There are numerous really cool mosaics and liners which can be installed as an accent into your main field tile to add a unique touch to an otherwise standard tile installation. These are products such as glass and natural stone mosaics, individual painted tiles, or custom accents.
The biggest problem with these, however, is they are oftentimes not the same thickness as your main tile – they are usually thinner. This is especially true of most glass mosaics. I usually solve this problem with Schluter Ditra. Although I use ditra as my example in this post, you can also use regular 1/4″ backerboard if your inserts are significantly thinner.
Photo 1
See that glass (and metal) mosaic right there? (Photo 1 – You can click on it for a size larger than a small dog) It’s setting inside the main linear mosaics I’m installing on a backsplash. See how much thinner it is than the surrounding tile? That’s what we’re gonna fix. When you have your tile installed you want it all to be on the same flat plane without either tile sticking out (or sinking back). The best way to do this is to have an additional substrate behind your thinner tile to bump it out flush with the rest.
You want to cut your ditra about 1/16″ smaller than the overall size of your insert. You want to make sure you have enough support behind the insert, but you don’t want it larger. (Photo 2)
Photo 2
Photo 3
In Photo 3 you can see where I’ve flipped the ditra upside down so the fleece side is out. You want to install your insert onto the fleece side rather than the plastic, dovetailed side. this is much easier, especially with smaller tiles, and gives the insert more adhesion on the backside once installed. The thinset will ‘lock’ it to the wall doing it this way.
Photos 4 and 5 show how the ditra bumps it up to the same height as the field tile. If your insert is a LOT thinner, it may be better to use the 1/4″ backerboard, although you can double-up the ditra to make it thicker.
Photo 4
Photo 5
Once you get your ditra and inserts cut to size (cut all of them at once) get your thinset mixed up and cover the entire fleece side of the ditra inserts. Make sure the entire surface is covered, most mosaics are fairly small and any uncovered areas may lead to just one or two pieces not being adhered well. Spread it just like these here:
Photo 6
Photo 7
Then place your inserts onto the ditra and press down slightly – only slightly! Before you firmly press the inserts and the ditra together you want to flip them upside down. Doing this ensures that the face of your inserts, the shiny part that makes people go ‘ooooh, pretty’, is completely flat. Flipping them upside down, then pressing down firmly, will get the entire face totally flat and get a full bond onto the ditra. It is always best to use a flat surface on the back, squeezing them between the flat surface and the flat countertop or bench – whatever your wife lets you use. Like these:
Photo 8
Photo 9
Once you get them all installed to the ditra, flipped, and pressed down firmly to ensure a full bond – leave them alone! Give the thinset at least three hours to cure and get a grab, ideally let them set overnight. Really, leave them alone. Stop staring at them. Go have a beer Pepsi and have some dinner. We’ll get to them later.
STOP STARING! GO AWAY...
Once the thinset is cured you can fill the dovetails with the flat side of your trowel, then comb on the thinset with the notched side and install them into your design. You can cut your main field tile with spaces large enough for your insert (don’t forget the measurement for the grout line around the mosaics). And tile away. When you’re finished you should have two different tiles, with different thicknesses, installed flush on the same plane. Like this here:
Finished
This method works for backsplashes, shower walls, even tile floors. As long as you have good contact with the insert to the ditra, and good contact behind the ditra to the substrate, you should have a nice, flush tile installation which makes people go ‘ooooh, pretty’. Like these here:
Ooooh, Pretty...
Ooooh, Pretty < See?
A local flooring company sold me Ditra by the foot. Worth calling around.
Well Hi Diane!
Okay. Was there a question in there somewhere?
Roger,
I live in small town can not seam to find any unmodified thin set to use for ditra to us to bring floor to make level with wood floor I have mapie ultraflex 2 does not seam to be in stores around here.what are you using the tile most partwill be 12″porcelyn with a border of
mosic on 5×7′ area bathroom floor sink toilet
Help
thanks vry much
Carol DawsonFrog-
Hi Carol,
I just answered your last question about the unmodified. If you can’t find any you’ll just need to use the modified. You can pre-fill the waffles, let that cure, then install your tile over that all with modified. You will, however, lose your warranty from schluter.
Hi Roger,
I know they say to ask first, but after getting nearly to the end of putting up my tub surround, and having the end within sight, I guess I got overly anxious to finish up.
