With their mesmerizing sheen and huge range of color options, glass tiles are like the jewels of artistic home design! From tranquil shades of green to vibrant jewel-toned blues, shimmering golds, and pristine white tones, there is a lot to love about these beautiful tiles for your home or workspace. The reflective property of glass gives any room a beautiful glow even in small installations – a slight sparkle from just one or two rows of glass backsplash or wall tile can add interest to your space in a snap. Whether you want to add depth to neutral décor with a mirrored backsplash or create a fully colored accent wall that provides a dynamic backdrop, these glossy tiles have something to offer for every aesthetic.
Glass Mirror tiles have the ability to take a room from drab to fab in an instant with their highly reflective qualities! We love how natural light amplifies our beautiful Clear Beveled Mirror Glass subway tiles.
While it’s often associated with shimmering beauty, this luminous material is more than just a pretty face. In terms of performance, durability, and hygiene, it offers an impervious surface that inhibits stains, mold, mildew, and bacteria. The benefits beyond its gorgeous look are often overlooked, but we can attest it deserves extra credit for all the functional benefits that ensure its beauty lasts a lifetime.
So let's dive in and shed some light on the most important benefits of these versatile tiles so you can confidently shop for your upcoming design project!
Easy To Care For Tiles
One of the best features of glass tile is its low maintenance quality thanks to its hard and non-absorbent surface that’s fully resistant to stain, mold, and bacteria growth. Glass is an extremely durable, non-porous material that requires no sealant to maintain its stain-resistant characteristics. Even decades later, your tiled surface will look as good as new! When dirty, simply wipe down with a non-abrasive cleaner - a little maintenance goes a long way to maintain its beauty and luster!
With such a non-porous quality, there’s no wonder why the most popular home use of this material is in bathrooms and kitchens. Whether it be a shower wall, kitchen backsplash, or tub surround, glass provides a care-free surface that’s resistant to basically all the wear and tear that a bathroom or kitchen has to give.
Glossy Gold Hexagon Glass Mosaic Tile brightens even the smallest shower thanks to its luminous surface that bounces light into darker areas while reducing the potential for watermarks and bacterial growth in this high-moisture environment.
The shower area is a great place to consider installing these non-porous tiles as soap build-up and mineral deposits often take special effort to clean. If you hate the elbow grease that cleaning your bathroom requires, a glass shower tile may simplify the process. Simply wipe up any messes as they occur, clean on a regular basis with a mild non-abrasive cleanser using a damp cloth or sponge, and rinse thoroughly to keep it squeaky clean.
There’s no need to shy away from a white kitchen backsplash because of the cleaning aspect. Combat the splatters with a sleek herringbone design with Fabrique White Chevron Glass Mosaic Tile that’s dynamic, playful, and of course, full of shine!
Does the thought of having to scrub a kitchen backsplash give you a headache? There's no need to worry about even the toughest of spills when it comes to glass subway tile backsplashes as its surface becomes the barrier for any type of food splatter. If you’re looking to make a small upgrade to your kitchen space, consider installing this stain resistant tile behind the stove only– a great place to showcase a distinctive glass inset while protecting the area from messes that come with cooking.
Expert tip: As with any other tile installation, be mindful to maintain the grout to extend the life of your tile installation. Tile Club recommends regularly sealing your grout -check out our blog on how to grout and seal tile to learn how to keep your grout lines looking as fresh as your tiles!
Styles, Colors and Finishes, Oh My!
If you think glass is synonymous with clear mosaic tile, think again! Glass mosaic tiles come in a seemingly infinite range of styles, colors, and finishes to meet your design needs in modern, vintage, contemporary, or any other aesthetics. From recycled glass with a stunning wood-look appearance to geode-inspired tiles reminiscent of gemstone slices, there are enough options to meet any design taste.
Our Opal Marbled Glass Hexagon Mosaic Tile mimics the look of fine marble hues with a durable glass surface in a multicolor pattern – we love the way it straddles a unique line between the classic and modern.Opal Marbled Glass Hexagon Mosaic Tile
Don’t be afraid of using glass even if a ‘shiny’ or ‘glossy’ look is not your style. Glass mosaic tiles come in a variety of finishes including a matte or honed finish to achieve a more contemporary upgrade or a more textured appeal. To bring in extra flair, consider selecting tiles with distinctive patterns to add a pop of color, such as a wood-look subway tile that perfectly suits a farmhouse aesthetic or marbled glass mosaic tiles for a natural, gem-like appearance.
Longing for moments by the shore? We have just the remedy with our Sea Glass Louvre Amber mosaic tiles! These gorgeous waterjets are inspired by the beauty of the ocean and will have you feeling seabound in no time.
Expert Tip: When a room doesn't have many windows, or lighting isn’t bright enough, reflective tiles will do the trick. Polished or mirrored tiles will always create a brilliant show of light. For a standout effect, a floor-to-ceiling expanse of these beautiful pieces will brighten up a space like no other material.
Yes, even in Art-Deco style! You can bring in the glamour of the ‘20s to your space with dusty pink hues and geometric patterns in Blush Frost Diamond Glass Mosaic Tile, and create an impressive mosaic statement wall that takes any design from lame to luxurious.
While glass subway tile is a beloved choice for the walls and backsplashes of a modern interior, mosaic tiles offer a myriad of other shapes to yield beautiful and sometimes surprising results. From straightforward shapes like sleek herringbone patterns and classy diamonds to modern irregular shapes, you’re sure to find a tile design that will steal your heart!
