How To Install Mirror Tiles

Working with both a beveled and mirrored subway tile is insanely challenging. Over the years I've done quite a few tile project (floors, showers, backsplashes, fireplaces) and worked with numerous materials (marble, porcelain, ceramic), but none were as difficult to work with as mirrored subway tile.

Due to the fragility of the glass and multiple surface angles created past the beveled edges, more than tiles that I expected broke at a weird angle, splintered or got damaged as I was handling them. It is truly an art form to get these drinking glass tiles to break properly.

I searched the spider web for any sort of tip or trick on how to cut mirrored subway tiles and establish nothing, so I decided to make this post which I remember yous'll find helpful if y'all're working with a like material or even just looking to acquire how to install any sort of backsplash.

Below are a few earlier and after photos to kicking things off. Now let'south dive in!

Side shot of white shaker cabinets with glass windows and quartz countertop prior to installing mirrored tile

White Shaker Cabinets and Quartz Countertop in Butler's Pantry before Mirrored Subway Tile Installation

Purchasing Mirrored Tile

We love subway tile and had installed several subway tile backsplashes and showers in the original ShabbyChicHouse. In fact, in the newly congenital ShabbyChicHouse we installed a white beveled subway tile in our second bath and loved the expect so much nosotros decided to do a mirrored subway tile in our Butler's Pantry.

Mirrored Subway Tile Styles & Colors

We went with this 3″ x 6″ mirrored tile in graphite which has a silver wait to information technology. We likewise considered the same mirrored tiles with a aureate tint and also these actually absurd aged/antiqued mirrored tiles.

Mirrored subway tile close-up showing beveled edges

How Much Tile to Club?

Before purchasing your tile you lot'll need to measure the length and width of the area you'll be tiling. Next, multiply the length by the width. This will give you the foursquare footage for the wall(s) you'll be tiling.

For this project my wall measured 5′ wide x 1.5′ high. That'due south seven.v Square anxiety.

For most tile projects you want to buy an additional 10% in tile materials due to wastage. This volition account for tiles that might arrive damaged, interruption incorrectly or are unusable in some mode or another.

Due to the insanely delicate nature of these glass tiles, I would recommend purchasing an additional 15-20% for wastage. I bought 10 square feet (which is a TON extra) and near used all the additional materials.

Planning Your Blueprint – Dry Plumbing fixtures

Before diving right into a tiling project, it's best to program out your pattern. Where will you start tiling? How and where will your tile cease/terminate?

In my project – the most visible area of the backsplash is the get-go row of tiles adjacent or above the countertop. Alternatively, the very summit of the backsplash will be obstructed by the upper cabinets.

With this being the example – it's best to identify your first row of tiles by the countertop and piece of work your way up. This way if do demand to take a cut or partial tile information technology's less visible and obstructed by the cabinets above.

Also, one time you take your tile in mitt y'all tin can lean it up against the wall without agglutinative to do a dry run. This will help you visualize that start row of tile and you tin can even hold up a tile or 2 on the second level to beginning planning your second row.

Single row of mirrored tile dry fit before installation

Mirrored tile backsplash first row of tiles installed

In my Butler's Pantry, the opening between the two walls where I would be installing my mirrored backsplash was 60.25″ (just over 5′). With my tiles being 6″ wide, that left a ane/4″ gap I needed to address before I could start tiling.

Below are two pretty proficient photos were you can run across these awkward gaps.

1/8" gap between mirrored subway tile and wall

mirrored subway tile and a 1/8 inch gap between the last tile and wall

I decided the best solution would be to postpone my tiling a few days and fill that gap with a very think layer of drywall that I cold taper out so it was completely unnoticeable.

Also, By splitting the i/4″ gap betwixt both walls I would only have to make up a ane/8″ gap on both walls.

Tapering Drywall to Close a Gap

Tapering your drywall to close a gap like this is fairly easy. Start by getting a fairly decent amount of mud on your tapping knife making certain information technology is evenly distributed across your blade.

using a drywall taping knife and mud to taper a wall and close a small gap prior to installation

Side by side place you blade in a 45 caste angle to the wall and apply the mud pulling towards yourself.

The goal of your first swipe is to get the mud on the wall. After it's on, clean your taping knife, place it dorsum in corner at a 45 degree bending and smoothen out. Echo this process until your mud is nice and smooth and your taper is unnoticeable.

Tapering a wall with drywall mud to close a small gap before tiling

Drywall mud freshly applied and tapered to close gap between tile and wall

Tapering out the wall is nearly impossible to do properly in a single run. To go an fifty-fifty and completely unnoticeable taper you need to Mud, Sand and then dryfit, Mud, Sand, Dryfit and repeat until yous take a perfect fit with your tiles.

