What You Need to Know About Glass Tile
Some interesting information about the benefits of glass tile
Glass tile can provide a wonderful infusion of color, light, and interest to any room, thanks to the way it reflects and refracts light. If you’re interested in using glass tile in your property, you might want to know a little bit more about this material.
A Practical Choice
Glass tile tends to look pretty upscale, but in reality it can be a very practical choice even for heavily used areas in family homes. Glass tile is designed to be shatter resistant, and it is also very easy to clean because the surface of the glass is totally impermeable. It can withstand damp, humid environments like bathrooms with ease. It can also stand up to contact from anything you might splatter on it in the kitchen without staining or etching.
More than Mosaics
In years gone by, glass tile was mainly available as mosaic tile—and specifically mosaic tile made of little 1 inch square pieces. However, recently glass tile has enjoyed such a surge in popularity that you now have many more options. Glass mosaics continue to be popular but now include new shapes such as long, skinny sticks or strips. Glass tile is also available in a variety of shapes once reserved for ceramic tile, such as subway tile and even hexagonal or fishscale shapes.
Beyond Kitchen & Baths
Due to its waterproof nature, glass tile is a perennial favorite for kitchen backsplashes and tub and shower surrounds. However, many designers are increasingly bringing glass tile into other rooms. It makes an excellent feature wall in any room and can also be used in place of wainscoting or on a fireplace surround.
Install with Care
In order to preserve the light-filled look of glass tile, you need to take special care when installing it. Ideally, you should get professional help. The process starts by laying down a specially formulated thin-set to prep the surface to which the tile will be adhered. Be careful here because any marks or grooves you leave in the thin-set could show through if your glass tile is light-colored. Next you will want to be sure to use a dimension grout. This type of grout contains glass microbeads and translucent binders that create a reflective surface, rather than the flat, opaque look of your average tile grout.
Ready to Shop?
If you are looking for high-quality designer tile for your next design project, we invite you to stop by a Mission Tile West showroom to browse our extensive inventory and get advice from our design experts.