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Still in their relative infancy, glass bathroom tiles can bring a sparkle to your bathroom. Though previously expensive, they are now a very affordable solution to bathroom tiling.

As the name suggests, glass tiles are made from glass, there are 6 main types of glass tiles, named for the methods and surface treatments used to make them. Smalti, Slumped, etched, Cast, Fused and Gintered.

Opaque and able to hold intense colour, Smalti tiles are generally cut small to be used in mosaics. Smalti is an Italian word which is simply a glass glaze made from sodium/potassium carbonate melted together with silica.

A Slumped tile is a ‘pillow’ shaped tile. The glass starts life as a flat piece of glass and is curved during the firing process.

   

Available in a multitude of sizes and shapes, Fused bathroom tiles are created from a flat piece of glass cut into shape and fired in a furnace. The colour is added to these tiles by adding colour either on top or below the glass before firing. This creates a clear tile with a layer of opaque colour visible through the tile.

 

Etched glass tiles are similar to Fused tiles. The only difference being that they are given a thin translucent surface layer. This is commonly achieved by applying a cloudy glass layer to the top of the tile.

 Cast tiles are very interesting tiles. They can have many different colours and can sometimes take on the appearance of a precious stone. They are created by placing small pieces of different glass together in a mould and firing them until they start to melt and fuse. This is a common look for recycled tiles.

 

Finally, Sintered glass tiles are a good all rounder. They are very durable and scratch proof. They are created by placing glass powder in a mould and heating until the powder fuses. Colour particles can be added before firing, alternatively, colour can be given to these bathroom tiles by applying after the firing process.

Because they are so hard and brittle, glass bathroom tiles need to be handled differently to ceramic or porcelain bathroom tiles. Before doing any work with glass tiles, make sure that you are wearing appropriate eye protection. I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want when I am decorating my bathroom is a glass tile in my eye!

Glass tiles are impervious. This is great news when you are installing them in your bathroom, although, a downside of this is that if water can’t get in, neither can adhesive! This can make them very tricky to install unless you know what you are doing. If you plan on installing your tiles yourself then you will need to make sure that you have the correct tool set and adhesives.

It should be noted also that, as glass tiles are still a new phenomenon, many professionals shy away from these jobs opting for the more comfortable ground of ceramic, porcelain and natural stone tile installations. 

Author: Rodney Munch

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