Anybody Put Glass Tile In A Steam Shower?

Mike Finley

How'd that work out?

rbsremodeling

worked out great except the glass tile kept getting foggy

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ChrWright

I've used it about everywhere you can think of. Are you concerned about movement?

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Teetorbilt

I've used about everywhere too without problems. I'm guessing that rbs didn't back-butter, how else could you get fogging?

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Mike Finley

Looking at a botched job to redo.

In the process of talking to quite a few tile setters I'm kind of shocked at all the different opinions on this subject. Everything from don't ever do a full glass steam shower to worked out great except the glass gets foggy.

This particular installations problem is the most common problem you will see when there is a issue with glass tile installed in wet areas - moisture behind the tile showing up as dark patches.

Mike Finley

I'd like to watch you back butter glass tiles. I'll bring the lawn chairs and the drinks to see that Teetor.

(Maybe I better take that back, cause you might be assuming I'm talking about large format glass tile.)

747

Don't you have to go with a special thinset when installing glass tile. Meaning not the same you would use on other tiles. Isn't it because of the translucency of the glass tile?

angus242

You can't leave the trowel marks before setting. You need to knock the ridges down so the thinset looks smooth before setting the glass.

Consider using SpectraLock epoxy grout too!

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ChrWright

I've not used a translucent glass in a steam shower, but can see how water vapor would end up getting through a cement based grout eventually. An epoxy grout would probably have prevented this, but the use of epoxy with glass is a subject up for debate. Many will tell you that epoxy is too rigid to use with glass. The disclaimer you'll usually hear is, "Always check with the manufacturer first."

I know the Oceanside installation manual lists epoxy as "unacceptable" for use with their material.
http://www.glasstile.com/OGT-Install...glish_2009.pdf

However, if you read the SpectraLock spec, it lists glass tile under "USES".
http://www.laticrete.com/Portals/0/d...ts/lds6380.pdf

Personally, I use SL epoxy grout on everything anymore. I've used it on a number of mosaic projects, in houses I continue to work in, and have not had any issues. If I had to do a larger format glass tile, I'd probably consider a cement based grout just to be safe. Control joints are important in any tile installation, but particularly so with glass.

Three new installation methods for glass tile were added to ANSI A108 in 2006 to address to special nature of glass tile. However, they only address the use of cement-based adhesives and grouts.

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Christopher Wright, CR: President @ WrightWorks, LLC/President @ Central Indiana NARI, Named to the 2010 REMODELING Big50
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ChrWright

I did a semi-clear glass shower floor last year--and someone dumped a coffee cup into the pan before it was grouted and left it overnight.

There was a nice dark stain soaked into the white thinset the next morning that you could also see through the glass.

Anyone care to guess at my solution?

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Christopher Wright, CR: President @ WrightWorks, LLC/President @ Central Indiana NARI, Named to the 2010 REMODELING Big50
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Indianapolis Kitchen Remodeling Contractor - You Can Get There From Here

rselectric1

Pour coffee everywhere to make it match?

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ChrWright

Four cups of dark roast...

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Christopher Wright, CR: President @ WrightWorks, LLC/President @ Central Indiana NARI, Named to the 2010 REMODELING Big50
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Indianapolis Kitchen Remodeling Contractor - You Can Get There From Here

rselectric1

Chr-I was actually making a joke, but before posting had a revelation that it might actually be a valid solution!

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ChrWright

It almost made me cry to pour that much good coffee down the drain.

I wonder if I could get that added to the next update of the TCNA book... "The use of dark roast coffees as a thinset colorant in transluscent glass mosaic tiles."

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Christopher Wright, CR: President @ WrightWorks, LLC/President @ Central Indiana NARI, Named to the 2010 REMODELING Big50
www.WrightWorks.net - Facebook - Twitter - Carmel Remodeling
Indianapolis Kitchen Remodeling Contractor - You Can Get There From Here

rselectric1

Interesting that I was able to guess on the first try. Some of us just think alike!

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Mike Finley

It's actually based on bonding. Normal tile and thinset bond due to the porosity/water absorption of the tile, the thinset works it's way into the pores of the tile and creates a good bond. (This is why porcelain takes a different method to install vs ceramic) porcelain to be porcelain must absorb less than 5% of it's weight in water to be classified porcelain, which in turn makes it harder to get good bond without doing some different things during the installation. Glass takes this up another notch being about zero absorbent with virtually no porosity, so this creates the need for even more specialized thinsets with glass tile.

Every glass manufacturer I know of has a specific list of thinsets to use with their glass tiles, part of a tile setters job when installing glass is to check the list and use a recommended thinset.

Mike Finley

What I'm interested in is for those who have done full glass steam showers, what your tile underlayment was step by step.

R&D Tile

Hydroban over cemetboard, then set em with laticretes grout and admix to make colored thinset to match the same grout mixed with their additive for grout.

Next.

Mike Finley

With Hydroban forming a waterproof membrane under the thinset, how do you avoid the thinset showing darkening patches when the moisture gets behind the grout and into the thinset behind the glass tile?

charlesmd

Like Chris said, check with the tile manufacturer first but possibly coating the tile with epoxy thinset and then setting the tile with regular white thinset ?? I havent done alot of glass so Im not sure. Its something Bill Vincent recommended to me a while ago for a different situation but it sounds like it may work. By the way-Wheres Bill???