1. Inspecting materials prior to installation
Prior to installation it is recommended to inspect the tiles from several randomly selected packages (at least 2sqm). Confirm that the color, style and size are correct. It is recommended to have the tiles approved by the owner, prior to the installation.

2. Safety equipment and recommendations
While working with glass tiles, use protective equipment (e.g. goggles, gloves, possibly a respirator).

3. Floor and wall preparation
The substrate of floor or wall must be level, strong, rigid, fully cured, all cracks filled and smooth, surface must also be clean, free from any substance that may reduce adhesion. The moisture content of the prepared floor or wall should be less than 2-3%. If the moisture level exceeds 3%, please consult with a specialist to determine corrective action. The curing time period for new plaster walls and concrete floors is approximately 1-4 weeks (depending on the thickness of the plaster or concrete), 1 cm thick takes approximately 1 week 2 cm 2 weeks and so on). Use suitable penetration coating, work in accordance with the instructions and respect the time periods specified by the manufacturer of penetration materials. Do not level uneven spots by adhesives but by using a levelling material, work in accordance with the instructions and respect the time periods specified by the manufacturer of levelling materials.

4. Tile orientation, adhesive/installation and joint spacing
The application of the adhesive should be a full spread utilising a notched trowel as per the adhesive manufacturers installation guidelines. Do not make installation without joints. It is recommended to bring the tiles to the installation site at least one day in advance so they will adjust to room temperature. Standard surfaces - use adhesives with a flexible component - contact your dealer for the manufacturers specifications of adhesives that are suitable for glass tiles and the type of installation you intend to do. Other areas: areas with a presumption of thermal dilatations, non-stabilised in terms of dimensions, flexible: it is necessary to use two-component highly elastic adhesives, recommended by the adhesive manufacturer for given substrate and for glass. In case of formats bigger than 4,8x4, 8 cm it is necessary to make wide joints. A thin layer of adhesive should be floated onto the surface and combed by a notched trowel (min. 3mm for wall, min. 6mm for floor) to give an even layer of adhesive. Notched trowel no.3 (triangle teeth) is suitable for mosaic. In case of larger formats and floor tiles, FLOATING BUTTERING method (cross application of adhesive - vertically apply on surface and horizontally butter on tile) is possible. Respect the technological procedure and time periods recommended by the adhesive manufacturer. Qualities of the adhesive depend on temperature and ventilation of the premises where the work takes place. Install tile when adhesive is still soft and reacts to the pressure of hand. Install tiles leaving even spacing between tiles (for wall tiles minimum of 2mm , for floor tile a minimum of 4mm ), in correspondence with possible temperature oscillation, dilatation movement and the quality of the tile grout. Use tile spacers whenever possible. In areas with high temperature changes or on a flexible and less stable substraight (in flexible or unstable areas) it is also recommended to use grout compound with a flexible additive. In installations covering an area greater than 15sqm and around the perimeter of the tile work (around supporting or dilatation parts of the construction), it is necessary to insert movement joints (same for ceramic tiles). If adjustments to the tile alignment have to be made after adhesive hardens, remove the tile, clean it and reapply. Avoid levelling the tiles by tapping on the tile surface (e.g. by rubber mallet). Do not force dry the adhesive (especially in winter periods). Follow the instructions and respect curing time period specified by the manufacturer of the adhesive. Curing time varies depending on the temperature, humidity and how pores the sub straight is. Allow adequate time for the tile adhesive to cure before grouting. Clean excess adhesive off the tile surface prior to curing.

5. Grouting
Grouting the joints is done after sufficient curing of the adhesive. Use standard grout with flexible compound. Follow instructions and respect time periods recommended by manufacturer of the tile grout. When grouting process is completed prior to curing it is necessary to clean the grout residues from the tiles. After grouting, it is recommended to protect the tiled floor from damage until the completion of construction work (same as for marble etc.).

6. Tile cutting
Since the glass tile is a very hard surface, the selection of tools is of the utmost importance (e.g. utilize cutting oils, to prevent tools from wearing out prematurely and cutting oil will also help you achieve cleaner cuts). Maintain even pressure while cutting. 5mm thick tiles can be cut with hand cutters designed for glass (e.g. cutting wheels angled at approximately 155° - recommended for glass). 8mm thick tiles use electric machine cutter with a diamond blade wheel fitted with a water (liquid) cooling system. To make angled cuts into tiles (for example 90 degree cut) pre-drill a minimum 8mm hole through the inner corner (vertex) of the piece to be cut off, which will help prevent undesirable breakage. Grind sufficiently all edges created by cutting to remove any cracks that may have arisen.

7. Drilling glass tiles
To drill holes in glass tile use a motorised hand drill - use core drills for glass with a diamond surface. Drilling must be performed with a continuous water cooling system. If cooling is insufficient, the edges will crack or splitt off later. The larger the diameter of the hole, the lower the rpm speed setting (e.g. 1800-2000 rpm for Ø 10 mm , 800-1000 rpm for Ø 25 mm ). Pre-drilling from the reverse (rear) side of the tile (approximately half way through) will prevent from splitting off edges of hole while finishing the drilling operation. Grind properly all drilled edges. Do not apply excessive pressure while drilling - the diamond core drill will gradually grind the hole! When drilling installed tiles it is possible to drill holes with a diameter of 6 -25mm . The diameter of the hole drilled into a tile should be 2 mm larger than diameter of the pipe or fitting.

8. Grinding and bevelling tile edges
After cutting and drilling tiles we recommend mechanical grinding, smoothing and bevelling of all exposed edges (e.g. by electric hand drill with grinding wheel). Use 60 grade sand paper and for a smoother finish use 100 grade paper for hard materials, made of silicon carbide. For edges and holes with presumption of higher mechanical loading, we recommend to finish grinding by a grinding wheel made of nylon fibres with abrasive elements. Dipping the tile in water while sanding will provide the best results for sanding, smoothing and bevelling edges. Recommended grinding speed of 2000 - 3000 rpm when using motorised sanding disk.

9. Installing accessories on top of glass tile
Prior to installing accessories, sinks, mirrors, shower doors etceteras., be sure the adhesive and grout are fully cured. It is also important to select the correct anchor bolts and mounting brackets that are compatible with the tile and the substraight that you are mounting to(bricks, plasterboard, wood, etc.). Over tightening or the utilising incorrect anchors and mounting brackets can cause the tile to crack. The size of flexible support plates depends on the size and weight of the suspended object.

10. Cleaning and maintenance
Glass tile can be cleaned with water and standard glass cleaning solutions. It is also possible to utilise the same cleansers for ceramic tiles provided they do not contain abrasive ingredients.

11. Miscellaneous information
The above installation recommendations are subject to change without notice. Any amendments will supersede these installation recommendations. In the case when there is a conflict the latest dated amendment will prevail.

For further information please contact authorised dealers or visit www.homeechina.com

Key points :
- Proper substrate preparation
- Use adhesive and penetration coating recommended by specialist
- Tile cutting: 5mm thick tiles - hand or machine cutters with a water cooling system
      8mm thick tiles - only machine cutters with a diamond blade wheel with a water cooling system
- Bevel of all exposed edges - water cool
- Drilling - do not apply excessive pressure while drilling, perform with a continuous water cooling system
- Grouting the joints is done after sufficient curing of the adhesive.
- Protect the tiled floor from damage until the completion of construction work.