Glass tiles. Types and applications. Pros and cons. Features

Glass tiles in blue color in the bathroom

Glass tiles for kitchens and bathrooms are in extraordinary demand today. This is not surprising, since structures made from durable material are aesthetically pleasing to the eye and will not break the bank.

Glass mosaic in the bathroom in brown tones

Light blue tiles in a modern kitchen

Blue glass tiles give a mirror effect and visually enlarge the room

Properties of glass tiles

Currently, glass tile structures account for only 5% of the total market share of finishing materials. But in fact, such tiles have many positive characteristics that no other material has. Let's consider the main advantages and disadvantages of this type of finishing and evaluate the feasibility of its use.

Glass tiles combine harmoniously with wood and chrome appliances

Advantages of glass tiles

High light reflection ability - the figure is about 92%. Due to this feature, the material guarantees a visual increase in space, making the room bright. Therefore, the tiles are perfect for small bathrooms and kitchens.
High level of resistance to external influences, as well as to high humidity and chemicals. This product is not afraid of detergents, does not fade over time and does not deteriorate under the sun.

Glass tiles are resistant to fading: large windows in the bathroom are no longer a hindrance

The interior design with this finish is characterized by a delightful shine, providing brightness and attractiveness to the room. Due to the interesting look, many designers are increasingly seeking to use such tiles to implement the best ideas. Sellers offer materials in a wide selection of colors and shapes.

Blue glass tiles add a pop of color to a narrow bathroom

The ease of surface care makes life easier for many housewives and does not require special skills, as well as the purchase of special detergents intended for cleaning.
The perfect safety of glass products plays an important role. Even if they are broken, they do not have sharp edges, so injuries, wounds and bruises are excluded. The use of tiled glass products for the floor is also justified by the inability to slip and fall.

In addition to the positive characteristics, glass tiles and mosaics for the bathroom and kitchen have several specific nuances. For example, it cannot withstand mechanical damage well and will not withstand strong impacts. To be able to create a design in the bathroom or kitchen, where these damages are most likely, it is worth choosing a material with a durable frame designed to prevent the formation of chips and cracks.

Budget, but very impressive glass mosaic made in Asia

Glass tiles can be used to partially decorate areas in the room, for example, near the washbasin

Glass mosaic tiles for bathroom

Glass mosaic allows you to create exclusive finishing options in the bathroom. By using small decors and mosaics in combination with tiles, you can create original compositions. Glass mosaic is an interesting alternative for lovers of modern design.

The extensive range of glass products offers many possibilities. There are glossy, matte mosaics, with pearl or gold elements and shiny surfaces. It is especially suitable for installation on surfaces exposed to constant exposure to water and detergents - powder, soap, shampoos, which is very important when decorating bathroom walls. Here glass fulfills its functions perfectly. This mosaic allows you to visually enlarge and illuminate the room. The appearance of small elements located over a large area around the sink, shower or on individual parts of the walls is attractive.

Reliability of glass tiles: truth and myths

For many years, even the most advanced designers were afraid to use such tiles due to their low practicality. Owners of houses and apartments have always been convinced that the kitchen backsplash or bathroom decoration will quickly deteriorate in the event of minimal chemical influences. In fact, as subsequent practice has shown, the material can act as an effective cladding, not inferior in characteristics to traditional ceramic tiles.

Glossy glass tiles have an interesting mirror effect and can create an additional pattern due to the play of light

Ordinary glass is usually considered to be a fragile material, but this cannot be said about tiles made from it. Even if it is broken, the formation of dangerous chips is excluded: the material scatters into small particles with rounded corners, unable to harm children and adults. So if you have small children in your house, you can not be afraid and experiment.

Enameled glass tiles in blue shades of the bathroom

Glass tiles for bathroom walls

Glass tiles can be an excellent alternative to ceramic tiles or other types of cladding. There are very decorative options. Multicolored tiles can complement Murano glass decors with reference to traditional glass techniques. Colored glass tiles look impressive both in the bathroom and on the wall in the living room. For example, there are decors with a three-dimensional surface, which gives an interesting effect of play of light and brightness of the interior.

The appearance of glass tiles: a solution to any interior problems

Modern products are offered in a wide variety. Developers and manufacturers are constantly improving the look and range of products, so you can find many new collections of a single color plan, with simple patterns and designs. Thanks to the use of special technology, the pattern becomes stable and durable. Even if mechanical damage occurs, the printed image will not be affected. The cladding will have a special effect when glass tiles are combined with ceramic ones; such a bouquet will create a rich and luxurious environment, characterized by increased practicality.

