Does anyone have experience installing glass tile as a backsplash?
I'm wondering if it's a simple material to work with or if safety would be an issue. And if the tools needed would be expensive/hard to find for the average diyer.
We have no tiling experience at all, though dh is pretty handy. Our kitchen is kind of dark, and I've been thinking that the light reflectiveness of the glass would be a plus. But if it's hard to work with, or dangerous, then I'll just go with regular tile.
If you have ever tiled before it's pretty easy to do. Many (most?) of the glass tile sold today are paper-backed, which is good because it helps hide any imperfections with the thin-set.
In terms of tools, I found a simple snap-cutter works best (follow
link) - just score it once, then use the 'breaker bar' to snap the tile clean across the score line. For me it snapped perfectly about 85% of the time, so you'll want a few extra tiles for when it doesn't snap exactly right.
Also, use WHITE modified thin-set.
If the tiles are very long and skinny (e.g. 0.5" x 4") it's damn near impossible to score and snap it along its long axis, so plan accordingly. You can use a diamond blade but it dulls the edge.
john Bridge is a great forum for all things tile - just be aware that the members there are super-fastidious. Tiling is great for people willing to take the time to make sure everything lines up, and spend 2x the time laying stuff out (before you apply thin-set).
g'luck.