptable setting materials considerably, and it is one of the places manufacturer requirements are not a suggestion. Many glass tiles specify a particular class of thinset by name, and using something else can void the warranty on the tile itself.
Cutting and grouting
Glass chips. A cut that would be routine on ceramic will blow out the edge of a glass tile, so cutting takes different blades, slower feed rates, and on some products scoring rather than sawing. That is time, and it is why a glass backsplash is not priced like a ceramic one of the same square footage.
Grouting has the same problem from the other direction. Glass is harder than most tile faces but its edges are fragile, and a sanded grout dragged across a polished glass surface will scratch it – permanently, and usually not visibly until the haze comes off and the light hits it right. The grout gets selected for the specific tile, and unsanded or epoxy is often the answer. Laticrete SpectraLOCK epoxy has the additional benefit of not staining or needing sealing, which matters behind a range. See how to pick the perfect grout.
Where glass tile works
Glass is most at home as an accent or a feature rather than a whole room – a kitchen backsplash, a shower niche, a decorative band, a vanity splash. In a shower it works well on walls and in niches, where its imperviousness is genuinely useful and it catches light no other material does. Mosaics on mesh are the most common format, which brings its own consideration: the mesh backing and the adhesive holding it are also behind a transparent tile, so sheet quality matters more than it would elsewhere.
If you are weighing it against other materials, ceramic and porcelain tile explained covers how the man-made tiles compare, and natural stone is the other common accent choice.
While glass tile can be a beautiful custom addition to your kitchen or bath it needs to be installed correctly. TileArt has been successfully installing glass tile in kitchens and bathrooms since 1998 and we are very familiar with the methods glass tile demands. If you need glass tile installed in Fort Collins, Loveland, or any part of Northern Colorado just give us a call at (970) 213-3682 or fill out our contact form to discuss your project. Our installation methods page covers how we work.
