To clean off any paint overspray on the back or edges of backpainted glass, use light #000 or #0000 steel wool and polish to remove any unwanted overspray. Use acetone and a cloth to clean off overspray on the front of the backpainted glass.

To clean off thick overspray, use single edge razor blades to remove paint off of unwanted areas. Then, repeat the first step for further refinement.

In the glass paint industry, “Low-Iron Glass” also known as “Starphire Glass®” is most common for backsplash painted glass. This is the best type of glass because of its optically clear properties, unlike regular glass that has a light green tint (regular glass green tint distorts back painted color). 1/4′ or 6mm is the industry standard for thickness for glass backsplash applications.

Glass is not always completely cleaned and dirt/marks are still on the surface of the newly painted glass. To fix this problem, wait until the paint is fully dry. Then, hand sand the paint around the areas where the imperfections are located. A fine 220-320 grit sandpaper is recommended.

Once the paint and dirt/marks are sanded away, mix up a small amount of Glassprimer™ paint and touch up the areas with a paint brush, a spray gun, or a roller. The color tone will appear completely normal and integrated once the paint has fully dried and cured.

*Note: Once applied, Glassprimer™ paint can be removed only within one month after application.

To remove Glassprimer™ paint from any glass, lay the back painted glass on a flat surface such as a table or garbage can with the paint side facing up. Cover the painted side with conventional polyurethane paint stripper and let sit for at least 15 minutes. Once the paint becomes loose and detached, spray the paint off with pressurized water and repeat if necessary. To remove any remaining paint, use single-edged razor blades on the specific areas. Once the paint has been removed, the glass can now be re-cleaned and re-painted.

To clean your paint gun, pour acetone into your paint gun canister and then spray acetone for 30 to 60 seconds through the paint gun, until the stream is clean. Another more thorough option is to dissemble the paint gun and soak the parts in a container of acetone and clean the parts with small paint gun cleaning brushes.

To install backpainted glass coated with GPPP083® solvent based glass paint, it is recommended to use paint can style (thick) Mirror Mastic or glazer’s double-sided tape combined with neutral-cure silicone glue (“GE silicone II” is a great readily available neutral cure silicone glue available in all colors). The double sided tape serves as a temporary hold until the neutral cure silicone glue dries. Acid cure silicone glues, also known as acetoxy silicone glues, are corrosive to metals and are not recommended for use with backpainted glass.

To install backapinted glass coated with GPWB128® water based glass paint, it is not recommended to use any form of Mirror Mastic. Only use glazer’s double-sided tape combined with neutral-cure silicone glue (“GE silicone II” is a great readily available neutral cure silicone glue available in all colors). The double sided tape serves as a temporary hold until the neutral cure silicone glue dries. Acid cure silicone glues, also known as acetoxy silicone glue, are corrosive to metals and are not recommended for use with backpainted glass.

low-iron glass also known as Starphire Glass®, is the most popular choice to create back painted glass backsplashes. This type of glass is ideal because of its optically clear properties. Normal glass is not the best choice for back painting backsplashes due to the fact that regular glass has a green tint that can distort the back painted color. The ideal glass thickness for colored glass backsplash applications is 1/4″ or 6mm. The ideal glass thickness for colored glass countertop applications is 3/4″ to 1, 1/4″ or 19mm to 32mm.

Low iron glass also known as Starphire® glass is the ideal choice for backpainted glass counters and countertops. The recommended thickness for colored glass countertops is 3/4″ to 1,1/4″ or 19mm to 32mm.

Like a typical glass mirror, most backpainted glass is not tempered. Tempered glass is recommended for applications when the glass is subject to intense heat changes, such as on a stove or in front of a fireplace. In those cases, tempering the glass is recommended before painting.

Applying Glassprimer paint with a spray gun is the recommended application method. Spray the paint with 40-120 psi using a HVLP gun with a tip size of 1.5mm – 2.00mm. Spray three to four coats onto glass, pausing for at least five minutes in between coats. Note that bright colors sometimes require more coats. It is recommended to thin paint 15% (one part) with conventional acetone when spraying. Click here for application video.

It is recommended to use a mohair roller (any size), which will prevent from the roller to shed hair or lint. To apply, roll three to four coats onto the glass. Pause for at least 20-30 minutes in between coats. It is not recommended to thin the paint before rolling.

Neutral (neutral alkoxy) cure silicone glue is recommended for mounting backpainted glass. This type of silicone glue is released of all alcohol during the curing process, so the glue has no smell. This type of glue is also known as “acid free silicone glue”.

Acetoxy cure silicone glue (acid cure silicone glue) is not recommended for use with mounting mirrors or back painted glass. Acetoxy silicons corrode metals and can damage the reflective backing on mirrors. During the curing process, acetoxy silicone glue releases acidic acids, giving the glue a slight vinegar odor.

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Because of the natural properties of glass, sandblasting glass surfaces and painting with regular paint is a proven failure by ASTM paint/glass pull strength standards required for architectural back painted glass and coated spandrel glass. Glassprimer™ paint modifies glass surface properties creating permanent molecular fusion unlike any other means of promoting adhesion or priming.

Do not sandblast glass before painting it with Glassprimer™ paint. Even when using Glassprimer™ paint, sandblasted glass will compromise the paint to glass bond properties because of the sandblasted microscopic fractures in the glass surface. Only paint properly cleaned, smooth glass surfaces for guaranteed results.