Glass tiles vs ceramics? Please help.

[shlomikalfa]

I've got a DIY concrete pool that I've built and I've used epoxy + polyurethane to paint it for the past two years... It all falls apart and now I want to scrape the whole painting and put some tiles... The pool is with chlorine and heated up to 38 deg c - 100f deg, but mostly kept around 35c/95f. Family pool with a SPA area, kids are also using it. Depth is 160cm to 40cm depends on the side.
I want to use mosaic tiles, should I use glass or ceramics?
Thanks!!!

 

[ajw22]

Either glass or ceramic tiles will work. They should be rated by the manufacturer for submersion.

Here is the current recommended glass tile installation process from Oceanside Glass & Tile...

Glasstile

www.glasstile.com

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...l-Water-Feature-Installation.pdf?v=1625588595

View attachment 555220

 

[shlomikalfa]

@ajw22 hi, I've understood that glass tiles break more easily and tend to wound swimmers more... Is there much to it?
I've tried reading articles all over google and couldn't find many non biased ones so I came here

 

[ajw22]

@ajw22 hi, I've understood that glass tiles break more easily and tend to wound swimmers more... Is there much to it?
I've tried reading articles all over google and couldn't find many non biased ones so I came here

We don't hear about many tiled pools here. And I see few pools tiled with glass tiles since they cost more then ceramic tiles.

What can break a glass tile that is underwater?

A glass tile that is properly set in thinset and has grout around it will not shatter and "wound" a person.

I don't understand where those situations can occur.

 

[shlomikalfa]

@mas985 hi there any chance for your 2 cents?

 

[mas985]

This is not exactly in my wheelhouse but here are a few resources:

https://www.poolspanews.com/how-to/design-construction/pros-voice-glass-tile-concerns_o#:~:text=This%20tile%20can%20be%20subject,vanishing%2Dedge%20walls%20and%20waterfeatures.

Failure Analysis of Cracking Glass Pool Tiles | Read Consulting

California Glass Failure Expert determines the root cause of cracking glass pool tiles and proves that they would not pass the ASTM 484-99 Standards Test as ...

readconsulting.com

Failure of Glass Mosaic Tile | Aquatic Technology Pool & Spa | Creating water as Art | Infinity Pool Design, Construction, Luxury Pools, Custom Color Lighted Spas, Animated Fountains, Aquatic Art, Expert Witness | Located in Morgan Hill, CA Serving I

Pool Design, International Swimming Pool Designer, Paolo Benedetti, Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa, The international standard for innovative pool designs with expertise in vanishing edge pools, infinity edge pools, negative edge pools, knife edge pools, hillside pools, rooftop pools...

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