Once yous taper is perfect, use a fine grit sanding sponge to level out your wall. Last, apply two-3 coats of paint to blend in your tapered wall.

Finally nosotros're ready to tile!

Wall after drywall mud tapering, sanding and paint

Drywall tapered, sanded and painted before tile install

Adhering Your Showtime Row of Tiles

I was lucky every bit my backsplash wall was exactly 5′ wide and fit exactly x tiles. My offset row of tiles I backbuttered and slapped right up without having to make a single cut.

If yous're not familiar with "Backbutering", it'southward the process of spreading your tile adhesive on the back of the tile every bit if you were buttering a slice of bread.

Many professional tilers would probably frown on backbuttering and say it's less efficient. These pros would recommend you use a square-notch trowel and apply a thin layer of tiling adhesive to the wall so place your tile. Doing it this way allows for speed and efficiency.

However, for this project I chose to backbutter my tiles. This gives you greater control of the amount of adhesive beingness used and avert the agglutinative rising through the tile joints. This is extremely important for when using these mirrored tiles as they are essentially clear glass tiles with a mirrored bankroll, meaning any adhesive that rose through tile joints could be easily seen and at the same time, hard to clean up.

Articulation or No Articulation for Mirrored Tile Backsplash

For this projection I chose to tightly fit my tiles together without grouted joints. Most people choose to get this route with mirrored tiles every bit using grout (sanded or unsanded) could potentially scratch the surface of these delicate tiles.

First row of a mirrored tile backsplash installed in a butler's pantry

Adding Your Second Row of Tile & Beyond

After adding my first row, I and then began with my 2nd. I started placing my inner tiles and worked way way out until I could no long put up a full length tile.

Mirrored tile backsplash being installed

By starting on the inside I could quickly get multiple tiles up and only eyeballed their placement. Then while the adhesive is moisture, you can slide the tiles so that the joints of our first row are centered (3″) on the tiles in the second row.

Now you just need to cutting ii half tiles and you can move up to the third row.

Mirrored Tile Backsplash side shot with second row installed

Mirrored Tile Backsplash Second Row installed

Learning How to Cut Your Material

Each and every tile project is different from the last. You might work with different materials (marble, porcelain, ceramic, glass) that vary in durability likewise as size and thickness.

I institute that up experimenting with 3-4 tiles and different cut techniques to see which works best for that project. When going through this testing, I typically test on the damaged and defective tiles that I know I will not be using in my project.

Cut Mirrored Tile with a Moisture Saw

For this projection I started out my testing with a wet saw. To ensure yous get the all-time cut, use a fresh blade (I like QEP's Diamond Ring Blade). Sometime blades tin can tiresome and even warp causing wobbling and ultimately, broken tiles.

Unfortunately, the wet saw left jagged edges on the forepart of the tile and at the same time tore upwardly the mirrored backing. This cut method would not allow for a clean/finished await, and so I began exploring other options.

Close-up of rough edges on a mirrored glass tile that has been cut by a wet saw

Close-up showing the rough cut on mirrored subway tile cut with a wet saw

Cutting Mirrored Subway Tile with a Handheld Cutter

Later failing to get a clean cut with the wet saw I turned to my trusty handheld tile cutter and on my first endeavour had moderate success. After practicing on a few tiles I found a few tricks and tips that helped me get the cleanest break which I'll share beneath.

Tools needed to score a mirrored subway tile include a pen for marking, a straight edge, ruler and tile cutter with tungsten carbide blade

Footstep 1: Measuring & Marking Your Tile

Using a measuring tape and felt tip pen, mark your beveled tile in 5 places. One time on each bevel, then three times on the top surface of the tile. This volition aid you become a straight and even line beyond the top of the tile.

Close-up of a mirrored subway tile showing how to mark proper when cutting in half

Footstep two: Scoring Your Mirrored Tile

Next, use a tungsten carbide blade to score your tile.

How to score a mirrored tile using a tungsten carbide blade

I had the most success when I scored the acme of the tile, both beveled edges, both sides of the tile besides as the dorsum.

Photo showing how to score and break a mirrored glass tile

Use a medium corporeality of pressure to score the tile. If you don't score deep plenty you won't get a clean break. If yous utilise too much pressure the tile will splinter or fifty-fifty crevice.

Step 3: Breaking Your Mirrored Tile

Subsequently you've scored your mirrored tile all the way effectually you're ready to pause it in half. Using your handheld tool, identify it in the billow similar bear witness in the photo below and use lite and a slowing increasing amount of pressure until the tile breaks.

