Can You Lay Glass Tile Over a Laminate Bathroom Counter?

Prepare

• Whether your old counter is laminate, wood or another type of tile, glass tile adhesive needs a rough surface to grab. Either cover the counter with a layer of cement backer board, or scuff the surface with coarse sandpaper. Backer board might raise the counter too high once the tiles are installed, so account for the thickness of each material before you commit. If you sand the surface instead, use the coarsest sandpaper you can find, and wrap it around a sanding block. Sand the counter with firm pressure until you have introduced deep scratches and marred the whole surface.

Plan

• Unless you are lucky, your glass tiles won’t fit the surface perfectly. Smaller, 1-inch glass mosaic tiles are more likely to fit without cutting, as small grout line adjustments can make all the difference. Although mosaics are fixed to a sheet, you can peel them off and set them with wider or narrower grout lines. If cuts are unavoidable, such as with larger glass tiles, place them on one side, or split the difference along each side of the counter top. A variety of special trim pieces are available at home-improvement centers that will help bridge odd gaps and cover countertop edges. Be creative with your layout, and take your time for the best result.

Cut

• Cutting glass tiles is a little different from cutting ceramic or porcelain. Ordinary scratch-and-snap tile cutters can shatter solid glass. Trim small mosaic tiles with mosaic tile nippers, which have rolling wheels that cut the glass. Larger glass tiles require a wet saw equipped with a diamond blade. Renting a wet saw from a home-improvement center can save you money and time over trying to cut every tile with nippers. When you're cutting glass with a wet saw, mark the tiles with a grease pencil to keep the lines from washing off as you cut.

Install

• Use glass tile adhesive, mastic or thinset mortar with a latex additive, as some other adhesives might not hold glass tiles securely. If your tiles are completely translucent, apply adhesive on the counter or backer board with a flat trowel. Notched trowels leave ridges that will show through the tiles. If your tiles have a solid color on the back, adhesive ridges won’t show. Grouting glass tiles is the same as any other tile. Choose nonsanded grout in a color that complements the tiles, and apply it with a rubber-backed grout float to fill the joints. Epoxy grouts are durable and water-resistant, but they require special mixing and application. If you choose epoxy, read the container, and follow the instructions precisely; some are quite difficult to work with.