You can create a pattern in the bathroom using multi-colored glass tiles

Small rectangular glass tiles highlight the perfection of a modern bathroom

Combining different sizes and shapes of blue glass tiles

Styles in which it is preferable to use glass tiles:

There are many style trends in which the use of this facing material is irreplaceable.

The eastern direction is famous for its large amount of brightness. Original patterned tiles are the best solution for the background.
Art Nouveau style involves a minimum of details, and the spot use of discreet tiles will emphasize the gloss and shine of the space
Italian style – there should be some color here, so tiles with bright thematic patterns will be the optimal solution.
Country can also contain small tiled structures, especially if they are chosen harmoniously and concisely according to the color palette.

If you decide to buy glass tiles for the kitchen and bathroom, you need to immediately decide on the style direction, and then begin making the final choice.

Decorating a bathroom in Art Nouveau style with red glass mosaic tiles

How to make tiles from glass waste

The technology for making glass tiles is simple, so you can make a similar material at home. The so-called “cold” production method means that no components need to be heated or melted. Glass waste is useful for making tiles, which means the finished product will be economically profitable. Briefly, the whole process can be divided into several stages:

First, molds are prepared for the production of tiles from broken glass, the glass itself and the binding component are prepared.
Glass waste is crushed into small fragments and mixed with a binder.
Dye is added to the mass and also mixed with the other ingredients.
This mixture is poured into molds where it finally hardens.
Then the material can be divided into parts that are more convenient in size.

Glass tiles made by yourself will be unique and inimitable, and in quality they will be able to compete with Italian analogues. At the same time, it will cost you much less, because its cost is relatively low, and you will not incur any additional expenses.

Let's consider what materials may be needed to produce glass tiles:

Waste glass, the main component of the material, can be obtained free of charge, for example, from glass workshops or window manufacturing companies. In extreme cases, if the waste is not given to you for free, it will be sold for a symbolic price.
It is convenient to use polyester resin as a binding component, the price of which is also very reasonable. For 1 kg of broken glass it will take approximately 50 g of resin.
Those who decide to produce tiles in large quantities, for example, for sale, will have to acquire an electric glass crusher. You can either make the device yourself or buy it in a specialized store.
To tint the material, you will need appropriate dyes. They will help to color the tile even at the stage of mixing the components, so its entire thickness will have a certain tone that will not fade in the sun.

To produce tiles for sale, it would be advisable to find suppliers of raw materials. Working with polyester resin also has its own subtleties. It is known that the material hardens quite quickly - within an hour, and during this time you need to have time to mix the components and pour them into molds.

During the work process, small air bubbles often form in the thickness of the material. If you want the tiles to be free of them and the structure to be uniform, purchase a vacuum unit. The molds with the mixture are placed in such an installation for 2 hours, after which the high-quality material with a homogeneous dense structure is ready.

According to rough estimates, equipment for the production of tiles costs more than 3,000 rubles; for reusable molds you will also have to pay from 200 rubles per 1 m². But the tile manufacturing process itself is quite fast, as is the payback of such a business.

Application of glass tiles

The relevance of this type of finishing is fully justified, because it fits perfectly into residential, commercial and public spaces. Such designs “feel” best in the kitchen and bathroom; the elements can be used in the living room or in the hallway. There are some tips from professional designers that will help you achieve good results and create the interior of your dreams.

Embossed glossy red tiles chosen to decorate one of the bathroom walls

Antique style bathroom with glass tiles on the walls and floors

In the bathroom, designs should be made diagonally to achieve the illusion of a special depth of space.
To increase the size of the room, you can lay glass tiles on the ceiling - this will create an incredible effect.
Glass tiles will become a faithful assistant for finishing too narrow corridors.

Tip: if you want to create a masterpiece of decoration in the hallway, it is recommended to lay the glass material on the left side at the beginning, and on the right only at the end. This will create the opportunity to diffuse natural light and make the corridor more comfortable.

Glossy glass tiles and a mirror will help visually expand the space of the bathroom.

Other uses of liquid glass

The production of liquid glass is a procedure that is essentially similar to the silicification of concrete structures.

Types of tile elements made of glass material

Glass decor is represented by products equipped with small dimensional parameters used to create panels and mosaics.
Enameled products are opaque and can be painted any color. Large thickness (9 mm) guarantees additional strength.

