James
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| posted on 17/12/10 at 04:38 PM |
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OT: Tiling question- small glass tiles
Tiling the parents bathroom for them and a bit unsure how to progress with some of the tiling.
The floor tiles are done. Most of the wall tiles are done and looking good.
At about chest height Mum wants a strip of decorative tiles. The ones she's bought are glass strips, about 12mm tall x 140mm long x 6mm
thick.
They come on a very flexible backing sheet in a 3x4 layout although they are spaced out so they 'interlock' (like bricks!).
A bit like this:
----------...----------...----------
.......----------...----------...----------
----------...----------...----------
.......----------...----------...----------
(Ignore the full stops, LB auto-removes the spaces I used!)
Because I was running out of time to finish before a party my parents were having (for which, weirdly, the wanted a working bathroom  ) I paid a
plumber friend to help me. He's done a bunch of these glass tiles but frankly they look pretty dreadful. The spacing is out, some of them have
'rolled' so they stick out along a long edge. Mum isn't happy and wants them re-done. 
Current plan is to start some of them elsewhere in the bathroom and see if I make a better job of it. If so, I'll take off the other wonky ones
and re-do them.
Part of the problem is that the glass tiles are thinner than the main wall tiles. Consequently, to get them flush with the wall tiles they need to be
on a quite thick bed of adhesive- making it all messier and harder to do.
They're also glass so a nightmare to cut and 'explode' when I use my tile cutter on them.
I'm considering cutting the tiles off the backing sheet and doing one row at a time, letting the adhesive go off, then doing the next row.
Slower but more controlable?
Any tips/hints for doing this? I have 'peg' style tile spacers for them. Ideas on how to cut them to length?
Thanks!!!
James
[Edited on 17/12/10 by James]
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"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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Peteff
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| posted on 17/12/10 at 05:56 PM |
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Put spacers in the adhesive behind them to build up the thickness so you don't press them below the level you want. If they are glass you need a
glass cutter to score and snap them.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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rgrs
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| posted on 17/12/10 at 06:21 PM |
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I Had the same issue, in the end i used a skim of bonding coat to bring the level up between the other tiles. I used a former to level it to the
other tiles this then means that you can use less adhesive behind the tiles which helps a lot.
Leave the tiles on there backing sheet and invest in a lot of patience..
Regards Roger
 
bathroom
[Edited on 17/12/10 by rgrs]
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JoelP
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| posted on 17/12/10 at 07:25 PM |
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id screw or glue a thin layer of ply into the gap to build up depth. Thick adhesive is a receipe for disaster!
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macc man
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| posted on 17/12/10 at 07:44 PM |
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I have had this problem many times. There is no easy fix. Best thing is to get some mosaic adhesive, fill the gap between the tiles. Then using a t
shape former rake out adhesive to correct depth. lay tiles on adhesive bed and using a wooden batton,
pat down flush. fit spacers under glass tiles to support until set. Try to remove excess adhesive before fully set. Good luck.
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James
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| posted on 18/12/10 at 01:31 PM |
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Ok, thanks for the advice everyone!
Got a new deadline now... grandma coming to stay and will want the bathroom finished! 
That's next week gone then!
cheers,
James
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