Recycled Glass Tile,
A Great Alternative To The Norm.

I have gotten quite a few requests for a recycled glass tile page so here it is! Recycled tile is a great way to use glass that would otherwise end up in landfills.

Glass tile is most often used as a backsplash because glass is very smooth and not good for floors. It also has a tendency to crack when pressure is applied to it. It's still quite strong but it does not resist flexing without cracking. The backsplash area is perfect for these tiles. Terrazzo is good for floors but tiles may not be the best choice.

Recycled glass comes in two main forms, terrazzo and tile. The terrazzo glass tiles are made by combining broken glass that is mixed with resins to form the tile. Terrazzo comes in sheets or in individual tiles. Enviroglas has a wide assortment of different colors and styles of terrazzo.

Recycled glass tile is made by taking glass and melting it down and reforming it into glass tiles. This is more intensive due to the time needed to sort the glass into the colors needed to make the tile.

The solid glass tile is also more resource intensive due to the extra energy needed to melt the glass. This is still a great way to recycle used glass because it's still more efficient than making the glass from raw materials.

Glass tile needs special tools for cutting, such as a glass cutter, as well as special skills to cut the glass correctly without breaking the tile in undesired shapes. This skill just takes a little bit of practice, and anyone can do it.

Special mastic needs to be used as well to install these tiles correctly. Using a latex modified mastic or thinset is the best way to go; but always check the documentation on the bags to be sure it will work with glass.

If you want to add recycled glass to your kitchen to lessen your environmental impact, great. Using recycled materials is a fabulous way to preserve our environment and also a great looking alternative to ceramic and stone backsplashes.

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