Enameled glass tiles on bathroom walls

Glass marble is a product that imitates marble and is used to decorate walls indoors.
Tiles made from colored glass. Products can have dimensions even greater than 100 mm.

Colored glass tiles in the decor of a dark bathroom can be diluted with white elements

Glass structures are also represented by enameled products that have high resistance to temperature changes.

Tip: the use of different types of tiles is relevant for different rooms and styles, so you must first decide on the general theme of the room, and then begin selecting solutions.

Marble glass tiles look luxurious in a dark bathroom with spot lighting

Features of bathroom arrangement

If you want to make your bathroom a real work of art, you need to choose the tiles wisely. It is ideal for finishing wall and floor surfaces. The environmental properties of the material allow home owners to completely relax with health benefits. It is important to use transparent or translucent options; matte tiles have also come into use. Glass tiles for the bathroom should be selected taking into account the overall style of the room and its size.

Harmonious design of a bathroom with windows: the use of coffee-colored tiles that match the accessories

Features of the design of the kitchen space

The use of special manufacturing technologies allows leading brands to obtain a deep transparent structure; therefore, ready-made solutions look stylish and presentable. The presence of beautiful colors in depth provides the room with a beautiful appearance, and this does not affect the properties of transparency and the overall appearance of the room.

Glass mosaic tiles in the kitchen

In the kitchen, glass tiles will look prestigious and solid. The main design that glass tiles can create for the kitchen is an apron. Also in the kitchen space, such designs can be used to decorate ceilings, walls, countertops and window sills. You can radically change the interior and add incredible coatings to it.

The silver color of the kitchen apron will highlight the sophistication of the white kitchen

Rectangular glass tiles in a country house kitchen look simple and tasteful

Dimensions of glass tiles

The visual perception of the room and the comfort of owners and guests depends on the correct combination of selected sizes and colors of structures.

Medium format blue tiles in the ocean breeze inspired bathroom

Standard glass tile

Its dimensional parameters, like those of other types of materials, are 20*30 cm. The use of medium-sized facing elements is advisable in spacious and medium-sized spaces, because the seams during installation will not irritate, and if you choose the direction along the long side, the surface will be visually stretched.

Decorating a kitchen backsplash using standard gray glass tiles

Large dimensional values

The size of such products can reach 25*40 cm; usually the designs are used to decorate the floor, since walls with such dimensions will not receive any zest. The products can be partially used for wall decoration.

Decorating the bathroom area with large blue tiles

Mosaic tiles

These materials are minimally demanding on the surface. Thanks to their moderate and competent use, you can level any walls and create a noble and attractive appearance in the room. With the help of such designs, glass tile panels for the bathroom, as well as products with numerous patterns, can be created. The main difficulty in using such elements is caused by the reduction of space. To avoid this effect, it is worth using compositional harmonizing solutions involving standard tiles and mosaics.

Blue mosaic tiles in the bathroom

Glass tiles for kitchens and bathrooms: surface care features

Wall cladding with glass instead of ceramic tiles in the bathroom

However, this does not mean at all that now “unfashionable” tiles can be retired. On the contrary, the combination of glass and ceramic tiles can create completely new original effects

There are no problems in covering walls or floors with both ceramic and glass tiles: glass tiles have a standard thickness of 8 mm, and therefore combine well with ceramic ones. By the way, in some cases, even the manufacturers themselves offer consumers ready-made mixes of glass and ceramic tiles. At the same time, both types of tiles can be laid using the same materials, and therefore the cost of installation will not increase

Stunning solutions can be achieved in the interior if the glass tiles are illuminated in a special way. With spectacular lighting, glass tiles will sparkle in a completely new way.

with your own colors. If you organize lighting from the inside, which glass tiles from some manufacturers can do, the effect will be even more stunning.

Glass tiles in the interior are modern, stylish, and unusual. Feel free to experiment with glass tiles in your bathroom, kitchen or other rooms to bring your unique interior design to life!

Glass tiles for kitchen backsplash, mosaic for bathroom

Glass is an elegant and versatile material, making it ideal for modern interiors. Glass tiles will give your walls a new, attractive appearance. Glass tiles and mosaics can be used to decorate the walls in the kitchen and bathroom.

Glass tiles look great when used to cover an entire wall. It is often used as a decorative element and is available in a wide range of shapes, colors and patterns. It can be easily matched to the individual taste and character of your bathroom or kitchen. A wide range of colors allows you to combine glass elements with most types of wall tiles. This universal decoration will look good in company with plain tiles, both shiny and matte. It can be a decorative element or create the main decoration of the interior.