CHAPTER 14  •  RainDrops II Glass

Why did you name Chapter 14 Raindrops II?

Raindrops is Jeffrey Court's collection of glass and mixed stone-glass mosaics. The collection name was coined because the surface of many tiles has a concentric series of waves - like the surface of a pond during a gentle sprinkle, hence Raindrops II.

What are the key features of Chapter 14 Raindrops II?

• Emulsified Color-thru body instead of the less desirable "painted back" mosaic glass.
• The glass is a full 5/16" thick unlike most mosaic glass which is about 1/8" thick and this makes installation and grouting easier.
• The tiles have clear Mylar face mounting making bonding easier and more assured.
• The glass tiles have a metallic/iridescent finish that adds to the beautiful variation and luster of this collection.
• Incorporation of stone pieces in some of the glass sheets increases the uniqueness.
• Eight coordinating domes designed to mix and coordinate any Chapter 14 installation.

Where can this collection be used?

Interior and exterior wall surfaces to include pools, spas, fountains, tub and shower enclosures, hearth surrounds, barbeque facades, and kitchen backsplashes are some areas where this product would make a dramatic statement.

Raindrops II can be used with other Jeffrey Court products so using Chapter 14 with stone and ceramic surfaces makes for many up-market design possibilities.

Since Raindrops II is a mosaic it can be used in bathrooms and shower pans except in beach areas where tracking sand in to these areas is a common occurrence. Sand will over time scratch the glass surface. Although the coefficient of friction for glass is not nearly as high as many flooring materials, the use of sanded grout and being a mosaic makes Raindrops II usable on bathroom and other light duty floors.

The thickness and the metallic treatment provide extra protection from foot traffic and allow Raindrops to be used in all light duty residential installations.

Are there any special design or installation tips for chapter 14 Raindrops II?

Glass is vitreous meaning there is virtually no absorption with this product. With this characteristic it is critical a high quality polymer modified thin set be used.

Because many of the colors of Raindrops are translucent, A WHITE high quality polymer modified thin set is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. This ensures the glass will remain very close to the actual color after installation and not be darkened which will happen if gray thin set is used. Never use "mastic" type products to install glass.

Because of the thermal expansion of glass tile, we do not recommend the use of epoxy grouts which provide a minimal amount of flexibility and are susceptible to yellowing when exposed to UV sunlight.

If the installation is in large areas and pools we recommend using the recommended glass setting materials from various adhesive manufacturers.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: You may experience some cracked glass tiles in pools due to various factors like settling, lack of expansion joints or rapid adhesive setting. This can happen with all glass manufacturer products. We recommend the use of expansion joints around the perimeter and along every 6 to 10 foot length of the installation area. Please refer to the recommendations found in the TCNA Handbook "Movement Joints EJ171."

We recommend the use of a 3/16" notched trowel - first spreading a measuring coat on the sub straight. The next step is to go back over the "racked" trowel finish with the flat side of the trowel to smooth the entire surface. This means hitting approximately the top 1/3 of the original trowel marks and flattening them so the white thin set background is homogeneous in color. This is particularly helpful in securing a more even white colored background for the glass to be embedded in to and minimizes shade variation of the thin set. This is especially true with colors like Glacier Bay.

Installers may wish to dip for approximately 5 SECONDS each sheet in a tray of clean water prior to installing each sheet. After 5 seconds, wait approximately 2 minutes for the surface of the glass (or towel off) to dry, and then install. By doing this, the glue that is used to temporarily bond the Mylar to the glass is water-soluble and begins to "break down". This makes removing the Mylar in a few hours much easier. Under no circumstance keep the glass in the water more than 5 seconds. Lastly, it is important to use protective goggles when cutting glass and sanding cut edges. After sawing/cutting, it is very important to remove the sharp edges before installing.

Again, since glass is nearly impervious, it takes longer for the setting materials to dry enough to secure the mosaics. We recommend in most circumstances waiting a few hours to remove the Mylar and commence grouting. Make sure once the Mylar is removed any thin set that has pushed up near the surface of the glass be removed (lowered at least 1/16" below glass surface) especially if a colored grout is used. This prevents the white thin set from showing in the different colored grout lines.

Lastly, the water soluble glue that is used to adhere the Mylar usually is removed during the grouting process; however, there may be some residue left and most good cleaners with a 3M (not metallic) pad will clean the remaining glue off the surface of the glass.