Glass tile failure - cracked and shattered

Thermal shock and expansion causes shattered, cracked and spalled glass tiles.


Many of the glass tile manufacturers have yet to produce products that meet the ANSI A137.2 performance standards.  

Why?  It is less expensive to simply replace any cracked tiles with new tiles, than it is to manufacture and perform testing to ensure compliance.  The manufacturers know that they can also deflect many failure warranty claims by blaming the installation process.  
They will quickly point out the installers failure to install expansion joints as the cause of any failure.  And the manufacturers will continue to refuse to produce products that are compliant with the standards they wrote.

Boyce & Bean glass tiles (manufactured by Crossville)

The ANSI standards state that any glass tiles that do not meet the thermal shock resistance standard, cannot be specified for use outdoors.  In fact, they are relegated to use in dry indoor wall applications only (kitchen back splashes and decorative walls).

The manufacturers want to have their cake and eat it to.... they refuse to create compliant products, but they will blame an installer for failing to comply with the installation standards.

Shouldn't glass tile manufacturers comply with their own industry standards?

Or be forced to stop marketing non-compliant glass tile as being suitable for outdoor and swimming pool applications?

 

Paolo Benedetti, SWD, Principal Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa www.AquaticTechnology.com International Swimming Pool Consulting and Design, Aquatic Consulting, Watershape Consultants, Expert Witness, Hydraulic Design, Landscape Architecture, Construction Management Office: 408-776-8220 Email: info@aquatictechnology.com Major Markets Serviced: San Francisco, Palo Alto, Atherton, Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Clemente, Pacific Palisades, Escondido, Scottsdale, Seattle, Phoenix, Tempe, Portland, Aspen, Vail, Park City, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Austin, New Orleans, Madison, Detroit, East Hamptons, South Hamptons, Cape May, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Cherry Hill, Toms River, Salt lake City, Boise, Denver, Santa Barbaara, Carmel, Carmel Valley, Monterey, Pebble Beach, Oceanside, Big Sur, Napa, Sonoma, Sausalito, Danville, Belvedere, Montecito, Palm Springs, Midland, Manhattan, Greenwich Village, Osaka, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, London, Seoul, Sydney, New York, Tokyo, Cairo, Istanbul, Athens, Rome, Lisbon, Bonn.

Glass Tile - ANSI A 137.2 Cracked Glass

Cracked Glass Tile Mosaics

There are thousands of firms jumping onto the glass tile bandwagon. Of course they all want to sell to the pool industry - 1 tile pool is equal to 1000 tile showers or kitchen back splashes. 

This past week, a client and their interior designer showed me some glass tiles from a national tile distributor. They were told that they "are approved for swimming pools."  The client wanted to move ahead.  I forewarned them, that unless the tiles had passed the tile industry's own thermal shock standards, that we would not touch them.

When I contacted the distributor's technical services department, they advised that the tiles had not been tested for compliance with ANSI A137.2.

It is imperative that swimming pool designers and contractors not be lured by false promises and claims of marketing departments, salespeople and showrooms.  Yes, you can install anything in a pool, but not everything is durable enough!

INSIST that any glass tile you specify or install, has been tested and is in compliance with ANSI A137.2.  It outlines the durability requirements, and most importantly, the tile's resistance to thermal shock.

WARNING: There are many name brand tiles that do not comply with ANSI A137.2.  Big box stores, fashion designers, home improvement stores and national tile distributors all have private label brands that do not meet the standards.  Great for a kitchen back splash - but not thousands of square feet in a swimming pool !

REMEMBER - DO NOT take anyone's word for it.  Ask to see the test results from an independent U.S. testing laboratory. Those that have submitted their products for testing are more than happy to provide you with a copy! And they should be proud of it!

For an article that explains ANSI A137.2 check out this link: https://www.tcnatile.com/ima…/pdfs/IntroducingANSIA137.2.pdf

If a firm wants to sell products to our industry, shouldn't they at least conform to the MINIMUM standards in their own industry ??

Paolo Benedetti, SWD, Principal 
Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa 
www.AquaticTechnology.com 
International Swimming Pool Consulting and Design, Aquatic Consulting, Watershape Consultants, Expert Witness, Hydraulic Design, Landscape Architecture, Construction Management 
Office: 408-776-8220 
Email: info@aquatictechnology.com 
Major Markets Serviced: San Francisco, Palo Alto, Atherton, Hollywood Hills, Beverly Hills, Malibu, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Clemente, Pacific Palisades, Escondido, Scottsdale, Seattle, Phoenix, Tempe, Portland, Aspen, Vail, Park City, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Austin, New Orleans, Madison, Detroit, East Hamptons, South Hamptons, Cape May, Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Cherry Hill, Toms River, Salt lake City, Boise, Denver, Santa Barbaara, Carmel, Carmel Valley, Monterey, Pebble Beach, Oceanside, Big Sur, Napa, Sonoma, Sausalito, Danville, Belvedere, Montecito, Palm Springs, Midland, Manhattan, Greenwich Village, Osaka, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, London, Seoul, Sydney, New York, Tokyo, Cairo, Istanbul, Athens, Rome, Lisbon, Bonn.

