Any Ideas On How To Light Glass Tile From Behind? IE Does Translucent Thinset Exist?

mizzles

Hello

Turning to you guys for help, as I have been unsuccessful elsewhere!

I am lining the face of a bar with glass tile, and would like ideas on how to be able to have the entire surface of the tile "glow."

Undercabinet/countertop lighting would only light up the upper inches of the tile, so I am trying to figure out if it would be possible to light it from behind....

The tile could be attached to clear acrylic; however is there thinset available which is translucent? Does the traditional white thinset used for glass tile allow light to pass through?

Thanks, any help is appreciated.

Miz

genecarp

miz, you are going about this the wrong way, there are other ways to get the desired effect, glass tile is not the best approach for what you are trying to do, one option would be to use glass block, backlighting would then be easy, thats one of many ways.

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tileguy51

what about using plexi glass and clear silicone, try a little piece of it to see how well it will hold

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genecarp

plexi will flex, alot, especially if someone leans into it. if you frame to stiffen it, you will see the framing.

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mizzles

Thanks for the replies!

The bar is going to be 8 feet long, in an 'S' or serpentine shape
A few more questions...

1- Could I use silicone instead of white thinset so the light would shine thru from behind, will it hold?

2- What about using lexan instead of plexi?
-- better for this purpose? (stronger)
-- can be done without framing from behind to avoid shadows?
-- strong enough to support a granite countertop?
-- can adhere tile to it?

3- type of light -- LED vs. fiber optics

4- creating a uniform glow instead of visible "strips" of lighting

Thanks!

genecarp

no no no no no no etc...

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genecarp

my head is exploding, HELP

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Dan_Watson

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genecarp

thankyou ac

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Dan_Watson

Well this was just scary

-- strong enough to support a granite countertop?

neolitic

...with naked dancing girls....?

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(Sorry....it seems there really are dumb questions)

mizzles

I'm sorry guys

I've spoke to several local carpenters / cabinet makers and was getting no where so i thought I might find some help here.

Would someone be kind enough to explain what I said wrong and I will be more than happy to take the discussion elsewhere.

I am not doing this myself but in fact trying to figure out what needs to be done so I can speak to these guys more intilligently. I have in fact been told "it can't be done" by one guy so I thought I would do some due diligence to see if that is the case.

I guess the most important thing I need to know is if I can use silicone instead of thinset to adhere the glass tile onto the face of the bar and if using lexan would be appropriate (instead of plexi, which someone above said will flex if someone leans into it)

Sorry for the ignorance

Dan_Watson

Why do you want to backlight tile?

genecarp

mizz, sorry if we came off a little rude, its just that the job that you are describing is the type of job that any qualified pro could design and build for you, your questions indicate that you have know idea how to proceed with this project, therefore you are not representing yourself as a proffessional, which is what this site is for, PROFFESIONALS. diy site may be a better fit for you, good luck G

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Mike Finley

The original question said the face of the bar, I would take that to not mean the bar top but the face.

How much of the face surface needs to light up? If it's just a small area relative to the rest, you can use white plexi-glass, 1/4" thick. Light it behind with a flourescent fixture or whatever you want. The white plexi will spread the light pretty evenly. Silicone will yellow over time. You might instead apply the glass tile with non-yellowing varnish instead. Pour it on the plexi and put the tile in place, let it harden. You can buy 4'x8' sheets of plexiglas from a good glass company in any color you want.

mizzles

Mike Finley - thank you, your advice is helpful. To answer your question, I would like the entire face of the bar to light up. Not brightly, but a soft uniform glow. I noticed you said "if it's just a small area" - would your suggestions not work for the entire face of the bar? Is there any advantage to using plexiglass (acrylic) over polycarbonate sheets?

Alwaysconfusd11 - I want to backlight the tile so I can create a uniform glow on all the glass tile on the face of the bar - I think it would be a superb and unique effect.

genecarp - when you say "any qualified pro could design and build for you" that is not the case. I have met 3 professionals & called several more and gotten nowhere with them. One in fact told me it couldn't be done. Perhaps your expertise level and experience is more.

Miz

ChrWright

The application you describe will be very expensive, FWIW.

I've done a lot of custom appplications with tile, but I can't think of any method of construction to back light tile on a radius that I would be confident a client would be happy with.

My guess is lucite panels, custom made to follow your radius, with a custom LED gun from either the base or top of the panel.

Here's a flat panel application from a basement we did 5 years ago:



Each of these columns has two clear panels with a computer controlled panel of LEDs at the base. (They could be made any color, pulse, flash, fade in/out, etc.)

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mizzles

ChrWright - do you remember what adhesive you used for the tiles?

ChrWright

Which tiles?

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Indianapolis Kitchen Remodeling Contractor - You Can Get There From Here

mizzles

What's on the face of the bar in the picture? Hard to tell