Sample Board Morjo™ Thinny-Pennies™ Round Recycled Glass Tiles 3/4 Inch comes with one of each tile in our color palette in the 3/4 inch (20mm) size. Here is more information about the tiles and how they are used:
MORJO™ Thinny-Pennies™ are 20mm Penny Round Recycled Glass Tiles. They are sold loose by the 1/2 pound (approximately 70+ pieces), which covers slightly under 1/3 of a square foot (~42 square inches) with a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. These tiles have a glossy finish, and the glass has solid color throughout (and not just on the tops or bottoms.) They are opaque when mounted on an opaque surface.
The Thinny Pennies are the same thickness as regular glass mosaic tile (4mm or ~1/8 inch) and not fat like glass gems. This makes them much easier to use with other types of glass tile and easier to grout.
The recycled glass is a homogeneous material that cuts cleanly and predictably using the Wheel-bladed Mosaic Glass Cutter. They are hard and durable and UV-resistant and can be used for the exteriors of commercial buildings. The fusing process for making these tiles from powdered recycled glass is referred to as “warm glass” or “enamel glass” or “pate de verre.”
Rough Bottoms for Improved Bonding
The bottoms of these tiles are left intentionally rough from gritty mold release (chalk) for improved bond strength. In my experience, and rough, scratched, or etched glass is more effective than embossed ridges. Rough bottoms also has another important advantage over embossed ridges: they don’t interfere with cutting.
Each 1/2-pound bag of about 70+ tiles covers just under 1/3 of a square foot (~42 square inches) assuming a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch.
Grout Gap?
Note that dry indoor mosaics do not have to be grouted (and thus you can simply mount the tiles tightly together), but outdoor and wet mosaics must have grout to prevent water from penetrating behind the tiles. The best way to ensure that the gaps between the tiles is to leave a 1/16-inch gap instead of pressing them tightly together, and this point seems counter-intuitive to some people. Consider this: you can never mount them so closely together that water can’t penetrate it, but you can accidentally put them so close that grout doesn’t get adequately pressed into the crack during the grouting process.
Compatibility
These tiles have a nominal thickness of 1/8 inch (4mm), which is the same nominal thickness as most of the glass tile we sell. You can use these with other brands of recycled glass and even vitreous glass, although the graininess of some vitreous colors might not look good when combined with the homogeneous glassiness of recycled glass tiles.
Cutting Recycled Glass Thinny-Pennies™
Recycled glass cuts like butter using the Mosaic Glass Cutters without creating a lot slivers or cutting waste.
