Setting tile
The thick set method was developed more than two thousand years ago and remains virtually unchanged to this day. Tile is pressed into a thick mixture of sand, cement and water, then vibrated into position - to disperse air pockets and enable good contact with the tile backing. This method is sometimes used with small-format glass tiles. However,glass tiles will not shrink along with the cement mixture: during drying there can be a breakdown in the bond to the thickset, or breakage in the tile itself.
Developed over the past thirty years, thinsets can be highly suitable setting materials for glass tile. Mixtures of sand, cement and either latex or acrylic, these polymer-modified adhesives are very strong, and can be applied in a thin coat.
Mastics, mixtures of latex and organic fillers, have sometimes been used in glass tile setting. Caution: using these latex adhesives can result in glass tile intallation problems. They bond when their dissolved liquids dry out. Unlike cementatious acrylic thinsets, when mastics are used to install glass tiles, and there is a membrane under the mastic layer, the moisture will not disperse properly. Discoloration, mold and other problems relating to the mastic can cause the job to fail.
Always consult your dealer or adhesive manufacturer to get the right adhesive material for the job.