Glass tiles

Glass tiles are pieces of glass formed into consistent shapes.

Glass was used in mosaics as early as 2500 BC, but it took until the 3rd century BC before innovative artisans in Greece, Persia and India created glass tiles.

Whereas clay tiles are dated as early as 8000 BC, there were significant barriers to the development of glass tiles, included the high temperatures required to melt glass, and the complexities of mastering various annealing curves for glass.

In recent years, glass tiles have become popular for both field and accent tiles. This trend can be attributed to recent technological breakthroughs, as well as the tiles’ inherent properties, in particular their potential to impart intense color and reflect light, and their imperviousness to water.

Glass tile introduces complexities to the installer. Since glass is more rigid than ceramic or porcelain tile, glass tiles break more readily under the duress of substrate shifts.

Smalti tiles

Since the 1990s a variety of modern glass tile technologies, including methods to take used glass and recreate it as ‘green’ tiles, has resulted in a resurgence of interest in glass tile as a floor and wall cladding. It is now most commonly used in pools, kitchens, spas, and bathrooms.  Small and large format glass products are now commonly formed using cast and fused glass methods. The plasticity of these methods has resulted in a wide variety of looks and applications, including floor tiles.

In the late 1990s, special glass tiles have been coated on the back side with a receptive white coating. This has allowed impregnation of heat-transfer dyes by a printing process reproducing high resolution pictures and designs. Custom printed glass tile and glass tile murals exhibit the toughness of glass on the wearing surface with photo-like pictures. These are especially practical in kitchens and showers, where cleanser and moisture resistance are important.

We can help with your glass tile installation. License #914470, Bond # SC6080959, insurance policy #U15AC87582-00. Browse past project photos. Contact for a free estimate. References available upon request!