Fixing Glass Tiles

There has been a noticeable increase in the use of glass tiles, particularly in the consumer sector. With this in mind, the following should be borne in mind when using glass tiles:

Type of Tiles

There are several types of glass tiles available. Most glass tiles are produced with the colour on the back of the tile. In some instances the colour is glazed over and fired, thus producing a colour-bonded tile. Other glass tiles have a painted surface on the back of the tile, which is not fully bonded to the glass. Contact should be made with the tile supplier to determine which format of tile is being used. There are currently no British or International Standard for the production or fixing for glass tiles. It is therefore important to seek advice from the supplier and installer at the design stage regarding achievable finishes and appropriate areas of usage.

Setting Out

Some glass tiles may not be suitable for use in certain areas, for example, close to heat sources or wet areas. Advice should be sought from the supplier as to the suitability of the tiles in question. When using glass tiles it is important to aim for full modules to avoid light refraction and chaffing of tiles. Larger format glass tiles can vary in size slightly and this should be considered at the design stage.

Fixing

The choice of adhesive will depend of the type of glass tile. Contact should be made with the supplier to confirm the type of tile and recommended adhesive.

a) Fired colour bonded glass When fixing these products a single part flexible white Class C2 adhesive should be used. The tiles should be fixed using the solid bed method with no ribbing of adhesive and an even coat of adhesive spread over the back of the tile. This should ensure that no ribs of adhesive show through the tile.

b) Painted surface glass tiles. When fixing these products use either an epoxy Class R1 or Class R2 adhesive or a silicone based mirror adhesive when fixing this type of glass tile to walled surfaces. When using a mirror adhesive, the adhesive should be applied directly to the back of the tile, not the walled surface. The tile should then be fixed to the wall.

Health and Safety