Up to that point your suggestions and instructions have been followed to the “T” (well I assume so, the only fumes coming off my dog are from the skunk he tried to eat the other day)
But, instead of essentially shimming out the 6″ strip of glass mosaics as you describe here, I simply used a 3/8 notch trowel and spread out my layer of AcrylPro (another choice i am regretting, I used versa bond for the rest of the tile, just was nervous about the mosaics sliding) and set the mosaics “high” in the pile. Of course they are now stuck and look okay, not quite flush, which I thought should be cool because they are rough and uneven tiles 1″x1″ and I was going for the “rough” look… but I am now wondering if this is going to last, or shall I tear it out and “make it again?”
(after the skunk I don’t know if the old boy can take bursting into flames…) But I will have a beer and take more cold water-hose showers on the back porch (much to the dismay of the neighbors) and await your reply…
Thank you so much for your site and all the help!!
You ROCK!!!
Hey Jon,
There’s a reason they say to ask first.
Mastic should not only not be used in a shower – it should never be used with glass or natural stone. Since you do have mosaics if you give it 3 – 4 days to fully cure before grouting it will probably be fine. Be sure to check them before you grout to ensure that they haven’t sunk back into the wall too much. Mastic shrinks as it cures and should never be built up, it creates excess shrinking and takes forever to cure. So just pay close attention to it to make sure it’s still where you want it to be before grouting.
Hi Roger,
We are planning to tile our shower with 14″x 10″ from the shower base upto 5 ft, then a row of accent tiles and 6″x6″ tiles upto the ceiling. We found some decorative 4″x4″ ceramic art tiles that we like for the accent row. However, these decorative tiles are 1/2″ thick while the rest are 1/4″ thick. Not sure what the best way to bring the accent tiles on the same plane as the rest of the tiles. One thought was to use a quater round above and below the accent row to hide the thickness difference, but that would make it a bit busier than we like it to be. Ideally, we would like the accent row to fit in cleanly with the other tiles and without a transition piece. What would you recommend?
Hey Raj,
A pencil rail will be the easiest (quarter-round). Otherwise you’ll need to add 1/4″ of substrate behind everything else. 1/4″ cement backerboard works well for that. And yes – it’s a pain in the ass. But if it gets you the look you want, whaddya gonna do?
Thank you Roger. That makes sense.
Hi, great ideas. Instead of Ditra, could you use a thin wood? Hobby Lobby has bass wood in 3/32″ thickness, which is exactly what I need? Will thinset adhere to the wood? Or, should I install the wood to the backerboard with liquid nail first? Any thoughts? I appreciate your insights.
Dave
Hey David,
You CAN NOT use any type of wood at all. It will swell when it gets wet which will debond your tile. If you only need a thin layer you can install your insert tile to a piece of kerdi, which is about 1/32″, but you can build up thinset behind it to whatever you need without it squeezing out.
Thanks for advice; what is “kerdi?” I’d love to use Ditra, but only need about 3 square feet…not an $85 dollar roll; is there a vendor who sells small quantities?
Thanks again,
Dave
Kerdi is a thin waterproof sheet membrane made by schluter – the same company that makes ditra. You can get ditra by the foot from ShagTools here: Ditra by the foot
Roger,
Thanks for the tip; unfortunately Shag Tools (your link) is not able to sell Schluter products outside of 10 specific states…and mine is not one of the 10. I’ll try to get info from Schluter.
Dave
Hi, we are installing 12″ granite tiles in our tub surround with a 5″ glass mosaic border. We used ditra to raise up the border tiles to the same height as the granite tiles. However, we did not turn the ditra upside down as you recommend here. Are we doomed to have the border tiles soon fall off? They seem to be set pretty good right now.
Hey Kirk,
Nope, it can go either way. It’s just easier to use it upside down as you’re installing. The bond is the same once it’s set and cured.
Roger,
Instead of shimming individual accent inserts as you’ve nicely described in this post, do you have any thoughts on shimming larger areas? Specifically, I have glass mosaic strips that I want to make a border out of (one edge of the border will abut a thicker tile). I’m thinking bonding each border piece to Ditra and then installing each piece would be a little too tedious. What do you think about bonding the Ditra to the border substrate and then bonding the glass to the already installed Ditra?
Thanks.
