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| | Home | Company | Contact Us | Mosaic Instructions | Mosaic Questions | Mosaic Tile Calculator | Our Mosaic Gallery | | ||||||||||||
This page discusses different types of mosaic tile and cutting and installation issues. Click here for our complete offering of mosaic tile.
Some tile has ridges on the back side so that glue can bond more securely to the tile. If your tile has ridges on one side, that is the back side.
Virtually every type of glass, ceramic and stone material can be used as an improvised mosaic tile.
Many beginners use vitreous glass mosaic tile. "Vitreous" refers to the fact that is more like a glassy stone-like material than it is like a plain sheet of transparent glass. This has several advantages: The tile is opaque not clear, the tiles cut easily and cleanly, and the tiles are not quite as sharp as regular glass when they are cut. We recommend mosaic glass cutters for cutting all types of mosaic tile made from glass. You can use a regular tile nipper to cut vitreous, but keep in mind that the cuts probably won't be as predictable as they would with a mosaic glass cutter.
Stained glass or art glass. Mosaic tiles are often made in small batches by cutting strips from a sheet of swirled stained glass. These stained glass tiles seem to be popular in Internet auctions. The colors are extremely beautiful, but keep in mind that the edges can be razor sharp, and the tiles are slightly thinner than most other types of glass mosaic tile. This can make working with the tiles a little more difficult because glue can squeeze up into the gaps between tiles. All glue will need to be thoroughly covered by grout to protect the mosaic from water damage, so glue squeezing up between thin tiles can be a serious problem.
Ceramic mosaic tile is the most popular for architectural applications due to cost. This type of mosaic tile is cut using regular tile nippers. Most of the ceramic tile sold in hardware stores is a little thick for cutting into small pieces for smaller, more-detailed mosaic work, but it can be used. Also, the edges of mosaic tiles used in construction are usually rounded. Pieces of broken china and other types of dinnerware are also used, but remember that some ceramic dinnerware was engineered to be unbreakable and are extremely hard, and these plates produce razor edges when broken.
Glass mosaic tile is cut with a mosaic glass cutter. Ceramic mosaic tile is cut with a tile nipper. We often use a tile nipper to cut stone tiles as needed, but traditionally stone was cleaved for mosaics using a hammer and hardie (small anvil shaped like a blunt chisel).
Sometimes tile comes attached to fiberglass mesh or paper mesh which keeps the tiles arranged in a grid. The mesh is glued directly to the floor or wall to be tiled. This is completely different from tiles that come face-mounted on a sheet of paper. Face-mounted tiles have their back sides exposed, and this is the side that is glued to the wall. The sheet of paper is not glued to the wall. After the glue is cured, the sheet of paper is misted with water and peeled off the face for the tile. Then the tile is grouted.
If you need to remove paper or mesh to make loose tile, simply soak the tiles in warm water, and the tiles should fall off the paper or mesh.
If the gaps between the tiles is greater than 1/8 inch, sanded grout should be used. The sand keeps the grout from cracking and crumbling when the gaps between tiles are large. Grout should be removed from the face of tiles before it cures. Use a damp sponge with no drips. Be careful to not remove the grout from between the tiles and expose sharp edges. Do not let the grout dry out as it cures, or it will be soft and crumbly. Mist with water if needed.
Website, Text and Images Copyright 2003 J.E. Moorman. All rights reserved. Not to be reproduced without express permission.