About Glass Tile

handynovice · Joined: 24 Oct 2004 Posts: 1

I am planning on installing a glass tile shower. My plumber has ruffed the pipes and I have installed a 38 inch neoangle Kohler acrylic shower pan. I want to use either single color or do a random mosaic with 4X4 glass tiles.
I am handy an have installed ceramic tile in a bathroom floor but have never done wall tile. questions I have: are 4x4 glass tiles easy to work with and appropriate for this application? can you recommend an anti fracture membrane and where to get it. What is the best substrate to use for this application cement or fiberboard? is 16 0n center studs adequate for preventing cracking. can you recommend a thinset that works best for this application.(bob vila had used spectralock on the glass tile shower he did) can you reccomend moderate priced glass tile that would work well for this project? is it OK to have glass tile in the shower and ceramic on the floor or would you do the entire thing in glass tile. (the bathroom is small) . thank you for any help you can provide Im sure I will have followup questions. Thank you for your website it has already given me great ideas and information. thanks, Handynovice

administrator · Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 7:57 am Post subject:

HI there,
Thanks for the query,
I'll ask the people at Interstyle, they carry this size of glass tile and can probably reply to the question in one whack.
_________________
administrator

www.aboutglasstile.com

Guest · Posted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 8:52 am Post subject:

Hi, this Kim Hauner from Interstyle. We manufacture a variety of glass tiles, and I hope to keep my answers generic so that it applies to any type of glass tile:

4x4 tiles are an excellent choice for the wall application. They are typically installed as individual pieces, rather than pre-mounted in sheets, making the job easy for the average installer.

You are correct in asking questions about the structure, substrate, waterproofing and anti fracture membrane in preparation for the installation:

Generally a standard 16" on center stud spacing is considered adequate for most tile installations. Cement boards like USG Durock or Hardie Board and even Dens Shield from Georgia Pacific are all adequate substrates.

We recommend an anti-fracture membrane under the glass tiles for a couple of important reasons: Glass, and in particular our clear glass products make it impossible to hide any type of crack. Glass is also very inflexible, so any bending due to movement of the substrate (shrinking, settling, etc.) may cause the glass to crack. Because of the higher cost of glass and the relative low cost and ease of installation of the membrane, we feel that it is cheap insurance. Membranes also act as a very effective water barrier as well as an acoustical barrier – neither of which can’t hurt.

You can read about crack suppression membranes here:

http://www.tileusa.com/antifracture_faq.htm#refelectivecrack

Crack suppression membranes are not difficult to obtain. Here is a list of my favorites:

Laticrete: http://www.laticrete.com/stone/waterproofing.html
NAC: http://www.nac-anti-fracture.com/
Protecto Wrap http://www.protectowrap.com/cat_floor_afm.php
Custom Building Products: http://www.custombuildingproducts.com/ProductCatalog/SurfacePrep/WaterproofingAntiFractureMembranes/RedGard.aspx?user=arc&lang=enMapei: http://www.mapei.it/referenze/Multimedia/10030202_EN.pdf

Here is a source for purchasing membranes: http://www.tools4flooring.com/crack-isolation-membranes.asp I have not tested it and I know you can find others.

Glass that is shiny, thin and not textured is probably not suitable for the floor. Interstyle manufactures a range of glass floor tiles. They are textured and thicker (10mm) and made in several sizes starting a 6”x6”. In any event always check with the manufacturer to make sure it works for the application.

Glass should always be installated with a good quality flexible thinset. No mastics. The reason for that is that mastics dry out by releasing moisture, and if we trap the mastic between a piece of glass and a moisture barrier, the installation will never dry out. Thinsets one the other hand, cure over time while the additives help them retain their flexibility.

I hope to have given you enough information to get a good start.

Kim