Random Cracking Glass Tile Mosaics Swimming Pool

Most of the time, cracking in swimming pool glass tile mosaics can be explained by poor installation practices or shoddy workmanship.  Other times the cracking occurs without rhyme or reason in random tiles.
 
Random Cracking

Random cracking of glass tile mosaics is rarely the fault of the installer.  It is usually the symptom of inherent stresses within the glass tiles.

(Click on an image to enlarge it)

Random cracks in Oceanside Glass Tile Mosaics

But, without a "before and after" inspection of those same exact cracked tiles, there is no way to say with absolute certainty that the glass is to blame.  So it will become a case of finger pointing and blaming each other.

(Click on an image to enlarge it)

Random cracks in Oceanside Glass Tile Mosaics

 

Pre-Existing Stresses

A consumer or installer cannot be certain that any individual piece of glass tile does not possess a preexisting stress or flaw from the manufacturing process.

The only way to be absolutely sure, is to inspect each tile prior to installation... Time consuming and costly for sure.

Failure to Inspect
 
I do not know of any manufacturers of glass tile mosaics that perform a visual inspection of every single glass tile, prior to shipment.  Again, it would be too costly and time consuming.  

I'm sure that there are computerized optical inspection systems that could be employed, but after all it is "only glass tile."  The cost simply does not outweigh their liability for a few cracked glass tiles.

Protecting Yourself

The best way to protect yourself prior to an after installing glass tile mosaics, is to closely follow the installation instructions.

Unmounted sheets from each lot, color and pattern should be stored in a safe, cool & dry location.  Should there ever be a suspected failure, these samples can be tested at a materials testing laboratory for thermal shock resistance and inspected for preexisting stresses.


Paolo Benedetti - Aquatic Artist 
"Creating water as art."™ 
Aquatic Technology Pool and Spa ©www.aquatictechnology.com 
You may contact Paolo Benedetti at: info@aquatictechnology.com or at 408-776-8220

Cracked Glass Tile Mosaics - The Flaws Within!

Internationally renown designer, consultant, contractor & expert witness Paolo (Paul) Benedetti offers his opinion as to why many manufacturer's product lines of glass tile mosaics crack. Paolo precisely follows the Tile Counsel of North America (TCNA) and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) installation guidelines & recommendations. Yet, he has had projects where the glass tile mosaics cracked randomly, throughout the installed field in no pattern, & for no apparent reason. He has inspected the work of others, when they also experienced unexplained random cracking & fissures. He has almost 20 years of experience creating spectacular glass tile mosaic knife edge perimeter overflow pools, spas, waterfalls, and water features, infinity edge pools, vanishing edge pools, disappearing edge pools, negative edge pools, no coping pools, zero edge pools, no edge pools, and edgeless pools.

The Flaw's Lies Within... the Naked Truth!

Internal stresses within glass tiles, lie invisible to the naked eye. A tile that looks perfect & unblemished to the unassisted eye, may actually contain inherent stresses that may later manifest themselves as cracks, fissures, or degradation. I have seen these manifest themselves in the manufacturer's very own sample boards and even in unmounted and uninstalled tiles!

For years, the manufacturers have blamed the installers. Why? Because it is very easy to find where the installers deviated even the slightest from the installation instructions. Once there is a crack in that armor, they'll drive a truck through. The suspicion instantly shifts from the possibility of faulty tile, immediately to incorrect installation practices & materials.

Glass tile manufacturers deny that their glass tiles possess any internal stresses. Of course, who in the world would expect them to say, "Golly jeepers, you got us. We really sell an inferior product that possesses inherent invisible internal flaws that will manifest themselves after the tiles are installed." The quote you'll hear is, "they were inspected before they left the factory," or "they weren't cracked when they left the factory."

But, were they really truly inspected? Of course not! Actually, most of the glass tile manufacturers do not even bother to inspect for internal flaws!

Why? Because they are too ignorant (and do not want to know the truth) or they have too much money at stake. Imagine the lost profit, good will, consumer faith, and liability for all of their past inferior production, if they admitted that their products were inherently defective?! Or they are attempting to "compartmentalize" each case of failure, in an attempt to prevent the consumers, government, or attorneys from collectively getting smart & sharing information, and thereby realizing that they're not the only ones who are experiencing this problem (as the manufacturer's will lead you to believe).

