SPLIT FACE MOSAIC TILES GUIDE
Split Face Natural Stone Mosaic Tiles are fast becoming the uber trendy wall tile of the moment. These fabulous undulating natural stone mosaics, comprise of strips of natural stone, cut into different dimensions, and arranged into a staggered 3D surface.
They are one of the only feature wall tiles that allows you to seamlessly blend your outdoor space with your indoors, making a feature wall that will exude style and sophistication and be a style statement for years to come.
OVERVIEW OF SPLIT FACE MOSAIC TILES
The popularity of Split Face mosaic has increased dramatically over the past few years, mainly due to the high commercial usage. From swanky restaurants, plush hotels, to those trendy dessert parlours; these tiles are featured everywhere.
The reason…? They are a bold and sophisticated way at jazzing up any room, will instantly add that all important character, and make your wall a talking point! They are also a great way at bringing the ‘outdoors in’, which with our typical dreary British weather is a must if we want to still feel at one with nature!
Another bonus: these tiles are made from of natural slate or quartzite stone, which means that not only are they extremely practical and hardwearing, they won’t go putting a huge dent in our bank accounts too!
So imitating those luxurious hotels and trendy restaurants, is easy…
CHOOSE FROM A RANGE OF COLOURS AND STYLES
Let’s start with Slate Split Face Tiles.
Slate tiles are mainly recognised for their earthy neutral colour tones of Black through to and Multicolour. Black Split Face Mosaic tiles are really desirable as they can complement both contemporary and classic interiors. Whereas Multicolour & Rustic Split Face Mosaic provide a stunning appearance as they can have varied tones of olive through to brown, rust and heather which provide a stunning focal point to any room and really bring the outdoors in.
But if you're looking for a definite conversation starter, you could select Quartzite as they have shimmering light reflecting qualities owing to the natural mica found in the stone.
Not only is Quartzite stone highly textural, making it the perfect material for a Split Face design, but each of these beautiful stones have their own personal characteristics.
Silver Grey Quartzite is an elegant blue/grey tone which is one of the biggest colour trends of the moment.
Our Quartzites range enhances the natural daylight quality of any area, which can be seen in our Deoli Green Split Face Mosaic Wall Tiles, they achieve the much-desired 'outdoor indoor' feel thanks to its grey/green tone and splashes of metallic.
Our Ice White Split Face Mosaic Wall Tiles, is a Wintery white which is off-set by greys and creams, adding class to any space. Similar to this we have our Ivory Split Face Mosaic Tiles, which are a neutral grey tone - scattered with warm sand and beige elements. Guests will certainly be widening their eyes with envy with this sophisticated tile, which can be used superbly in a bathroom or kitchen area!
Sparkle White, Black and Ice Grey Split Face Mosaic are uber chic as they will just make your walls sparkle! They are so glittery they will be the envy of all your friends.
Last but not least we have Pale Oyster which is such a popular colour tone as it goes with every interior colour scheme. Soft grey, sand, cream and beige sparkling quartzite will make a light reflecting, undulating design feature you’ll be proud of.
HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR SPLIT FACE TILES
Most of our range is in what we call a ‘Large’ design, which is 600x150mm - the same overall size as our ‘Medium’ tiles. The only difference is our Large tiles are made up of 4 rows of 37mm, as opposed to our Medium, which is made up of 6 rows of 25mm. So it’s the overall appearance that is slightly different.
Top Tip: We would recommend that if you are tiling a smaller area, such as 3 SQM or below, then to go with our Medium design, as covering a large square meterage with this size can look a bit too busy.
For those of you who can’t decide between our Large and Medium appearance, then our NEW in-between size Split Face is a great alternative! Our NEW Split Face is 300x150mm and contains 5 interlocking rows of 25mm, so is bang in the middle of the two.
So as you can see, when it comes to choosing your Split Face tiles it is really simple. They all have the same durability and overall 3D textured design, meaning ultimately the main thing you are deciding on is which colour to go for!
FITTING & CARING FOR SPLIT FACE TILES
Fitting of Split Face Mosaic is really easy – we would advise checking your substrates suitability for tiling before proceeding, as Split Face Mosaic tiles are often heavier than standard wall tiles.
For further information you can refer to our Split Face Mosaic Fitting Guide. Once fitted, these tiles will require little maintenance and will last a lifetime with the correct care.
So here comes the serious bit…
All stone tiles are naturally porous to varying degrees and will require particular levels of treatment to improve stain resistance and withstand the demands of modern-day living.
We recommend that you treat a spare mosaic with the appropriate sealer prior to installation to ensure you achieve your desired appearance.
Apply two or three coats of sealer to protect your stone against water, oils, grease and stubborn dirt, which will also make it easier to maintain in the long run. Sealer can also enhance the finish of your stone; colour enhancers bring out the natural rich colour tones in multicolour slate, whereas satin sealers can also provide a subtle sheen. Always consult the manufacturer's instructions to check suitability for your stone.
You can apply sealant after cleaning the tiles thoroughly; this involves applying a thin layer to the tile and allowing it to soak into the stone, then polishing off any excess.
Fitting externally you need to use an impregnating sealer to protect it from our British weather!
A GREAT OPTION FOR ANY WALL
The trend for bringing the outdoors indoors has seen many homeowners putting split face mosaic on their walls rather than traditional paint & wallpaper. This dramatic look can be found around feature fireplaces & log burners, feature walls in living rooms and also opulent bathrooms.
Extending your living area into your garden is also a hot trend, since a garden is no longer seen as just an outdoor space. It is now seen as another room to your house, so it is important to treat it as you do any other room. Cladding a wall with Split Face Mosaic will give the appearance of your garden adjoining your indoor space, making them the perfect choice for this seasonal trend.
The only area you have to consider is a shower wall as the hand-made split stone effect leaves tiny gaps in-between the stone sections so will let water penetrate through. So you would need to waterproof your walls with waterproof tile baker-board if you wanted to tile in a shower.
So if you are looking for a simple way to add texture and character to your indoor or outdoor area, why not choose one of the hottest decorating trends – Split Face Mosaic Tiles!
