MOSIAC TILES GUIDE
Interior design is a fine art – every room is a blank canvas with endless potential. Getting creative with design allows you to shape a totally unique, interior space, which can represent your personality.
Mosaic tiles are a great option in doing this as they offer practicality, are super easy to install and cut, and are often the most popular choice used when wanting to create a look that has powerful visual impact.
Whether you are planning something subtle such as an eye-catching bathroom border or incorporating your uniqueness into a feature wall for your living area, our mosaic tiles guide aims to offer you plenty of helpful tips and a wealth of inspiration!
So without further ado here is our guide to mastering the art of mosaics…
OVERVIEW OF MOSAIC TILES
Mosaic tiles have been around for thousands of years — specifically, since the 3rd millennium BC!—moving forward a few years they are now best known for adding a dash of luxury and artistic flair. You've likely seen them in churches, restaurants, bars and quite possibly your holiday hotel! The popularity of mosaics is largely due to them ticking pretty much every box you can think of. They are cost effective, durable, easy to install and maintain, and they allow you to create a totally bespoke design.
CHOOSE FROM A RANGE OF COLOURS AND STYLES
Mosaic tiles are traditionally sheets of around 300x300mm, and are made from natural stone, porcelain, ceramic, glass or metal and combinations of them all too. They are made up of small(ish) squares or linear rectangle shapes glued to a flexible mesh backing.
Our stunning collection of mosaic tiles have been specifically chosen with the aim of covering an extensive tonal range of colours which will blend with all the latest interior and colour trends.
Our palette ranges from tones of black, blue, red, silver, gold, copper and white, which are again mainly in the form of squares or rectangles.
If you are looking to add individuality to your room, then why not take a look at our Midas Shell & Metallic and Midas Glass & Copper Brick Mosaic. These mosaics are made from a mix of natural stone, brushed metal, real shell, and textured gloss & matt glass - giving them a super chic finish, perfect for those of you who prefer the shabby chic look!
Looking for something bold? Why not check out our Hong Kong Autumn & Silver Mix Squares, these eye-catching glass mosaics could make your wet-room walls mesmerising.
Or, perhaps you prefer a lux feel, in which case you should take a look at our Metallic Random and Silver Mix Mosaics - hand-made glass & metal pieces combined together to provide this ultra-modern mosaic with a creative textural palette, they would look great on your kitchen splashback.
Why not check out our full range of mosaics here and see which one fits your personality and style best!
As with all tiles, we recommend that you order a sample first, this is so that you get to see a true colour representative, and to check whether the style of the tile suits your project.
Ordering samples further allows you to check the quality of the product you are considering, which we understand is a concern for a lot of people, especially when the prices are so low!
Our mosaics are a fine example of how the price does not necessarily reflect the quality of the product, since some high street retailers have the same product but at double the cost. (How dare they?!)
We are an online based company, therefore we do not have huge overheads to cover, meaning we are able to keep our prices fair and competitive.
FITTING MOSAIC TILES
Preparing your wall or floors to take your uber trendy mosaics is not that different to prepping for regular tiles. So, just as you would for ‘normal’ tiles, you’ll need to ensure that your wall or floor surface is primed and level.
As a general guide, consider the natural focal point of the area to be tiled, and plan the layout and the starting point with this in mind. When you have finished marking out your surface you will often come to the end and realise that you will need to cut a sheet to fill the remaining area. In this case, depending on the size of the gap, you will either need to cut your mesh panel or revisit your marking out and shuffle it around a little so you're not left with an awkward bit of surface to tile or cut.
Cutting: To cut the sheets to size make sure you have a wooden worktop and that it is well covered. Using a Stanley knife, simply turn the sheet over so it exposes the mesh and at an angle, cut straight down the mesh ensuring there is no mesh left sticking out of your cut piece.
If you have to cut the glass or stone we recommend scoring them on a tile cutter and then use nibblers to snap after scoring. Knock the sharp edges off with a diamond stone if required.
Fixing: Mosaic Tiles must be solidly bedded with tile adhesive. Please check the suitability of your adhesive prior to fitting your mosaics. If using a cement based adhesive, please check if your wall requires priming first. We recommend that light coloured mosaics or transparent glass are fixed with white adhesives.
Grouting: As mosaics can have smaller grout spaces it is recommended that you use a fine grade grout which can tile smaller 1-3mm gaps. The colour of your grout will make your mosaic take on a different look too, there are so many colours to choose from on the market today so you could go for a contrasting tone or bend the colour seamlessly with your mosaic colour.
When grouting mosaics there will be a lot more grout gaps and lines so ensure you have enough to cover the surface as once applied the grout will disappear quite quickly. The tiles may also be slightly uneven which means you will need to use the edges of your grout float to push the grout further in and ensure it fills all the gaps.
Sealing: If your mosaic contains Natural Stone you will need to seal the whole area with your chosen sealer. This will render the stone oil and water resistant.
If you require further information, please refer to our Mosaic Fitting Guide.
CARING FOR MOSAIC TILES
Mosaic tiles are extremely easy to care for, once they have been installed, they simply need wiping down with warm water, using a damp sponge or cloth. After this, all you need to do is dry or buff them with a microfiber cloth or a standard soft towel, which will keep them looking fabulous!
Do not use harsh cleaning products containing bleach, as this could cause damage to the top layer of material.
A GREAT OPTION FOR ANY ROOM IN YOUR HOME
Regardless of if your project is big or small, if you are looking for something that looks amazing, is easy to maintain and is cost effective, then mosaic tiles are the way to go!
