Reflections in Glass Tile
- may be installed on interior or exterior wall areas, in wet or dry locations (in hot or cold environments).
- is manufactured in ¼” thickness.
- should not be exposed to high abrasion, high impact and thermal shock or installed over flexible surfaces
- differs from ceramic products, so extra caution and attention to installation instructions is recommended.
Substrate Preparation
- Any crack in a glass tile is very visible and the use of a crack isolation membrane (ANSI A118.12) over the entire surface is strongly recommended.
- Many substrates may continue to cure and shrink over a period of months, and a crack isolation membrane prevents shrinkage or movement of the substrate from mirroring through the tile.
- Install Reflections In Glass Tile™ only over well-cured, stable substrates.
- Allow for an expansion joint wherever substrates change.
- If a crack isolation membrane is not used, neither the distributor nor the manufacturer will accept any responsibility should any cracking occur.
- For membrane information contact Daltile for DAL CIM 500.
Installation
- Use Daltile white thin-set mortar (2-component, flexible, rapid-set, acrylic thin-set mortar system; such as Grani/Rapid by Mapei or Adesilex P-10) formulated for interior and exterior installations.
- Spread the adhesive with a notched trowel following the manufacturer’s recommendations (in many cases a 3/16” V-notch trowel works well).
- Use the flat side of the trowel to smooth the ridges without removing thin-set.
- Use only the thin-set manufacturer’s minimum recommended thickness of thin-set. Do not overbuild the adhesive, as it will shrink and add stress or crack the glass.
- Spread only as much adhesive as will be covered with the tile within 15 minutes. Mastic adhesives are not recommended.
- Sheet mounted mosaics can be applied directly to the thin-set.
- 4” and larger tiles should be “back buttered” with the flat edge of the trowel to provide a void-free installation and good contact with the mortar bed. Firmly press the glass against the surface to prevent voids in the adhesive from showing through the glass.
- Install Reflections In Glass Tile™ on the wall leaving even spacing between tiles of at least 1/16”.
- Use plastic spacers whenever possible.
- Install control joints where the tile abuts restraining surfaces and around the perimeter of the tile work.
- Allow the adhesive to cure according to the manufacturer’s instructions (at least 24 hours). Grout with an unsanded grout to prevent scratching of the surface.
- Grout joints should be filled to approximately 2/3 of the thickness of the tile to allow light to reflect on the internal surfaces of the tile.
Cutting
- Use a diamond blade designed for cutting glass on a wet saw. A blade for cutting glass is thin, has smaller diamonds than a tile blade, has a continuous rim and generally runs at a slower speed.
- Glass tile is cut with the glazed side up, the rotation of the saw blade should enter the glass from the glazed side. Ensure adequate water or coolant is provided.
- Whenever possible cut edges should be placed in corners where they can be covered or hidden.
- In many cases it may be easier and less expensive to mark your cuts and take the tile to a professional glass shop for cutting or drilling.
- Blades for cutting glass tiles are made to fit most tile saws and are available from most tile dealers. Daltile offers the DalTool Glass Cutting Blade (part num-ber 9999 547306) for use with wet saws. A lapidary blade will also cut glass tiles cleanly.
- Notes – A blade designed for cutting ceramic tiles is coarse and will chip the glass. Straight cuts generally do not result in additional stress to the glass tile, but notched cuts may add stress and cause cracking of the glass at the inside corner. A standard ceramic tile cutter is not recommended.
Drilling
- Drilling a hole requires the use of a drill bit or coring drill that is designed for glass – if the drill and glass tile cannot be securely clamped in place, drill a small pilot hole through the glass to act as a guide.
- Always use a proper glass drill bit, keep the drill bit and hole lubricated with turpentine or water and drill at very slow speed.
- Use a water dam made for glass drills to keep the drill bit lubricated.
- Start drilling from the back of the tile, then complete the hole by drilling from the face of the tile.
- Daltile has a line of DalTool drill bits and hole saws that can be used for drilling glass.
Cleaning
- For routine cleaning, use any non-abrasive cleaning compound recommended for either glass or tile (such as ammonia and water, etc.).
- Follow rinsing instructions carefully.
- A penetrating sealer applied to the face of matte finish glass tiles will facilitate clean up of cooking oils that have splashed on matte or frosted finish glass tiles.