Here's some info I've collected.

Viable grout colors-delorean gray, quartz, natural gray: all from custom bldg. products. natural grey from laticrete. delorean gray, light pewter from TEC.

Recommend seal before grouting and after.

White thinset most often used.

I plan on cutting out the clear glass tiles to remove the mesh backing so it won't show when installed. I'm also going to replace some of the glass with burnt umber/root beer glass tiles. I don't plan to enhance.

Some F & I kitchens to search out: jodi, morton 5, berryberry, jsol, poorowner.

poorowner also recommended using drywall screws and tape to hold everything up as you're doing the install.

What is your countertop material/name?

HTH. Please post pics!!

Chrisny45 gave great advice! What I've read most DIYers having trouble with is the mesh backing showing through on the glass tiles, especially the clear ones, so some have removed the mesh behind them and used white thinset as Chris suggested.

This is what my GC recommends for the ends: cutting some quartzite pieces out (long ones) and running them vertically, to kind of give it a finished edge - does this make sense? I am hoping to photoshop this idea up this weekend to see how I like it. I should note that we don't have any kind of pencil liner or anything like that to finish off the tops and ends (that's why he made that recommendation). I also like what jodi did with hers, letting the ends stagger off slowly.

Good luck and be sure to post pics!

Yay!! How exciting Kristine. I have been lurking on the all the fire and ice posts but haven't chimed in at all yet. I'm really excited to see your backsplash when it is finished.

I haven't seen a grout color yet that hasn't worked with F&I. I'm partial to the delorean gray though. I don't think I can add much more after all the help Chris45ny gave you in her post but I did have a question for any of you who already have the fire and ice.

I received my sample of fire and ice a few days ago and I am now not as confident about using it as I was from all the photos on the threads here.

On the sample I received the glass tiles are very iridescent with very little color to the glass tiles at all. The glass tiles seem very washed out and all that I notice is the rainbow effect of the iridescence. Is this how they look before they are installed and the color comes out once they are on the wall?

Sorry if I hijacked your thread but I have re-read many of the threads and looked at more photos and there is a definite difference to what I received and what I'm seeing here. Good luck with your install and again- post pics when you can. TIA.

Forgot:
pudybaby, moniqua (mofojoy),boysrus2, gozalyn, favabeans5, and neverdunn.

irisheyes 13:
the glass tiles on the sheet do look pale/washed out but when I taped it on the wall it looked more vibrant. HTH.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

Chris, my countertop is granite (ubatuba),and cherry cabinets

Question about the white thinset, I was told to get the premixed kind for wall tiles....is that correct? Any particular brand better than another?

Irisheyes~ Many of the people added in some dark umber glass tiles (like the dark brown one above in Chris' pic). They are called root beer candy glass tiles. I ordered some. They are more caramel colored though, not as dark as the others people have used in the past. The company is using a lighter dye lot now. Modern Tile Studio contacted the maker of the glass tiles for me and that is what they were told :(
I will still use the caramel colored ones though. They still look good even though they aren't quite as dark. Here are a few pics

This is a pic of the slate version of fire and ice I took recently at a tile shop. It looks to have the peach tiles and the root beer ones I have, plus some little black ones.

Here is a pic of a full sheet of the root beer tiles I have available (I have extras if anyone wants to buy some ;) (I had to order 11 sheets and will only use 2)

Here is a pic of my current kitchen. The root beer tiles I have actually match my cabinets perfectly, so that is a plus!

I can't wait to see your finished kitchen. My cherry cabinets are coming on Monday and we are thinking about a dark polished granite like uba tuba. Yours looks great.

What does everyone think of adding some black tiles? Since the current Root Beer are quite a bit lighter then the "burnt amber" Jodi used, I was thinking of getting some black ones to add as well as the Root Beer... I have AB granite counters...

BTW Kristine, the current Root Beer color matches my cabinets pretty well also.

I sent an email off to our Fire & Ice installer asking what kind of thinset she used and if she removed the netting behind the glass pieces. I don't think she did, but we'll see.

I do know whatever thinset my installer used was slow drying because I'm at the office all day and wouldn't see her work until late at night after she'd left. Good thing she did because I wasn't terribly happy with the way she ended the run. I redesigned the "waterfall" look and she was able to redo the pieces the next morning though she had to pull about 18" of tile, recut and reposition to make it all work.

Jodi-

Buehl, I too considered of adding some black tiles, but I can't find those either. I have scoured the internet for hours looking for various colors in the candy glass. All I can find is smaller sizes like what is in the slate version. The store I linked will custom cut the 1 5/8" candy glass, but I am not sure it is the same stuff. It looks more iridescent. What do you guys think? Oh, and they said it would take 6 weeks.

Another thought I had is to take out all of the peach and clear ones and just use the root beer. Not sure how that would look though.

Jodi~thanks so much for checking on the thinset. I am being a little paranoid because our floor tile installer apparently mixed our thinset too dry or used too little and now we have tiles popping loose. :(
I was wondering about the netting. It is really apparent right now when I hold them up to my white wall. I know it would drive me nuts if I could see the mesh backing after they were installed.

