Share transparent glass mosaic. Which tool?

[kia2]

At Biltema, there is quite a selection to choose from

Tile nipper
http://biltema.se/sv/Bygg/Farg-och-Fog/Verktyg/Kakeltang/

A slightly more expensive tile nipper
http://biltema.se/sv/Bygg/Farg-och-Fog/Verktyg/Kakeltang1/

Nippers
http://biltema.se/sv/Verktyg/Handverktyg/Tang-och-Sax/Hovtang/

Which tool is the best? And is there any other trick to prevent it from cracking into small pieces?

 

[Niclas Jonsson]

Saw in an electric tile saw. A cheap version usually costs under 500 SEK. The only method I know that works.

 

[kia2]

Can you use a tile saw for such small pieces? (it is the green part, in the middle of the picture that we have bought)

 

[_bystrom_]

Now, I am not an expert in the tile setting trade, but glass mosaic should generally behave like glass does? That is, you score it and then snap it.
Or is tempered glass used for this type of "tile"?
In that case, cutting with a tile saw is necessary, as tempered cannot be cut afterward with scoring.

 

[Forbo]

You can break them with a regular tile nipper, but you must score a proper line first so that it breaks in the right place and straight... the smaller the pieces you want to break, the harder it is... if you're making round cutouts, you'll need a saw, but it's difficult with glass compared to tiles...

I had quite a hassle myself around sockets and switches... it's easy to end up with slightly jagged cuts.

 

[kia2]

Thanks for the tips! Bought the glass mosaic today and held it up against the wall and measured.

Unfortunately, it turns out that about 3 mm more would be needed for the top row of pieces to fit. Since the width is just over three meters, this means I would have to split 60 pieces in half for it to go all the way up to the upper cabinet.

Splitting 60 pieces doesn't feel quite human - considering it seems to be a big hassle to split even one...

So what do I do? Return it to the store and buy regular tiles? Leave a 2 cm empty gap just below the cabinet?

Or is there some trick for situations like these?

 

[Forbo]

You can put a small strip between the edge and the cabinet.... (I did...)

The best "trick" is otherwise to install the tile before you mount the countertop/cabinets, if it's the kitchen you're tiling in... but if you can loosen the countertop you can get the tile down behind it and get exactly the right distance so you get a nice and even connection.

 

[kia2]

Thank you for the response!

What type of list did you set up?

I'm replacing old tiles with new ones. So the upper and lower cabinets are fixed where they are

 

[_bystrom_]

If it is not more than 3mm missing, you can easily adjust the joint width somewhat. The mosaics I have installed are on a fiberglass mesh that can be compressed a little, so if you manage to push the joints together by 0.5mm, it should overall give you the required space? Buy joint spacers or tile crosses to get even displacement of the joints.

 

[kia2]

If it's no more than 3mm missing, you can certainly adjust the joint width slightly.
The mosaics I've set are on a fiberglass mesh that can be compressed a bit, so if you can just manage to push the joints together by 0.5mm, it should give you the space you need overall?
Buy joint string or tile spacers to achieve even displacement of the joints.

Mine are also on a fiberglass mesh. But it seems quite rigid. It might be very difficult to shift every row.

And now it occurred to me that the horizontal rows will then be slightly wider than the vertical ones. But maybe the difference is so small that it's not noticeable?

 

[slacker]

Cut the fiberglass netting between the tiles to create strips and shift them in such a way... We're talking about a slight shift in the entire height that won’t be significantly noticeable.

Cutting all the tiles will indeed give you a headache... As described, the only way might be to score and snip. A cheap tile cutter with a diamond blade didn’t work for me. Since you also need to cut these individually and place them individually, it can easily become a bit fiddly with about 60 loose pieces... Not to mention that cutting off 3mm will NOT work.

Another solution I did on one occasion (when the upper cabinets were not mounted) was to strip 8mm MDF as spacers for the upper cabinets, allowing the small tile edge to go behind the cabinets - Quick, smooth, and painless when things don’t fit!d^_^b

 

[kia2]

Hmmm... Yes, maybe it will be good to offset it that way. But I probably need something other than tile spacers. The tile spacers seem to be between 3 and 5 mm thick. And the gap between the glass pieces is between 2 and 3 mm. So I need something else. Maybe mason's line would work? Is it available in different thicknesses?

 

[slacker]

Tile string is, as far as I know, available in 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 mm.

Another thing I think is good is tile adhesive - Kiilto's is a bit of a favorite, it grips quickly and the tiles don't move as much after installation as I think they do with fix. I sometimes use string, but for the most part, I think a leveling cross laser does an excellent job and string becomes a bit redundant in many cases. I always have it available, though. I have never figured out crosses...

As for tile adhesive, don't use too much - Hard to remove when it hardens. Clean the tools immediately with water if you want to keep them in usable condition.

 

[kia2]

"self-leveling cross laser" - what is it? Can you link to an image or store?

If I divide the glass mosaic, it will probably be very difficult to get it straight. So a laser might be a good idea in my case

 

[slacker]

There are all levels of a laser - I use mine for everything, whether it's setting tiles, framing walls, or hanging pictures at home. Works perfectly for everything!

I have a Leica Lino L2 but of course, there are simpler cheaper models - Not to mention more expensive more advanced ones! :wow:

Leica Lino L2

A Lino lands at just over 2,500 SEK :S

You can borrow it?! As long as it comes back home intact, clean, and fully functional!