Clear Glass Tiles for Enhancing Kitchen Backsplash

Clear Glass Tile is one of the most popular tiles among homeowners and interior designers who are working on a kitchen backsplash, bathroom or swimming pool project. Because clear glass tiles are translucent - you can see through, they have a shiny and rich look that opens unlimited possibilities in terms of design. Although the definition of clear/translucent glass is 'allowing light to pass through partially or diffusely', it doesn't mean that all clear glass tiles are transparent in a way that you can see, for example, an object or your hand behind it. Clear glass is the material used to make these tiles, but they can have color or not. There are basically three types of clear glass tiles: back colored, stained, and plain or non-colored. Back colored clear glass mosaic tiles are by far the most popular in the market. The tiles are made of clear/translucent glass usually from 4mm to 8mm thick, and they receive a coating/painting on the back during manufacturing, which is what gives the color to the tile. Usually they are available mesh mounted on a fiberglass sheet or as field tiles such as subway 3'x6', 4'x4', 6'x6', and even 12'x12'. Stained clear glass tiles are made of clear/translucent glass that are stained during its manufacturing process and then cut into multiple pieces. In this case, you can see all the way through it even if it has a dark stain color, and that is the reason they are not mesh-backed, otherwise you would see the mesh through the glass even after installed. Instead, they are mounted on clear-faced or paper-faced sheet. Plain or non-colored clear glass tiles are made of clear/translucent glass and do not have color in it. Though the word 'plain' is used to describe these types of tiles, they are extremely elegant and easy to work with if you want to give a special 'touch' to a kitchen backsplash, bathroom, and shower or swimming pool. Since they don't have any color in it and are totally transparent, they match any color from granite counter tops to kitchen cabinets and easily blend into the environment. Stained and Plain Clear Glass Tiles require more attention when installing. Because you can see what is on the other side of the tile, you may end up seeing the path made by the trowel when the installer was butting the wall. So it is recommended to use a white adhesive such as mastic and also butter the back of the tiles. Make sure to press the tiles firmly against the wall with a grout float and take a look if there is any air bubbles after each piece has been placed so you may correct the problem before the adhesive dries. Definitely this type of glass tiles takes more time to install but the result is absolutely worth. Stained glass tiles are the most rich and complex looking tiles available.