Glass Tile Installation ?

ruskent

I need to intall glass tile on the outside of a elevated spa. Is there a different type of thinset I am suppose to use because its glass tile?

Angus

Check your TCA hand book, first. This should also help.

http://www.tilemagonline.com/CDA/Art...100000f932a8c0____

ChrWright

Hello Rusk...

Which glass tile are you installing? Oceanside? Bisazza? Trend? Walker-Zanger? Are they mesh backed or paper faced?

Is this a wet location or purely decorative?

For showers & wet locations I use a modified thinset like Lat. 253... For purely decorative walls over drywall, etc., I like to use a premium mastic.

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Bud Cline

Better to follow the recommendations of the glass tile maker. They will tell you which products are suitable for use with their glass.

R&D Tile

No Mastic behind glass.

MattCoops

You must use white thinset, especially if glass is transparent.
You shouldn't use mastic as it may discolor the tiles over time and of course the poor bond strength.
Make sure you give a finger push on each tile to squeeze out any shadow marks from troweled thinset.

Don't tell nobody, (you hardcore per instructions guys will love this)but I've acutally used non sanded white grout to install tile before. And I let the grout ooze up through the grout lines and then cleaned and Done.

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Design and installation of ceramic tile and natural stone for floor, wall, and countertops
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ak_aiken

Yes you do have to use a special thinset. The last couple of glass jobs that I did I used Ardex thinset I think it was called X 9, something, I can't remember the exact name. It was a premium white thinset that I had to pay quite a bit more than a regular polymer modified thinset but it worked very well and vertically there was almost no sag. in short it was worth the extra money.

Teetorbilt

OK, I'm old. We called it back-buttering. Applying the thinset to the tile prior to installation. Most of the installation has been covered well even if I don't agree with some of the info.

If this is your first time, spend the money and do a test in your garage/shop/basement. I don't know what you're doing but I did a job that was $64 a sq. ft. and you REALLY don't want to demo and start over.

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Brock

Beautifull. Love it. Can't wait for my next glass job. From pain in the a$$ to easy money. All neatly presented in one gorgeous post. Life is grand. Kudos to the MattCoops.

Bud Cline

Brock.....don't do nothin' stupid. If tile grout was intended to be used as a tile adhesive everyone would be doing it. There is no genius in that technique, only ignorance.

Brock

I'm so confussed. Who am I, What am I, Where am I.

ChrWright

Yes, mastic can be used to install glass tile (mosaics), with the following exceptions:

NOT in wet locations
NOT with clear glass (it will yellow as mentioned)

For backsplashes and decorative walls, however, it is the least PIA method of installation.

I have installed 10s of thousands of square feet of glass mosaics. Because of the material cost and skill level required, they are one of the more expensive materials you can charge for.

Oceanside:



Bisazza:




Trend:

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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

More Oceanside:



More Trend:


More Bisazza:


Walker-Zanger:

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

Am I the only guy who doesn't like the look of glass tile? They seem trendy and crappy to me. I like the look of ceramic, natural stone, and porcelain better than glass.

R&D Tile

Brock, grout alone should never be used as a thinset, UNLESS you use Laticretes 1500 series grout and their 4237 Additive, then you have a grout thinset the same color as the grout so oozing isn't an issue, THEN you still have to grout it with the same grout NOW mixed with their 1776 enhancer that helps hold the color, best system for glass, I think.

And if using just white thinset, use laticretes 254.


Matt, pushing each tile by hand to get the trowel marks out????, you could be there awhile.

Use a 1/8 or 1/16" trowel, spread the thinset, then flat trowel it smooth, set the glass sheets and push them flat and even with a grout float, then if paper faced sheets, wait till it holds enough so the sheets of paper can be misted and peeled off without taking the tiles with it, now you can adjust any that might not be square to the others, with mesh backed, just cut between them with a razor knife and adjust what needs to be done.

Mike Finley

Beautiful work there Chris!

ChrWright

Thanks Mike.

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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

Brock

Thanks. Started a file with good tips as I run across them. This one is going in it.

Chris does some of the cleanest work I have seen. Scores a 15 on a 1-10 scale for quality of craftmanship.

Bill_Vincent

I agree. Chris, that's some incredible work.

That said, Thom, you're not alone.

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ChillaWatt

What an excellent thread. I haven't done much tile work myself, surely no expert on it, but I thoroughly enjoy watching a bunch of pros battle it out with their tricks of the trade being thrown at each other.

Chilla