Durable And Versatile Tile
These durable tiles are resistant to scratches and stains, as well as versatile, making them a fantastic choice for flooring, walls, or small strips for accents or backsplashes in many areas of a home. This means that almost any residential wall and floor can be a viable spot for glass with proper installation, including shower floors, kitchen backsplashes, statement walls, fireplace surrounds, and even swimming pools.
Our Silver Diamond Glass Mosaic Tile will add just the right amount of glam and luxury to your kitchen backsplash!
These beautiful mosaics can also enhance the appearance of a small powder room, crowded kitchen, or cluttered laundry room. Shower walls are often made of these tiles, and they're used for a variety of purposes, including swimming pools to stop water from seeping behind the pool shell. Although not all are suited for floor use, tiles with a matte or frosted finish can have extra slip-resistance that makes them good candidates for walk-in shower floors, swimming pool steps, or any other floor surface that may come in contact with water.
Expert Tip: Floor-rated small glass mosaic tiles can make it easy to create a slope inside the shower, with a good amount of grip due to grout lines between the smaller pieces.
Tile Club’s White Deco Brick Glass Mosaic Tile offers a gorgeous geometric design to accent or feature walls! We love the neutral yet shimmery tones that make up this tile.
As an impervious material, glass is a perfect solution for commercial design needs. Whether you’re looking to add a vibrant atmosphere to your restaurant or create a statement wall for the hotel lobby, decorative tiles offer an unmatched shine that you can’t find in any other materials for walls.
Affordable Tiles With An Incredible Lifespan
Who said you have to spend a fortune to get high-quality tiles? Although typically more expensive than a ceramic tile, a wide variety of design options allow glass tiles to vary greatly in price, too. Prices range extensively from $7 to $89 per sheet based on the finish and design but keep in mind that these stunning tiles are meant to last as long as you want them to!
Our Glacier Ash Gray 3x6 Polished Glass subway tile is perfect for any commercial or residential installation adding a modern industrial flair to your design.
Glass backsplashes and showers have several advantages making them a good long-term investment. Not only are they easy to keep clean, but their resistance to water and heat make them the perfect choice for your next design project!
Sky Blue Penny Round Tiles can help enhance the look of your swimming pool with its gorgeous reflective qualities that play with natural light and brighten up your outdoor space.
Shopping for tile on a budget? Subway tiles are a great way to add elegance and luxe appeal to any space without breaking the bank. Classic designs such as penny round glass mosaic tiles, linear mosaics, or glass hexagons can also refresh a space with interesting patterns and color while keeping the budget in mind.
Go Green With Glass Tile
Did you know that it takes roughly half the energy to produce a glass recycled tile as compared to a ceramic tile of similar size? If you’re an environmental steward, recycled tiles may be the right material for your next remodeling project. When looking for a way to implement unique design features without environmental compromise, recycled glass tiles offer the best of both worlds.
White And Beige Mix Leaf Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile is the perfect example of how potential waste can be brought back to life and shine once again, in your home!
Recycled glass backsplashes are clean, hygienic, and easy to clean up not only for the homeowner but also for Mother Nature. Aside from being kind to the environment, don’t forget they also offer surprising design options– from subway tiles with wood grains to basketweave patterns that shimmer with a textural surface.
Recycled Glass Herringbone Mosaic In Blue Wood Color can help move toward a greener, more sustainable home without compromising in style. The warm, rustic style of this tile is sure to bring the outside in on the walls of your home!
Keep in mind that even if the tile you choose is not made of reused product, meaning it’s not a ‘recycled glass’, all glass tiles are 100% recyclable at the end of their lifespan, and can be recycled forever!
For more inspiration on creating a more sustainable home, don’t forget to check out our blog on eco-friendly home design ideas!
How To Install Glass Tile
Because of its hardness and one-of-a-kind translucent quality, glass demands different tools and techniques from other materials for a successful installation process. To help you achieve a foolproof install, here are a few expert tips that you need to keep in mind when installing this type of tile.
- Cutting glass tile seems pretty straightforward, but there are a few tools that can make the process much easier! We recommend using a diamond blade on an electric saw to make cleaner, more accurate cuts. If you don’t know how to cut glass, or are installing for the first time, we recommend reading our expert guide to make sure you achieve a professional look.
- Choosing the right adhesive is critical to avoid installation challenges and unwanted spots that will show through the glass. As most tiles made from glass are see-through, make sure to choose a ‘glass adhesive’ that is white so that the background remains clear and there’s no effect on the glass color. We recommend Laticrete Glass Adhesive in Bright White as well as Bright White grout for the best results.
- Drying requires a longer cure time, as glass is non-absorbing meaning adhesive must slowly evaporate through grout joints. Allow your adhesive to dry at least 36 to 48 hours before grouting.
- Selecting the grout requires two considerations: grout color and material. Because your tile may be transparent, grout will be visible through all tiles. In that case, use white grout to minimize visibility. Regardless of tile color, choose an un-sanded cement grout instead of its sanded version, to avoid potential scratches on the glass surface.
We love how Recycled Glass Herringbone Mosaic in Grey Wood Color creates a warm centerpiece in the room when installed around the fireplace. Can you imagine the shimmering tile with each flicker of firelight?
With colors, shapes, and styles that foster our creativity, glass has been a popular design choice that can give any space a unique style of its own. It’s safe to say that when properly installed they will last for decades, even a lifetime, thanks to their non-porous, fire, heat, and water-resistant qualities. While they’re easy to clean to a sparkling shine, a durable glass surface ensures the longevity of your design so that you get the best return on your time investment.
Now that you’ve become more familiar with the most important benefits of these beautiful tiles, all that’s left is to find the perfect one that meets your unique criteria for budget, taste, and style. So what are you waiting for? Let’s find your perfect glass tile match today!
