Hello Experts,
This is my first post ever in any forum. Ever. Popping my forum cherry. I don’t know why I’ve waited this long. I guess most answers are already posted.
I’m doing a glass tile backsplash between my countertop and cabinets. There was old tile which I pulled. Then, where necessary, I patched the drywall behind it. I understand that with these small (1″x2″) glass tiles the wall should be as flat as possible, so I’ve skimmed and sanded the whole wall with the topping joint compound. I also understand I should use a waterproofing/anti-fracture membrane before using the thinset (or whatever I bought months ago to set the tile). Do I need to prime the skim-coated drywall before I apply the membrane? The guy at Lowe’s told me I didn’t need the membrane at all. But I’ve definitely read that this membrane should be applied under glass tile, not for waterproofing but to prevent cracks in the glass tile.
Does all this sound right? Thanks for the help!
Replies
Welcome dbugg!
I have to say you are off to a great start on posting to forums:
You introduced yourself
Used appropriate sentance case (not ALL CAPS or no caps)
Had correct punctution
Divided thoughts into paragraphs
Described what you've already done/tried with your reasons/motivations
Bravo!
Now onto your content...
Lowes guy was right, you don't need the membrane. The membrane is used for floor applications... and I hope the spiders in your home aren't THAT big.
If you are using a "modified" thinset - which is what you would normally buy - it has a polymer added in already that makes it extra sticky to bond to your skim coat. The only thing I would suggest is to go over the thinset with a damp cloth to make sure you have all dust off.
Make sure you have the correct trowel size. You probably need a 1/8" trowel for this (I think), the thinset bag might be a usefull guide there. Make sure you have your spacing figured out... and make sure your spacing on the edges matches the spacing inside the tile sheet itself. You can snap chalklines on the wall and mark off where each tile will land, you would then apply just enough thinset to set a couple tiles, place them, then move on. You have a few minutes to lightly adjust while you work in case something gets off the line.
Have fun with this!
Be aware - if you are using more than one kind of tile, you will have to layer on the thinset to match the depths correctly. That's an easy one to forget.
Anti-fracture membrane for a backsplash, not enough space to warrant this. Make sure you apply a primer coat to seal the drywall mud before you apply the tile.
Glass Tile
Hi;
Just a few additional comments from a GC.
Glass tile, unless painted white on the backside (as some is), will transmit the color of the thinset as well as as any trowel "ridges" from the notches. I would suggest you use as light (white) a thinset as possible and as small a notch size (or don't use a notched trowel). If the backside of the tile is painted white you could also get away with using a self adherring product such as Bondera....................it actually works very well, I've used it a few times and am impressed.
Bob