Here is a link that might be useful: custom cut root beer

Jodi, that looks spectacular! Love the cascade.

BTW, I used glass mosaics and did not remove the mesh backing. You cannot see it at all. They've been installed almost a year.

I used Mapei white dry unsanded grout recommended for the tiles and mixed it myself.

kristine 2009- Your batch of "root beer" glass tiles with your cabinets look great. What might look nice is to take out the peachy ones-replace those with your root beer and even some black if you can find it. I also considered trying to get some black as there is black in my granite but was unsuccessful. Maybe you will have better luck. Someone (can't remember who) posted that you could only see the mesh behind the clear glass tiles if you went up close to the backsplash. The white thinset will not completely hide the mesh according to this person. This is going to look awesome with the uba tuba. What I love about this fire & ice is that it can go with some many different countertop surfaces/colors. I'll find out about the thinset tomorrow and get back to you what my tile place recommends.

Beuhl-the black would look great since you have AB granite.

gsciencechick-Can you post a pic as it would be less work if we don't have to cut the mesh from the clear.

jodi-I love the waterfall ending. I'm going to do that at the end of my wall!!

You know-there has been mention on this forum of bianco antico countertop club. Well, there's a bunch of us in the fire & ice backsplash club!

I am far from a tiling expert, but I think the pre-mixed thinset is also called mastic and is easier to work with because the tile sticks to the wall better without sliding down and is fine to use in a low-water place like a kitchen backsplash (not appropriate to use in a shower, for example). However, some professional tilers would NEVER use mastic - only thinset. I have no idea what the technical difference is between the two.

Heard back from my wonderful installer. Here is what she had to say about how she set my F&I.

Just a note: Once the tile was installed, she asked me to take a look and make sure I was happy with the color/texture balance. I took blue painter's tape and marked the tile pieces I didn't particularly care for. She then swapped them out with another piece the next morning.

"We installed your project with Custom's Stone set mortar [Thin set specific for stone]. This mortar is white and only comes in white. Stone and glass is never set with grey mortar. Also we do not use quick set as it dries to quickly. The glass pieces that were changed out for the strong colored ones may not have had netting on them. Also you had us switch a few of the other colors they may not have had net on them as well. When pieces are taken from the field mosaic they are cut out and changed.

It was a true pleasure doing your beautiful kitchen. Loved the new picture will have to add it to my website. Thank you so much for sending it. Haven't updated my site for several years and have done so many gorgeous jobs that need to go on it. Lots of glass. Never use a quick set on anything. It dries too quickly and can release down the line. Also stone should be sealed before grouting. Especially the material like yours as it is porous and grout leaves a film on it that cannot be removed but leaves it murky."

Thanks so much for the info Jodi! Was she able to grout the next day since it takes a long time for the thinset to dry?

I will check in town today to see if I can find the mortar she used.

Thanks again

I need to take some updated pics! I should mention that this mortar was specifically for glass tiles. I used the recommended mortar, unsanded grout, and caulk for the tiles. Nothing fancy, I just worked with Lowe's. The tiles are American Olean Ocean Blues with Mapei adhesive, grout, and caulk. They are definitely brighter when grouted! But you cannot see the mesh at all. The mesh makes them much easier to work with since I DIY'd.

There was someone awhile back who used white grout with reddish glass tiles when she should've used beige, and the tiles looked pink!

Before grout:

After grout but before caulk:

Jodi's info is spot on. I checked my notebook and found this: "thinset instead of mastic full cure 28 days." Guess that means wait 28 days before grouting?? But that can't be right! Maybe someone will chime in with better info.

My backsplash probably won't be going up for another month so looking forward to seeing your pics kristine. Keep us posted as to how it's going.

Chris, my installer grouted on day two, or maybe three. Definitely not day 28 as the entire kitchen was finished on day 21.

Thanks jodi. I knew that couldn't be right but now I'm wondering what that pertains to-maybe when I was asking for floor tile advice? I've added your kitchen to my clippings. Every time I see it, I love it more and more!! Thanks for being such a wonderful inspiration.

gsciencechick-Thanks for the pics. Love your backsplash choice. It looks great with your counters, cabinets, etc.

Curing means the mastic or grout fully hardens in 28 days. Just like with paint, you can't really scrub it during that curing time although it seems dry to the touch.

So, if for some reason, you have to remove your tile, it will be easier before it's fully cured.

Thanks, I'm really happy with it although some folks do not like busy backsplashes.

Hello Everyone--I've been following all of the forums on Fire and Ice..I am also looking for the replacement tiles. I see that someone ordered from Mosaic and Glass Tiles and said the products were the same. I had a different experience--just got them in this week and mine are definitely different. I ordered the Illusion Brown Tiles from Glass Tiles Oasis and they are not as dark as the "burnt umber" tiles that Jodi used. I also ordered the Root Beer tiles from Modern Tile Studio and they are DEFINITELY lighter than the Illusion Brown Tiles from Glass Tiles--so basically neither are as dark as I need them to be.

