I used Laticrete unsanded grout in Kashmir. I did not do any glass tile substitutions. I used white thin set. You definitely must seal the tile before grouting, otherwise the grout haze will not come off the tile. You will also want to reseal after the haze is removed, so that the grout is sealed. I used a sealer with enhancer. The enhancer brings out the colors in the tile, but it does make the overall effect darker. You can approximate the look of enhancer by wetting the tile. You can use a sealer without enhancer if you like a more muted look. I'm still not sure if I made the right move by enhancing the tile!

I had to order a couple of extra sheets of tile because they are actually smaller than a square foot and I was not getting the coverage I needed. I also ordered some half-dome pieces in the coral glass to finish off the end of my BS. Here's a pic-- it's a bit dark because we haven't finished our lighting yet in the range area. Pls. excuse rags on counter!

The sealer/enhancer I used was 511 Seal & Enhance by Miracle Sealants Corporation.

Morton5, Thanks so much. You're kitchen is gorgeous. What is your granite? It is very complimentary to whole kitchen and the backsplash in particular.

Chitkat, I can't help you with your grout question as I didn't do the installation but I do know that 511 seal was used. We did not enhance.

Please, please post a photo of your kitchen once you're done.

Jodi-

Thank you! The granite is called Madura Gold. Mine is tan with amber and grey streaks and dark brown flecks. Some of the Madura Gold images I see on the web are much more orange. I was a little worried because it has movement, and F&I is a pretty bold splash, but I like them together. BTW, the glass finishing pieces that were recommended to me by Jeffrey Court are their Raindrops Dome Moulding in coral.

Here is a link that might be useful: Jeffrey Court raindrops dome mouldings

chikat..

i did not use an enhancer.. i used the 511 sealer..the stuff works very well.. i have not grouted yet but will probably go with something gray.. do be careful when ordering the tile.. you may ask for 35sqft and get 35 sheets instead.. the 35 sheets are more like 30sqft..

the mesh is setup so that the tile has a 1/8" gap between each one.. except for the glass tiles which had a gap less than 1/8" above and below them.. unsanded is fine for up to 1/8" or so they say..

Thanks for all of your helpful comments. I hope I have enough tile after hearing that the sheets of tile are not a square foot. Morton5 and Favabeans, your kitchens are beautiful...and of course Jodi, I have long admired your kitchen which started it all.

Will keep you posted.

Hi Morton5.. how is the 511 sealer holding up to cooking, does the grease penetrate the F&I tile behind the stove top?

Hi Poorowner-- I was wondering recently about your progress. My F&I and grout are showing no staining behind the cooktop. Besides the 511 sealer, I have a 3" strip of granite behind my range, so that probably helps the backsplash to stay clean-looking. Here's a relatively recent pic:

Hey, I have the same Wok..

Just a couple of questions, I picked up some sanded grout, but I am afraid of scratching the glass. This is the first time I saw this picture of yours, I like the creamy grout. I think I may switch to unsanded?

I saw at HD Seal and Enhance sealer, it does not say 511 on it, but it is made by miracle corporation. Is this the same thing? They do have another one called 511 sealer.

You said you used white thinset, did you remove the mesh from the glass tiles before installing them? If not did you see the mesh at all after installation?

Hi poorowner,
My grout is unsanded Laticrete in Kashmir. I had a hard time deciding between the Kashmir and the Almond. The Kashmir is darker, and became even a little darker when it was enhanced. It looks very nice with the tile, but I think the Almond probably would have looked nice, too. I used a tannish grout because I wanted to bring out the tan colors in the tile. You will also need caulk in whatever color you choose.

My bottle of enhancer says 511 Seal & Enhance, and I don't know if the HD product is the same. Maybe you could call Miracle Sealants and ask. The tech assistance # is 626-443-6433. I got my enhancer at the tile store. I think it cost about $20 for a quart, and I needed two quarts to cover about 80 sq. ft. of tile.

I had such a tough time deciding whether to leave the tile natural or enhance it. I love the colors that the enhancing brought out, but I wonder whether, given my dark cabs, making the tile darker was a bad idea. Oh well, it's done now! I mention this because you also have dark cabs and are probably thinking about the balance of light and dark.

We did remove the mesh from the tile because it showed behind the glass. My installer did his own random pattern.

Good luck with your project, and please post pictures when you are finished.