Needs to be floor grade as they are really slippery otherwise. I think Porcelain would be a better choice and a tumbled at that. We just put in 1 x 1 honed marble in ours...

Thanks, Guppy 2009. The glass tiles are "matte" finish. Would that make any difference? The other choice 2x2 matte finish porcelain tiles would be ok, right?

No, it doesn't. The glass will be slippery, even with with all the grout joints. The porcelain's the better bet. Traditionally, that's what's been used for shower floors for decades is ceramic mosaics, all of which have always been porcelain.

About 1-1/2 years ago I got a call from a spa wanting me to do their showers/sauna/steamrooms, all in glass mosaic.

I recommended a porcelain for the floors, they insisted on glass, so I never bid. They found a crew to install all glass.

They've had three slips and falls that resulted in injury; one broken pelvis, one chipped bone in elbow, don't know what the other injury was.

The spa, the GC, the tile contractor, the architect, and the town (for approving installation) were all named in at least one of the suits.

Mongo, I'm going to copy and paste your post into the pros forum at John Bridge's site. Atleast a couple of people over there need to see this.

Well I found a 1 X 1 glass mosaic tile that specifically said it's rated for floors, so I hope we won't have slippage issues. We'll see. I'll report back one day in a million years when that guest bathroom finally gets finished. The tile is specifically cited as suitable for floors, you'd think that'd make all the difference.

Not really, Ivette-- it says floors-- not a shower floor where it's got a good heavy layer of water on it while in use. That makes a huge difference.

Mongo-- Here's the thread over at John's-- you might check in. Someone there from your neck of the woods.

Here is a link that might be useful: Glass Mosaic Shower Floors

Hmmmmmmmm. Thanks Bill. Not to be argumentative, you know how I value your opinion. But they've got a very strong texture on them. It's hard for me to believe they'd be slippery at all, even when soaked, they're far less smooth than the porcelain hex in Sam's bathroom. We'll consider. Maybe we can do an accent wall in the shower with them and find something else for the floor. I'm just not sure it's necessary given the rough feel of the glass. Does the water negate the rough texture of the tile if it's glass?

Thanks again,
Ivette

I sent Joel a link to this conversation. He just came upstairs and said, and I QUOTE:

"If Bill Vincent says we shouldn't do a glass floor in the bathroom, then we're not doing a glass floor in the bathroom."

So, there you go. Rethinking the whole design now. Perhaps the main wall in the glass (floor) tile and the 6x6 dal tile on the side walls with an accent of the glass (floor - NOT) tile.

So what to get for the floor? Back to square one.

Ivette

I have glass tiles on my shower floor, in the niches and as a accent stripe. I love it, it is so pretty and ours is not slippery at all. You have to make sure it is rated to be submerged as posted above.

The only thing slippery in my shower is the granite bench! I was shocked when I sat on it the first time but now that I know, I am just more careful sitting down but get a little soap/shampoo on that granite and it is slick. I almost slid right off the first time but the shower floor is never slippery.

Ivette-- sorry about that. I'd rather piss you off, or disappoint you though, than hear later that you were recuperating from a fall.... or worse.

Not at all Bill, I appreciate it. Especially since this is the guest bathroom and our elderly parents will be the ones primarily using it.

I went back and double checked and the tile says it's suitable for "standing water". Okay, well, I think we're not going to chance it, given the elderly factor.

THanks again!

One more point of note: reps from both AKDO and Artistic Tile told me "off the record" that they had seen glass tile on floors crack much more easily than porcelain. That and the slip factor dissueded me from the glass pennyrounds I coveted for my bathroom floor in favor of ceramic ones.