Cutting Sockets In Glass Tiles

[wayfoward]

I'm tiling kitchen walls with large format tiles, 600 X 200 ceramic with a middle 'border' row of 600 X 150 glass tiles. Glass tiles are about 8mm thick. for the 'U' shaped socket holes can I get away with cutting the sides and scoring across to break the hole out? I'm wondering if the glass is a bit thick to try scoring. Maybe make a few cuts to the score line and break out the bits?

PS, didn't know about size of wall tiles till I got to the job, had a quick moan at the kitchen fitter who feeds me work to give us a 'heads up' on kitchen wall jobs that are a bit different to the norm in the future! Walls arn't really up to the job but where possible the customer gets what the customer wants....

 

[Dan]

Your setting out is key.

You want to guage where all your tiles go before you even get them out of the box.

A border shouldn't run into any sockets or anything like that where possible. I can remember needing to do it the odd time in a hidden area where I couldn't move a light switch or something random. But generally, the border tiles are meant to be a feature therefore not look ugly by going through things.

I must be frank mate, and I mean no harm. It could pay dividends if you did a tiling course. Perhaps you don't need a NVQ and all that jazz, but you'd find you can tile quicker and mess about less (and end up with lovely work you're proud of that was easier to do) and therefore generally earn more money.

If a week course cost you a few hundred quid, and for the rest of your time you managed to save a few hundred quid a year, it would have been worth while.

And the customer doesn't always get what the customer wants I'm afraid. Sometimes they do appreciate the experienced tiler pointing out why something won't work or can't be done. They appreciate more the tiler advising them of the couple of options that will be near to what they want mind. Must be honest haha

Have a search on the forum for setting out tips.

That aside, if you need to cut a square hole in the middle of glass, you want the right grinder perhaps, with a good blade, and it should go in situ in one piece. No shoddy DIy style halves of tiles butted up is the way to go. If you're charging for tiling the price an experienced tiler would charge, the job needs to be bang on, like what the experienced tiler would give for the same money.

 

[Dan]

Just reread what you asked after that slight rant.

Yeah. You're right. Cutting two lines down a tile and then scribing and snapping the last part to make a 'u' is the way to deal with that type of cut.

You might still for a grinder is required for glass though, if they are actually glass.

 

[Old Mod]

If they have a backing that gives them their decorative look, scribe the back as well or use a new Stanley blade on it. Otherwise the backing can splinter and show a distorted pattern thro the tile.

 

[Dan]

Get a glazers glass cutting wheel. I'd assume it's the right tool for the job and all that?

 

[Old Mod]

Get a glazers glass cutting wheel. I'd assume it's the right tool for the job and all that?

If you're going to use a manual glass cutter get an oil filled one. U'll
Find u need to Put a straight edge 2.5mm off the shoulder of the cutter, that way the wheel will hit your mark.
Get something like this from
Oil Glass Cutters with Integrated Oil Reservoir

 

[Dan]

See that there.

That. Is. How. We. Rolllllllllll.

 

[Old Mod]

Ur nuts! Haha

 

[Spare Tool]

Just another point, if the tiles have a plastic backing on them the adhesive must have an additive, and cannot be packed out.. you only make that mistake once, i had a whole window side reveal fall off when I started grouting through lack of knowledge on dealing with glass tiles..

 

[Old Mod]

Just another point, if the tiles have a plastic backing on them the adhesive must have an additive, and cannot be packed out.. you only make that mistake once, i had a whole window side reveal fall off when I started grouting through lack of knowledge on dealing with glass tiles..

Ouch!
You're right tho, I had to use Keraquick with Latex plus!
Not my favourite adhesive I can tell u!

 

[Spare Tool]

Ouch!
You're right tho, I had to use Keraquick with Latex plus!
Not my favourite adhesive I can tell u!

...bet you got a full 15mins potlife out of that stuff :'(

 

[Old Mod]

...bet you got a full 15mins potlife out of that stuff :'(

Haha errrrm I like to think about 3 tiles! Haha

 

[Saltire69]

you can get glass addy. Think it's mapei p10 with additive.

 

[White Room]

I'd use a white non flex addy then add sbr...some manufacturers then call it an S2.

 

[Spare Tool]

Doing a feature wall in 3 weeks, bin specked Webber setplus with AD250..
Specked off the tile shop, not fired earth I hasten to add..

 

[Old Mod]

Doing a feature wall in 3 weeks, bin specked Webber setplus with AD250..
Specked off the tile shop, not fired earth I hasten to add..

Mine were Fired Earth Andy, had quite a chat with their rep Phill,
They only spec Keraquick with Latex plus, maybe it was just the range I did, but impression I got was that it was their glass ranges.
They've tested a few addy' s and this is the only one that they're happy to recommend. They've had massive failures in the past which has led them to testing different adhesives.

 

[Old Mod]

I'd use a white non flex addy then add sbr...some manufacturers then call it an S2.

Others would call u a cheap skate Mark! Hahaha

 

[White Room]

Others would call u a cheap skate Mark! Hahaha

That is/was Bisazza start/up....

