QUESTION

I have mildew discoloration behind a 15-year-old Boyce and Bean Seaglass 2x2 tile that has been discontinued. Boyce and Bean is not longer in business, and have tried to match color, shape and thickness thorough other manufacturers, to no avail. According to my tile installer, I will need approximately 50 sf. Are you able to recommend any resource for finding discontinued tiles? Or, are you able to recommend any process that will remove stains from behind the tile without destroying the tile? Thanks for any help you can offer.

ANSWER

ANSWER - You can try the Oceanside Glass Tile company www.glasstile.com to see if they have anything similar to the glass tile that you have.  At one time Boyce and Bean and Oceanside owners were part of the same company.

If you have microbial staining behind the tile it is likely due to having voids behind the tile.  The tile should have been installed so there is a continuous layer of thin-set over the back of the tile so you can't see through translucent glass tiles.

The microbial staining could also be due to residual organic glue used to face mount or back mount the glass tiles.  This glue becomes a source of food for microbial growth.

Regardless of what caused the microbial staining there is no way to remove it without removing and destroying the tile itself.