Hey Don,
It works both ways. When I do an accent strip in showers I normally install the ditra on the wall, then the tile to it. It’s just faster that way – you get the same result.
We’re using 4.5″x18″ Carrara marble tiles for the bathroom walls. So it’s a large format in one direction, not large on the other. Part of me says you’ve spent a boatload on the tile, floor warmer, linear drain, etc. just spend the extra $400 for the Tuscan leveling system. The other part or me says Ack! You’ve spent X on the bathroom already!
Also, with Carrara marble, grey, white, and occassional gold do you lean towards a bright white grout or something with some grey (smoke grey) in it? Ever mixed half white and half something else (by weight of course) when making up grout? I only ask as I did our other shower with bright white about 2 years ago and it is somewhat yellowed in time. Maybe something with some grey won’t do that.
Thanks again.
I have done nearly everything you can imagine with grout (in tile – only
) You can mix colors as long as you use the same brand and keep your mixes consistent. Any tile over 16″ on ANY side is considered a large format tile. If it’s 18″ x 1″ – it’s large format.
Color-wise I go with whatever the homeowner wants.
I have used laticrete silver-gray a lot in carrera. works well and looks good. If you have the option get the tls – you’ll be glad you did. The first part of you is right – spent that much money don’t scrimp on the final portion.
If it helps I’ll buy the caps and leftover straps from you when you’re done. Seriously. I’ll use them. Then you’re only paying for the straps. I may even buy the gun. If I don’t I know where you can sell it.
Alright, you sold me on it.
I’ll order it up!
Just let me know what you have when you’re finished.
OK, I know it’s almost a month since I asked but I had to replumb for the linear drain and put in floor heat and SLC and shower mudbed and coats of Hydroban. Finally put down the floor (12″x24″ Carrara herringbone style) over the long weekend. I thought the big tile would make putting it down fast. Wrong.
Took me 2 days to get the floor down. About 20 tiles /day to thinset the floor and backbutter each tile and beat it all flat and even (the time consuming part) with surrounding tile. Then I cleaned out the joints all nicely and push the cap on the Tuscan Leveling System thing and snug it down with the tool and…it pulls thinset up into the joint under the cap so I can’t clean it until it dries. I broke off all the TLS caps tonight and I have a bunch of thinset removal to do that I wasn’t really planning for.
I still have the walls to do with big tile, is there a trick to working with the TLS so you don’t have thinset cleanup at each cap?
You have too much thinset on top of the tls foot. Are you combing thinset on the back of the tile as well? Normally if you just backbutter (with the flat side of your trowel) you can install a tile, slide the strap under there pulling up slightly as you do it so it slides in directly against the back of the tile, then install the next tile. You should have a minimum amount of thinset between the strap and foot if you do it that way.
Whether you comb the back of the tile or just backbutter it sliding it in against the back of the tile will eliminate a lot of that squeeze-through. There is ALWAYS a little bit somewhere. I still have to scrape thinset every time I use the tls. But you can minimize it with proper technique.
I was sliding the foot in on the floor after I had the tile set where I wanted it. I’ll try to bring it against the tile instead of the floor next time. Really makes sense, not sure why I didn’t think of it (maybe I’m outta shape and my back was killing me
) Thanks again for all the great info!
My local Lowe’s is still stocking what they call SpectraLock Stainproof epoxy grout in the mini unit. I’m planning to get that when grouting time comes, but… what’s your take on minimum grout line using epoxy grout? I’ve used it before and it seems sanded to me. Can I use it in a 1/16 grout line? Also, any opinion on the tile leveling systems out there (Rubi, Tuscan). They seem to have the same basic idea, but do they work well?
Thanks for all the great info on the site.
Hey GMohr,
I regularly use spectralock with 1/16″ grout lines. It is sanded, but the ‘sand’ is a very small granular colorant. It works fine in smaller grout lines. I use the Tuscan system with most large format tile and stone – it works very, very well. Haven’t used the others, once I used the TLS I saw no need for the others. I hear they all work fine, I know the TLS works great.
