Glass Tile

Glass tiles are a versatile and durable addition to any design.  Glass tile can be made many ways.  Some glass tiles are made by pressing a paste, made out of silica and other minerals, into a mold and then kiln firing the mold at temperatures around 2300 degrees.  These tiles can be clear or milky, and if phosphorous is added to the paste they can take on an iridescent quality.  Other tiles are made by placing chunks of glass in molds, and then melting the chunks together in a furnace.  A similar process involves melting sheet glass, similar to the glass used for windshields, ladling it into molds and then firing it.  One advantage to using glass chunks or sheet glass is that the glass can come from almost anywhere.  This means recycled glass can be used, both post-consumer recycled glass and factory waste from the glass making process.  Once the glass is fired, it can be cut and polished to shape.  Sometimes additives are added to the glass to create color, other times the back of a clear glass tile will be painted the desired color.  Just as with ceramic tile, the hotter the temperature at which the glass is fired the more strength the glass will have.  Glass tile can be incredibly strong and durable, and comes in a multitude of sizes and shapes.  It can be used on walls, floors, interior/exterior applications, as well as being incorporated into designs using other mediums.  While glass installations can be incredibly elaborate, the most common applications we see with glass, incorporate the glass into a pattern using stone or ceramic.  Glass comes in such a wide variety of colors and textures that it can be used to compliment any design.  Come in and let one of our design experts’ help you play with glass options!  Here are just a few examples of what can be done with glass!

This installation uses Oceanside Glass bars, in alternating sizes and colors, for a clean retro look.  Oceanside can be used for a backsplash (like the photo), wall applications, or for the floor.  It comes in lots of colors, and shapes, and Oceanside does custom blends. 

 This shower installation features Legacy Glass by American Olean.  Legacy Glass is a clear glass with a painted back, and comes in a huge array of gorgeous colors.  It comes in a variety of sizes and is perfect for a backsplash or shower wall, because it is so easy to clean!  In this application, we used a feature panel of glass in a field of Silver Pearl 18×18 marble.

Here is another example of a shower installation.  This display uses two different glass tile lines, both from Walker Zanger, Roku Glass, which is a large format painted back glass, and Mantra Glass, which is a 5/8×5/8 glass tile.  This monochramatic use of glass with varying textures creates a soothing, but unique visual experience.

 This wall mural features a Sicis Glass Mosaic.  Sicis Glass is made from a paste, which creates extreme shade variation, this gives the mural its beautiful depth and dimension.  This mural was custom made for a showroom, but something like this could easily be done for a backsplash or shower wall.