Mirrored subway tile in handheld tile breaker

With these extremely delicate tiles I found information technology's best to wrap them in paper towels. This besides helps protect the tile every bit well as yourself from whatsoever glass shards that could go flying when yous break the tile.

Mirrored subway tile wrapped in paper towels and being broken after scored

Also, when breaking your tile make certain to hold it skillful vi-7 inches above your work surface. As the tile breaks the center will break in an upward motion and the to outside edges of your tile volition suspension violently downward towards your work surface. If yous mirrored tile is likewise close to your piece of work surface you can easily chip the corner of your tiles.

Even subsequently figuring out how to become a decent score and pause, I still had times when I still just could get a clean break. A few times it took me 2, iii fifty-fifty 4 tiles to get a perfect break.

However, once you lot go the hang of it and when you take extra tiles on hand to account for this outcome, it's not a big deal.

Cutting Mirrored Tile to fit Around Your Outlets

Cutting the holes for your outlets is significantly easier as yous don't demand a perfectly clean edge as the cut tile will exist covered by your outlet cover.

Outset by applying you neighboring tiles until yous get to the tile that will need to be cut. In the photo beneath you can see I tiled until I got right next to the outlet and now I tin can measure and draw the area I'll demand to cutout for my outlet.

Close showing mirrored subway tile installed up until the first power outlet

close-up on mirrored subway with area marked that needs to be cut out for power outlet

Cutting a Centre Outlet

Using a wet saw make your first two cuts along the vertical lines in the photo higher up until you lot get to the bottom of line.

Adjacent, cut out the center department of the tile my making parallel cuts every 1/4″ or then.

Since the moisture saw blade is round and nosotros're working with a clear glass tile you can actually see I made about 8 parallel cuts in the images beneath to remove the middle.

Mirrored subway tile being cut by wet saw

mirrored tile showing several parallel wet saw cuts to remove center of tile to fit around a power outlet

Side by side dry fit your tile to brand sure it will fit around your outlet. As you can see in the 2nd photo below my outlet cover conceals the cutting edges of the time.

Holding Mirrored Subway Tile with center cut up to power outlet to see if it fits

Hand holding up mirrored outlet cover on top of a half installed mirrored tile backsplash

To ensure that your outlet sits at the proper summit with your tile and outlet cover you lot'll demand to loosen the outlet's elevation and bottom screws. This volition let you to pull the outlet out merely enough to skid your cutting tile under the metallic prongs.

Before pulling your outlet out make sure to cutting off your outlet'due south power at the breaker box and test with a multimeter to make certain the power is off.

Once you lot confirm that y'all have a good fit, backbutter your tile and place it permanently.

Terminal, accept care not to tighten down your outlet also much and avoid breaking your newly cut tile.

Center of mirrored subway tile cut for power outlet

Power outlet adjusted and sitting on top of a newly installed mirrored subway tile

Cut the Edge of a Mirrored Tile

At the kickoff of every tile project inspect and set aside all damaged tiles. Anytime you're making a cut where you lot'll be tossing out office of your tile, try to use a tile that is damaged in area that you'll exist throwing away.

Mirrored Subway tile with chipped corner before being cut to fit around a power outlet

Mirrored Subway Tile close-up to show Chipped Corner

For example – As you get to an outlet similar the one above you can wait through your damaged tiles and notice a tile that's upper right corner is chipped or cleaved.

This allows you to apply some of your damaged tiles to avoid running out of materials and minimize wastage.

Make the smaller cutting beginning. And then follow upward with your longer cut.

Mirrored Subway Tile being held up to a power outlet with a pen mark shower where it needs to be cut to fit around a power outlet

Terminating Your Mirrored Tile

Deciding how to terminate yous tile is typically ane of the hard decisions to make and plan out in most tile projects. However, when installing a backsplash that has overhead cabinet that top tile is oft obstructed. You can typically cut and place a partial tile there to stop off yous projection.

Mirrored Tile Close-up without outlet cover to show how it's cut around the power outlet and how it terminates underneath the cabinets

Mirrored Subway Tile installed in Butler's Pantry with White Shaker Cabinets and Quartz Countertops

In my case I was left 1/8″ which I decided to go out every bit is and luckily due to the overhead cabinets, I take never seen it once again.

The Finished Product & Decision

Overall, this has to be 1 of the hardest tile projects I've taken on. However, with a little bit of time and patience and extra tiles to fire through, it wasn't that bad.

Please check out the photos below of the finish production and I'd love to hear what you lot think.