Hi Roger,
I’m hoping you can help me. I’ll try to make long story short. I’ve been wanting to retile my shower for the last few months. Well, due to a bad water leak and what I thought was a termite problem (turned out to be carpenter ants) I had to tear out all the tile and damage drywall. So now I’m staring at studs. I had collected a few piece of tile to try to get an idea of what I want. I have 3 pieces of 18×18 natural stone that’s about 1/2 in. in thickness that I would like to use as the center piece on each wall. The other 18×18 tile is about 1/4 in. in thickness. I thought of using some 12×12 to limit how much cutting I would need to do well because I suck at cutting straight but that of course is also a different thickness. I know this sounds crazy since I’ve never done this before and I need to figure this out before I put the hardiebacker up.
Hey Mori,
You can either install an additional layer of 1/4″ backer where you do not have the inserts, use a much bigger trowel on the field tile than on the inserts to bump out the field tile even, have the inserts sticking out further than the field tile, get a different insert tile the same thickness as the field tile, or get a different field tile the same thickness as the insert.
Those are the options. Whichever you choose is the right one.
The easiest would be to get a new tile for one or the other. Second easiest is an additional layer of backer. Most difficult is the different size trowel – it makes a mess attempting to get that much thinset behind tile that thin.
Wow, you answer quick. So I should get two 1/4 backerboard, cut out one for the 1/2 in tile so that its leveled with the 1/4 tile. How do I keep the two backer board together?
I answer quick when I’m online – went to a baseball game…not so quick.
Two 1/4 will work fine. Install the first layer with a minimum amount of screws – just to hold it there. Then cut the second layer so it will fit around your 1/2″ tiles and screw it up. At this point screw through both layers into the studs to create your wall substrate. A screw down every stud about every 10-12 inches. Once it’s up you should be able to just insert your 1/2″ tiles right into the recessed areas and the rest should match up. I would install the field tile first and make sure you have enough room to add thinset as needed to make them match up. It’s likely your tiles aren’t exactly 1/4″ difference – the backer is.
Hey Roger – I’m new to your blog but so far it seems to me that I’m lucky to have found it! My little problem is that I have a 12 x 12 marble tile installed on a shower wall (cut down to a 6×12…ugh!) with a different 12 x 12 marble tile ( yes you guess it it to is cut down to a 6 x 12) as a border. Herein lies the problem – lippage – on an already installed product no less grouted!!! What is the best way to fix this? Is it even possible?
Thanks in advance – Stacey
Hi Stacey,
You can have it ground and repolished. However, the cost of that is comparable to completely rebuilding the shower. My costs associated with rehoning and polishing an installation like that are around the same (materials and labor) as removing the current installation and rebuilding it.
So yeah, it’s possible, but it’ll cost the same to redo it. Likely much less if you do it yourself. Rehoning and polishing marble IS NOT something that can be done by anyone but a professional. I do it, trust me on that one.
Hello Roger,
I have a 12″ x12″ mesh backed tile that is made up of both glass and stone tiles. Ea. glass/stone piece on the mesh is about 1 3/4″ long x 1/2″ wide. I have a glass cutting rated 7″ wet saw blade but can that blade be used to cut the stone as well? Thickness of the tiles is about 3/8″. Seems nuts to me to have to change out the blade every 1/2″. Wrong forum for this question I know (can’t find the right one), tile the shower floor first or the shower walls first?
Thank you!
John
Hi John,
Yes, you can use that blade for both the glass and the stone. I prefer the floors first, but if your shower is waterproofed correctly it doesn’t matter at all which is installed first. Whichever is easier for you.
Hi Kevin,
While redoing my mastler bath, I’ve run into a little problem. We have chosen two different tiles for the shower floor. One is a 1×3 marble accent strip that is 3/8 thick. This tile is one we would like to run in a perimeter strip around the shower floor. The other is a 1×1 travertine mosaic that is 1/4 thick which would be for the field tile. The floor has already been floated. How can we butt the thinner field tile up,to the taller edge trim tile without having problems. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Gary
Hi Gary,
With thinner field tile the best you can do is normally just use a larger trowel for the field tile.
I have to break out an existing shower pan but leave the walls(except of course the first row of tiles which also has to be removed to get the pan out)That first row is about 12″. Now, I’m going back with durock on walls with kerdi on it and a kerdi pan with kerdi drain. What should be done for where the durock meets old tile substrate on the walls to prevent leaking because once tile is put back and grouted the grout joint between the old and new tile would be right over that joint between the old and new substrates.
Another question: I have stone tile in a kitchen and on a patio. What should be used to clean it and put sheen on it?