I have black granite countertops, cherry cabinets, and stainless steel appliances. I thought about incorporating some black tiles, along with the "root beer" tiles, to incorporate a little more of the darker colors. I ordered the Gilden Treasure small squares from Modern Tile and they are actually really nice. They have a black silverish look to them that will go nice with the stainless appliances. YOu can use 4 little squares to make one 1 5/8 square. I also found the 1 5/8 size black tiles at cooltiles.com (Diamond Tech Glass Tiles - Vista - 1 5/8" x 1 5/8" Square Glass Tile in Cocoon - ( DT-66690)--they aren't a solid black..kind of iridescant, but again with stainless steel appliances they might look alright. Has anyone else incorporating the black squares in to the Fire and Ice?

As far as the different shades of colors go, that is the manufacturer changing dye lots. I actually bought from both stores and can confirm they are the exact same brand. A few weeks ago when I spoke with modern tile studio they called the manufacturer to see when a new dye lot would be out. I was hoping that it would be darker. They said they had 600 boxes to sell and then there would be a new lot, but didn't know what "shade" it would be. So basically it is just the luck of the draw.
As far as the black tiles go, if you search this forum for the slate version of fire and ice, it actually comes with the 4 little black squares in it. I took a picture of it at a showroom and posted it. I haven't seen anyone do it with the quartz version but I had thought of it myself and then changed my mind. I believe Buehl is considering it as well.
I am using the root beer that I have which is a golden brown and I also ordered peach tea. Again, the peach tea is supposed to be the same as the peach in the fire and ice.... but my fire and ice peach is very very pink. Modern tile sent me a sample of what they had and I liked it a lot better. I have actually removed all of the glass tiles that came with my fire and ice and am just using the ones I bought. I know....I am crazy. LOL.

I do plan on using the quartzite for our backsplash (BS), but unfortunately due to an unexpected laundry purchase that used up most of the funds for the BS, I have to wait until this fall to order & install.

I'm hoping the Root Beer tiles will be darker when I'm ready! I'm also seriously considering black tiles in addition to the Root Beer.

Kristine, thanks for the tip about the peach tiles...I may have to do as you did if the F&I tiles are pink when I get them... It's sounding more & more like I'll also be replacing most of the glass tiles!! (I'm assuming the "Peach Tea" has no pink....correct?)

Marissa, I will check out CoolTiles' black tiles as well.

When I got the fire and ice, I wasn't crazy about the peach, but was going to live with it. Then modern tile studio sent me a peach tea sample (without me asking) just to show me how much lighter it was than the rootbeer.(I had told them the peach tea picture looked like my root beer sample). Anyway, when I got their sample and put it up next to the fire and ice peach it really made the other one look pink. And modern tile's peach blended tons better with the root beer I bought from them. So now, I am using peach tea and root beer. I don't think I will use any of the clear ones either. I would like to add some black, but I can't find any in the 1 5/8" size and I don't care for the 4 little squares after seeing it in person. Who knew a backsplash could cause such a dilemma. LOL.

Kristine, have you started yet? I just ordered my f&i last Friday and will hopefully get it by this weekend.

Are you doing it yourself? Let me know! I need all the tips I can get.

Kathryn

Grouting the tiles was the worse part for us. After having problems with Laticrete's grout for our floor being way lighter than the sample I decided to go a shade darker for the fire and ice hoping to end up with delorean gray color. We used TEC's light pewter and lo and behold it didn't mix up lighter like Laticrete but dark like the sample stick. Panic!! Frantically sponging after the required wait time and ending up with aching arms we did end up with a shade a tad lighter than the delorean gray. Advice-the grout does stick to the quartz pieces and isn't as easy to remove as it is from the glass squares. Have something to get the grout out of the many stone crevices. Success but what a stressful journey. What I learned-Laticrete grout mixes up and ends up way lighter than the sample. TEC's grout mixes up darker than the sample but after the sponging you do end up fine. TEC's delorean gray is #934 and the light pewter is #927. I'm glad it's just about done. Have to put final sealer on in a few days.

Used the clear, the peach and added/substituted amber/root beer. What is interesting about the peach squares is that on the wall they show 2 different colors-one is a light peach and some are a nice gold color. Have no idea how that happened but I really like how it looks, thank goodness.

DH said this backsplash was a pain in the ____!!!!

Kathryn~ we haven't started yet. Still debating on if we should do it ourselves or not. Have had a lot going on lately so it has kind of taken the "back burner". I too wish there was some kind of tutorial on how to do it. I don't want to screw it up! I am most worried about cutting the pieces for around the outlets.

Chris45NY~ I want to see pictures!

Will take some finished pics and will post a thread later today detailing what we did with pics at each stage of the process. I'll list the things we used and what we bought for the install.

Sorry I posted in both forums, but I wasn't sure if both were still "active". I ordered the black tiles from cooltiles.com that were 1 5/8...they should be in this weekend!

I'm still stuck on what to do with the root beer tiles--my cabinets are pretty dark so I really feel like I should wait for the darker dye lot, but who knows how long that will be!

We have not started yet and we are doing it ourselves as well. Scared to death because i do not think my husband realizes how hard it is going to be.

Please keep us updated on progress!

Thanks!