Glass tiles have been making a comeback over the last couple of years with their modern iterations spilling over into the interior world. Where ceramic tile was once the norm, glass tiles are taking over for the fresh, -trendy look that they lend. Shower walls, kitchen backsplashes, accent walls, tub surrounds, they are going everywhere. Now their installation is similar to that of natural stone, porcelain or ceramic. But glass tiles are one tricky set of tiles to fix and the process has been known to be extremely frustrating. Why is it so? Let’s take a look:

• A glass tile is translucent. So, any adhesive may show through or discolor the tile, disturbing an otherwise picture-perfect tile installation. Color inconsistency in the bonding mortar behind the glass tile can create color variations in the tile too. Since they are reflective, the imperfections are much more visible
• Glass tiles are fragile in nature warranting installers to exercise additional precautions to prevent breakage
• These tiles are more expensive than ceramic tiles so if there is damage during installation, costs can escalate
• Their installations are prone to failure when there are voids/randomly distributed air pockets behind the mortar, caused by the uneven spreading of the mixture or the shrinking of the mortar
• Traditional mortar does not bond well with the incredibly smooth surface of glass, especially when they have painted or metallic backings.
• These installations can sometimes fail when exposed to heat or sunlight as the installation material and the glass absorb heat at various rates causing irregular expansion, thereby leading to cracks

With these challenges arising while installing glass tiles, MYK LATICRETE formulated a range of specialized products that would ensure the glass and glass mosaic tiles develop an excellent bond, no matter what the substrate and installation conditions are, as detailed below:

• MYK LATICRETE PUA 212, a 2-component, modified Polyurethane Adhesive was designed for the installation of glass tiles among other types over just about any substrate including metals. It is highly elastic and thixotropic and can lay tiles on highly expandable, deformable, absorbent and non-absorbent substrates. It is also water, heat, freezing, and thermal shock resistant.
• When it comes to more intricate tiles such as the glass mosaic, the LATICRETE DWA 215, a modified Polyurethane adhesive can come to the rescue, enabling installation on drywall boards and clean dry cement surfaces. Given that it is a single component adhesive, it rids the need for combining various proportions of materials, eliminating the possibilities of inconsistencies in color and unevenness in tiles. It has a significantly high bond strength bypass most products of the type in the market, along with being water and shock resistant.
• Better yet, the LATICRETE 254 PLATINUM thinset adhesive is designed especially for interior and exterior floor and wall installations of glass mosaic tiles while also enabling tile on tile applications. Good underwater shear bond allows this product to be used for wet wash rooms and water bodies. The LATICRETE 252 Ag SILVER thinset Adhesive, another high polymer modified thinset adhesive offers similar benefits.
• Glass mosaic tile installations in industrial and commercial areas is made possible with LATAPOXY 300, an epoxy adhesive with chemical resistant components.

Combined with the impeccable quality of its products, experts from fields ranging from construction to interior design have come to trust MYK LATICRETE’s high-tech glass solutions. The company aims to continue to deliver such innovative products and serve the ever-evolving building and design industries.