Hey Chuck,
I would silicone between those two substrates to ensure a continuous seal. What type of stone? Miracle sealant’s has very good stone cleaner and sealers. If you want a shiny surface they also have enhancing sealers that will do that for you.
Is there a specific type of thinset used for mosaic glass tile (12x12x1″ sheet) for a shower wall?
Thanks
Hey Tony,
With most glass mosaics a good modified thinset will work just fine. You can normally just use the same thinset you’re using for all the rest of the tile.
This post is amazing! I just asked this same question on another tile forum and people though I was nuts! Great minds think alike
Question: I am installing 18×18 Travertine floors using Ditra using Versabond thinset (yes, I know it is modified, but I am unable to find any unmodified in my area except the crap at HD). I want to inset some marble tiles in each corner of my large travertine tiles. Would this above method be adequate? My marble is approx 1/4 inch thinner than the travertine.
Hi Nancy,
Yup, works on floor too.
Hello Roger,
Your website was incredibly helpful when I did my kitchen floor, which turned out fantastic. My father in law is an old school contractor and I kept fighting with him because my dogs were running around on fire.
My question is about a new project I am starting. I am going to tile my fireplace with glass mosaic tile. I have figured out that I need to use that cement board with the metal mesh in it so I can use the cement screws to attach it to the wall. I think the regular cement board is too brittle to support that kind of screw.
Where I need the help in this project is an uneven surface. The face of the fireplace has a recessed portion which is about 1/2 inch deep and 1’x3′ in size. I thought about putting thicker backer board in the void but it will not make up the difference. I don’t think i should stack the backer board.
Suggestions?
Max
Hey Max,
You can stack backer to flush that out, no problem at all with that. To get it to the correct depth, if one piece won’t quite do it, just install the filler piece with thinset rather than screws – you can then bump it out flush with more thinset as needed.
Hi Roger:
This site is the greatest!
I have question about mosaic tile being used for a shower floor. The tile I would like to use is 2″x2″ in sheets 12″ square and they are only about 3/16″ thick. Can I use them or look for something thicker? How thick?
Also, can I build up the area around my drain with thinset (3/8″ let it dry) to bring the thin tile up to the right height? Even with the added thinset the slope would still be 1/2″ per foot since I made the pan slope steeper than needed.
Does it hurt anything to sift the sand out of the thinset for really tiny tile setting?
Thank you,
Dave
The 3/16″ will work just fine. Yes you can build up around the drain to get the proper height. If you sift the sand out of the thinset it will shrink – a lot. But it doesn’t hurt anything, it just shrinks more as it cures.
Hey Roger.
I’m not sifting all of the sand out of the thinset, just what a flour sifter will catch. If I don’t take the 1/16″ grains out the tiny tiles teeter on them.
Thanks again, Dave
I love the idea of mating mosaics to Ditra….I have a ‘detail tile ‘ that is like a mosaaic, however they are a bunch of 1/2″x4″ tiles glued to a mesh backer. On the sides, every other row sticks out from the row above, so when you place it beside each other they interlock…(God, I hope that makes sense).My question is, how to cut out the Ditra so it catches these ‘mini tiles’ that extend to the sides??? In your photos above, the mosaic is perfectly rectangle….
Hey Kevin,
I normally just cut the rectangle out and offset the ditra so there is an open area for the piece from the next row that locks in. That part gets stuck to the ditra as you’re putting it up on the wall. (God, I hope that makes sense).
I’m (kinda) confused. When you say “offset the Ditra”, do you mean that the tiles that extend (every other row) beyond the main group of tiles would not be thinseted to the Ditra, as in Photo 8 above? What size trowel do you use for the Ditra backed mosaic tile?….
Hey Kevin,
Yes, when you initially bond it to the ditra leave the part that locks into the pattern overhanging the ditra. Then as you install it on the wall just bond that overhanging piece to the open piece on the pattern before it. KnowWhatIMean?
I use a 1/4″ v-notch trowel to install mosaics to ditra.
What do you think of 1/8″ vinyl floor tile being used as a backer for mosaics? Also, does your mosaic/ditra combo have to be supported on the wall, or does it stay in place on its own?
Hey Kevin,
As long as you have a good thinset which will bond to the vinyl – guaranteed – then it will be fine. The biggest problem is that most of these tiles have a shiny or waxy coating on them which makes it very, very difficult to get a long-term bond.
