Painting the back of tiles

Annah James · Post by **Annah James** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 1:52 am

I have a client that is interested in tiles made from recycled float glass, which I can do; however, in the past I have been less than satisfied with installing tiles that are transparent since the mortar has to be done perfectly and then has to dry without cracking (a virtual impossibility...).

I heard 'somewhere' (third-hand, I am sure) that regular house paint could be painted on the back side of the tiles prior to installing them. Or maybe it was acrylic paint...who knows with third-hand info?

I have several worries about this idea. First: delamination of the paint once the mortar is put on the tile. Second: would the paint stick at all? I suppose that if I sandblast first, then paint, it might. But then, would sandblasting all by itself be enough anyway?

Anyone out there done this before??
Many thanks!
Annah

Peg · Post by **Peg** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 7:20 am

The only problem I can think of it that you will be sticking the paint to the walls, not the glass. The glass is only stuck to the paint, which may not be a strong enough bond to keep them on the wall.

rosanna gusler · Post by **rosanna gusler** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 7:38 am

search the old archive for barbara cashman, back butter ,tile . there was a thread about this. i have used a layer of ferro enamel inbetween to obscure the back. rosanna

charlie · Post by **charlie** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 10:37 am

i wonder if a layer of mica's on the back would work well? on clear, you'd get some color coming to the front, it would be bonded to the glass or in the surface of the glass, and thus you don't have to worry about the mortar only being stuck to the paint problem. it would be a little bit rough, so would provide a tooth to help the mortar stick.

Jim Murphy · Post by **Jim Murphy** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 11:23 am

Annah,

First, apply a coat of "clear" shellac to prime the glass. Then, apply the paint which will adhere to the shellac.

Best wishes,

Jim Murphy

charlie · Post by **charlie** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 11:28 am

Jim Murphy wrote:Annah,

First, apply a coat of "clear" shellac to prime the glass. Then, apply the paint which will adhere to the shellac.

Best wishes,

Jim Murphy

that's still just sticking the paint to the wall. mastic/mortar works (on glass tiles) by providing a mechanical bond to the 2 surfaces. the tile has to be rough in some manner, so that the adhesive can facilitate this mechanical bond.

Annah James · Post by **Annah James** » Wed Sep 24, 2003 12:47 pm

Hmmm...You've all given me lots to think about. The project is a "green" building, so all the products used in it need to be environmentally safe. I guess that shellac, being a 'natural' product would count...plus, I really don't want to add a color to the back of the pieces.

Has anyone tried just mortaring after sandblasting? I just wonder if the sandblasting would obscure it enough...

Time for tests...

Thank you all for your suggestions!

Annah

Cheryl Wade · Post by **Cheryl Wade** » Sat Sep 27, 2003 8:25 pm

A light sandblasting before painting will make the paint adhere well and there are no problems with tile adhesive. Car paint is excellent for the back of tiles, sprayed rather than brushed to give a better finish. You need several light coats rather than one heavy coat for an even finish. You can also decorate with gold/silver leaf etc, oil paints or pastels before sealing with car paint but you do have to sandblast first to provide a key for the decoration.
Cheryl