 

[Spare Tool]

Mine were Fired Earth Andy, had quite a chat with their rep Phill,
They only spec Keraquick with Latex plus, maybe it was just the range I did, but impression I got was that it was their glass ranges.
They've tested a few addy' s and this is the only one that they're happy to recommend. They've had massive failures in the past which has led them to testing different adhesives.

Mentioned that to the tile shop and all could say was "we don't stock mapie" what do you do?

 

[Old Mod]

Mentioned that to the tile shop and all could say was "we don't stock mapie" what do you do?

Buy Mapei!
Buy their addy too if that's the same sort of deal I have with tile shops. But use Mapei if that's what they state. That's exactly what Phill stated to me. Thing is, if they have a failure, and u've followed their spec, I know for sure Fired Earth put EVERYTHING right. Including your re fixing price! As long as it's not your mistake of course! 😀

 

[Spare Tool]

Buy Mapei!
Buy their addy too if that's the same sort of deal I have with tile shops. But use Mapei if that's what they state. That's exactly what Phill stated to me. Thing is, if they have a failure, and u've followed their spec, I know for sure Fired Earth put EVERYTHING right. Including your re fixing price! As long as it's not your mistake of course! 😀

Thing with this job is the tile shop that passed the job onto me only stocks Webber which they have already sold to the customer with the tiles, I am on a fixing price only and I get a lot of work from this particular tile shop so don't want to pi## them off by telling the customer they've been given bad advice. Sticky wicket indeed!!!

 

[Old Mod]

Thing with this job is the tile shop that passed the job onto me only stocks Webber which they have already sold to the customer with the tiles, I am on a fixing price only and I get a lot of work from this particular tile shop so don't want to pi## them off by telling the customer they've been given bad advice. Sticky wicket indeed!!!

ok Andy this is where I eat my largest slice of humble pie!!!!! 😕
U mentioned plastic backing and my thumbs took over before my brain engaged......errrrrm.... mine were Original Style! Ouch!
Sorry I've seem to have my fist planted firmly in my mouth right now!
Haha well who knows Webber may be ok but I'd still be calling Fired Earth at the very least. Then I've never had a great deal of success with them. I've done better sourcing the actual tile manufacturer and contacting them.
So sorry Andy if I've mislead you, which I have of course, but it was done with the best of intention 😀

 

[Old Mod]

 

[Spare Tool]

....anyway, wonder how the OP is getting on?

 

[Spare Tool]

Sodding hell wote a post before that and it disappeared, off to parents evening now...

 

[Old Mod]

....anyway, wonder how the OP is getting on?

Hahaha you're a gent! *tips hat!*

 

[Spare Tool]

Hahaha you're a gent! *tips hat!*

Haha...well my misses don't think so 😉
Mark no need for humble pie mate, a plastic backed tile is the same whichever names on the box. On fixing price only I can really only use materials supplied, I have mentioned the mapie but tile shop insists I'm ok with the webber set plus + AD250 and Webber have also agreed on this, maybe it is worth a call to the manufacturer to settle any disputes

 

[Old Mod]

Totally with u there Andy!
Plastic/vinyl backed all the same!
This feature wall, is it a whole wall or just an integrated design within it?

 

[Spare Tool]

Its going behind a free standing imitation log burner stove type thing.. Tiles 600x300, portrate, 3 wide, 4 high, good quality new build house, skimmed plasterboard...now tell me the weight issues 🙂

 

[Old Mod]

Its going behind a free standing imitation log burner stove type thing.. Tiles 600x300, portrate, 3 wide, 4 high, good quality new build house, skimmed plasterboard...now tell me the weight issues 🙂

Haha I don't need to say anything mate, you're not daft, u know what you're doing.
Think I've said enough in this thread don't u! haha well sounds straight forward enough, least u don't have to do a window wall with mitres! Haha bloody thing still gives me nightmares 😀
Sounds like they've spent more on the tiles than the woodburner haha
Hope it goes well for you, and of course we'll be hanging on the arrival of some pics!
I'm not gonna wish u luck, it's 12 tiles for god sake! haha

 

[Spare Tool]

Haha I don't need to say anything mate, you're not daft, u know what you're doing.
Think I've said enough in this thread don't u! haha well sounds straight forward enough, least u don't have to do a window wall with mitres! Haha bloody thing still gives me nightmares 😀
Sounds like they've spent more on the tiles than the woodburner haha
Hope it goes well for you, and of course we'll be hanging on the arrival of some pics!
I'm not gonna wish u luck, it's 12 tiles for god sake! haha

That mitred glass bathroom looked the dogs and ill be honest I wouldn't have had the balls to take it on..
Yeah 12 tiles...exactly, what the hell are we mithering about, the hardest buts gonna be scribbing a 180mm hole out for the chimney to go through but I've told the customer to make sure its landing centered across a groutline, 1800 off the floor so if the fire fitters get that right should be a breeze...hmmm heard that one before 😉