Hi Roger,
I stumbled across your site and love it. I had my entire bathroom gutted (60 year old bathroom). I am unhappy with the tile job. I am a picky person
I took some pic’s, I’m just not sure how to get them to you.
I am not sure if Ditra was used for the glass accent tiles. The problem is thinset is around some of the tiles, not grout. The thinset has peaked out in other places too.
At first the border was set and was obviously not square in the corner. I was told the wall wasn’t plum; however, they were new walls. I had them “fix” that issue but now I see even more thinset and not grout. Note I think it’s epoxy grout and we did not caulk the tub, just used grout.
Thanks,
Sherri
Hi Sherri,
You can upload photos here: FloorElf’s photo upload page. There are many substrate that can be used to bump out the glass, it doesn’t have to be ditra – that’s just what I use. Thinset will always ooze through mosaics, it just needs to be cleaned before grouting – it sounds as if that just wasn’t done. Whoever did your tile is responsible for fixing that. Any change of plane, including the tile/tub transition, needs caulk or silicone – not grout.
I want to use 12 x 12 marble tiles half way up my shower walls and 3 X 8 glass tiles the rest of the way. Also, the shower ceiling will be covered with the marble tiles. The marble tiles are thicker than the glass tiles. Do the tiles need to be flush with each other? If so, what do you suggest?
Hi Jayne,
You need an additional substrate behind the glass. I use ditra a lot to create flush tile – as I’ve described above. You can also use 1/4″ backerboard, which would probably be a better option with as much as you need to shim out.
Hi
Great site! I have learned a lot but I still have a bunch of questions. I am remodeling a small 5’X7′ bathroom with a tub/shower on the 11th floor of a Coop apartment. We want to use large glass tiles on the walls (pattern of 9×18, 4×12 & 3×6 tiles) and frosted oval glass mosaic tiles on the floor. Is it just a stupid idea to try and DIY with such large glass tiles?
I have demolished the floor down to the concrete slab (which is flat but not level) and the walls down to the studs (1 5/8″ metal lattice studs). I plan to double up the studs, plumb the walls, add cross bracing and Hardie or Durock backerboard. Would it be a good idea to put a bead of polyurethane construction adhesive on both faces of the new studs to stiffen up the wall?
For a crack isolation/waterproofing membrane would Durock tile membrame be good? I thought since its vapor permeable the thinset behind the glass tiles might set faster/better. Is Laticrete 254 a good thinset to use or do you have another recommendation? Should I use the quickset thinset? Kerdi seems like a great product but is there a thinset that will work with it and large glass tiles?
I was thinking of using a urethane grout. Is Starglass really needed or can the cheaper Starquartz be used without scratching the glass? Since urethane grout is somewhat flexible can it be used at a change in plane instead of caulking? Do you prefer urethane or epoxy grout? Would you recommend using a grout release with frosted glass and are they compatable with urathane/epoxy grouts?
The floor will have a suntouch radiant heating mat. I need to raise the floor about 3/4″ before tiling. I was planning on attaching 1/4″ cork with thinset to the slab as a thermal break. Then embedding the heating mat in ~1/2″ of thinset or self leveling concrete followed by an crack isolation membrane and tile. Should the slab be acid etched or primed with latex before applying the thinset? What do you recommend to use for embedding the heating mat? Should I use the same membrane I use on the walls on the floor?
Sorry for the long winded questions. Take a break and have a beer.
Any advice you can provide is greatly appreciated.
Lawrence
Hi Lawrence,
To be honest yes, it is kind of a stupid idea.
Not so much stupid at all, more an issue of misunderstanding. Not to be an ass, I’m not trying to be, but professionals, including myself, need to research each particular glass we work with. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of different glass tile manufacturers out there and every one of them has their own installation requirements. So regardless of what I tell you about the installation there are certain to be aspects of it that will differ. Each installation differs, techniques, setting materials, acceptable applications, etc. Every one is different. If you indeed want to do all that you need to contact the manufacturer. It can be done, but it requires specific techniques.
The durock membrane is good, but may not be approved for your glass. Starglass is good as is starquartz, but either may scratch your glass. Glass tile can be manufactured with one of three techniques, the specific glass may be easily scratched or not, I dunno. I have NEVER seen a glass manufacturer that would accept a non-modified thinset – kerdi is out. Urethane grout can not be used in lieu of silicone. If you don’t allow for proper movement your glass will crack.