If the glass tile manufacturers can keep we as the end users, constantly seeking absolute perfection in our installation procedures, then they will surely take that stance! There are just too many small variables present between different jobsites, applications, & installations to achieve continuity in the installations. The results are that this material seems to be so fragile & delicate - which it is not!
The technical service staff or production managers at most of these firms have not even been provided with the information, training, nor the apparatus to perform the simplest of these inspections. They are simply not aware that the product that they selling is actually flawed!

Like cancer, it's what you cannot see that will hurt you!

So like cancer, in order to detect it early, you need to get "regular screenings." How does this apply to glass tile?

Simple - buy yourself a POLARISCOPE! A what-scope? It sounds expensive!! Well, in actuality they are not - ranging from $250-$1500. The attached images were taken with a hand held digital camera and a $500 polariscope. Many of the manufacturer's do not know what a polariscope is, let alone even own a polariscope. So how do they perform inspections for internal flaws? Simply stated... they don't!

Scary, isn't it?! Once the tiles crack in the field, they get to blame YOU or your installation practices. As their taillights fade in the distance you'll hear, "the tiles did not leave the factory cracked!"

How does a polariscope work? A polariscope is a simple light box, with 2 polarizing filters. The tile to be inspected is laid upon the light table, and the viewer looks through the 2 polarizing filters. These filters polarize & align the planes of light. One of the filters is rotated (or the sample is rotated) to highlight any stresses. As the light passes through the transparent material (in this case glass tiles), the light becomes retarded by any inherent flaws. The more retarded the light, the more stress in the material and the brighter the highlighting. The stress appears as a white "hot spot" within the image.

Some manufactured glass tiles have small surface blemishes (wrinkles, scratches, or chips) that the manufacturer's claim is a part of their "character & uniqueness," when these in fact can impart stresses onto/into the glass tiles. An example of this is when a glaziers scribe (rolling carbide glass cutter) is ran across the surface of a glass tile. Once scribed, that "scratch" actually imparts "stress" into the glass tile... stresses that the glazier actually relies upon in order to crack a sheet of glass in a straight line. The bottom line, is that surface flaws can (but not always) cause stresses within the tiles. Some tiles are manufactured with wrinkles and textures that do not impart any stresses - the buyers & end users need to be informed! The only way to know for sure, is to use a polariscope.

Wait a minute, how can this simple test be so informative? Is it valid? Well the US Food & Drug Administration uses this very device & technique to inspect glass drink and food containers. This link also explains in greater scientific detail how the polariscope works:
http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/Inspections/InspectionGuides/ucm071623.htm

So from now on, when the manufacturer's information says that it is, "the users responsibility to inspect the tiles & verify that the tiles are suitable for the intended purpose," you have a simple apparatus to perform such inspection quickly & inexpensively. By the way, such a warranty disclaimer clause is illegal in California, outlawed in the CALIFORNIA CIVIL CODE SECTIONS 1792-1795.8.

I am not promoting any particular brands of tiles here. I know from firsthand experience that the following manufacturers perform routine random sample testing & observations of their glass tiles. I also have not experienced or observed any major failure issues with any of the following brands (listed in no particular order)*:

http://lightstreamsglasstile.com
http://www.sicis.it
http://www.bisazza.com/usa/
http://www.kolorines.com/
http://www.interstyle.ca/

*Just because a particular brand of glass tile is not listed above, does not not mean that they are not performing these inspections or are having internal stress issues (no, that doesn't mean they've missing their morning cup of coffee). It just means that I do not have any personal knowledge or experience to speak firsthand as to the quality of their products or production process. I am not opposed to accepting a fully paid facilities inspection tour or to accepting material samples to "field test," from any manufacturer's that are not listed. Regardless, I will continue to independently report my field observations & firsthand experiences!

Lest I remind you, that these observations apply to glass tiles - not porcelain or ceramic!

Maybe these flaws are so small, that they are merely slipping through the manufacturing process...?? Hardly... for example, my 10 year old son sorted & picked out the attached tiles (which I photographed) and attached as examples. The small white specs throughout the images are speckles of dust on the lightbox surface.

In the following images internal stresses (seen as white hot spots, streaks & clouding) are clearly visible within the tiles :
The swirling star that is observed in the following image, is what an acceptable tile looks like. The bubbles within the glass tile, do not inherently create stress or weaknesses. You can clearly see that there are no observable stresses surrounding the bubbles.

NOW YOU CAN "SEE..."

...that the flaws may actually lie within, and not with the end user or installer!


Paolo Benedetti - Aquatic Artist
"Creating water as art."™
Aquatic Technology Pool & Spa
©www.aquatictechnology.com