Laticrete’s 254 is great stuff, their glass tile adhesive is better for most glass – not all. Do not use quickset with glass – it may crack. I prefer epoxy grout – but you can’t use it with all glass – it may crack. Radiant heating under glass? Nope, it’ll crack. Catching a theme here?
I prefer using thinset and ditra over heating elements. I think I’ve answered most of the questions I could and most in regards to regular tile – glass, not so much… Sorry.
Thanks for the quick response. I was afraid that would be the general gist of your response. Even though its stupid I still love the look of the glass tile and haven’t completely given up on it. I will check with the manufacturer about more specific installation instructions. The website that has the affordable glass wall tile we are looking at only gives very general installation instructions on their website (I know that probably is not a good sign :cry:) The manufacturer of the oval glass mosaic is very reputable. Would it still be stupid to use them if they claim the 1 1/4″ x 3/4″ tiles can be used with radiant heat?
I have another question about the substrate. There is an approximately 15″ wide ceramic vent pipe running inside the wall near one corner. There are no studs in this area and no room to add any. Directly attached to the vent is approximately 3/4″ of chicken wire reinforced cement with about 1/4″ of gypsum plaster. These layers cannot be easily removed without damaging the vent. The plaster is approximately even with the new backer board. Where the new cement board abuts this area can I just tape the seam and skin coat it with thinset to even it? Would it be a better idea to then cover the entire wall with an additional 1/4″ of cement backer? Do you have any other specific suggestions for transitioning to this area?
Thanks again for the great site. I loved your detailed instructions on creating a nitche.
Lawrence
If the manufacturer says it can be used over radiant heat it’s fine – they take the risk. Just be sure to follow their installation requirements to the letter.
It would be better on that wall to install a continuous membrane of some sort over that area. This can be 1/4″ backer, kerdi, any crack-suppression membrane or any membrane which will create a continuous surface on that wall. It needs to be tied into the rest of the wall behind the tile. Skimming thinset will simply float it out, not tie it in. It may still crack at the transition.
I’m hoping to use 4 x 16 subway tiles with a 2 x 2 marble tile for an insert in two small bands in the shower.
1. Can that be done as the subway tile is thinner than the marble.
2. If it can be done (fingers crossed!) should I use a marble pencil tile in between the subway tile and 2 x 2 marble tile.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Hi Melissa,
1. Yes, you can do that. If you want all the tile to be flush, however, you’ll either need to build out the substrate behind the subway tile or inset the marble.
2. That would actually be the ideal technique – because the pencil rail will hide the fact that the tile is not flush. Do that.
You rock!
Not only did you tell me what I wanted to hear (which always raises people in my esteem,haha), but you were uber fast doing it!
Can you use the same sanded grout if doing a tub surround with big, 12X12 or 12X24 slate-looking tile and putting a glass tile accent strip? Will sanded scratch the glass?
Hi Cece,
Some glass will scratch and some won’t, it depends on the glass. Test it on an extra piece before you try. As long as it doesn’t scratch then yes, you can use the same grout. I’ve only had four or five glass tiles that would scratch over the course of nineteen years, so it’s fairly rare.
Good morning,
Bet you are already up?
On the above tiling method can I use something else besides Ditra, if I don’t have it? and if so how? I am using RedGard for waterproofing instead.
Thank you,
Anita
Hi Anita,
Yes, you can use a cement backerboard or any substrate suitable for we areas. Note that they must be water stable – that is, they don’t deform or break down when wet. While denshield is acceptable as a shower substrate only the face of it has the waterproof aspect, it can break down if the core of it is left wet.
Since you are using redgard you can also flip your mosaics over and place the alkali-resistant mesh tape on the back of it (ummm, you have that, right? Because you put walls up and taped and mudded them – right???
) then redgard over that. The idea is to get a full layer on the back of the insert so you can build up the thinset behind it to make your insert flush without it squeezing through the smaller grout lines.
I just used this method (Redgard over mesh on the back of Mosaic) and It’s a fantastic way to go. It makes the Mosaic more stiff and doesn’t allow any thinset through the smaller grout lines..
Hey Kevin,
Yup, that works well also. You can also install the mosaics to a layer of kerdi, then build up whatever you need behind it without the mess.