Mosaic Art Supply ^TM mosaic tile

Supplies Mosaic Tile

Summaries of some of the different tools and supplies we offer for working with mosaic tile.

The mosaic supplies you need depend on the type of mosaic tile you are using (glass or ceramic or stone) and how you plan to install them. Five minutes of reading can save you five hours of frustration on your mosaic project.

Mosaic Glass Cutter

The most important tool for working with glass mosaic tile is the Mosaic Glass Cutter. While tile nippers tend to crush and splinter glass tile, the Mosaic Glass Cutter allows the artist to make cleaner, more precise cuts. (Tile Nippers were made for ceramic materials.) With proper use, the wheel-shaped blades stay sharp and effective for thousands of hours of use. Replacement blades are available.

Our Mosaic Questions page and our Mosaic Information page have advice on cutting various types of mosaic tile, gluing and grouting and what kind of materials to use as a mosaic backing. There is invaluable information for the beginner that can save you hours of needless frustration.

In addition to tools for cutting glass mosaic tile, we also carry mosaic tile mesh, safety glasses, Weldbond brand adhesive, replacement parts, and several colors of mosaic tile grout. The colors of grout we carry were chosen by our resident mosaic artist for professional-looking mosaics and maximum contrast to tile color.

Mosaic Starter Kit

Our Mosaic Starter Kit has everything you need to get started right now. It's priced at a discount and designed for beginners. Notice that we didn't include silly cheap stuff like wooden sticks for mixing like most craft kits do. Those kind of things are available locally. Our kit contains only essential items like tile, grout, glue and mosaic tools. Also note that we didn't use tiny sample-sized amounts. The mosaic tile grout and glue are the standard size we sell. The kit was designed by our resident mosaic artist and are packed right in our shop. Don't expect a lot of shrink-wrapping and labels--just value! The kit includes:

Mosaic glass cutter for smalti, glass mosaic tile and stained glass
Tile nipper for ceramic tile and vitreous
Weldbond mosaic glue 8 oz.
Natural Gray mosaic tile grout 2 lb.
Safety glasses for cutting and grouting
100 Assorted Green vitreous glass mosaic tiles 3/4"
100 Assorted Azure Blue vitreous glass mosaic tiles 3/4"
100 Assorted Red, Orange and Yellow vitreous glass mosaic tiles 3/4"
Access to free mosaic instructions at our website

Mosaic Tile Nipper

Our mosaic tile nippers were made for ceramic materials. They cut tile, china and many types of dinnerware very efficiently. Keep in mind that some dinnerware is among the hardest engineered materials known to man (no exaggeration), so you may occasionally find some plates that seem unbreakable. They were in fact designed to be. Our experience in the mosaic studio is that these particularly hard types of dinnerware produce razor sharp shards and splinters. In short, if a particular material seems difficult or dangerous to work with, it isn't your imagination. Proceed with caution or avoid the material for mosaic use. The mosaic tile nippers must be used with safety glasses with side shields. The tile nippers are NOT recommended for glass because they tend to crush and splinter glass mosaic tiles. (Glass mosaic tile is cut with the mosaic glass cutter.) Both tools are important supplies for working with mosaic tile, and you wouldn't want to use only one or the other if you are working with different types of mosaic tile.

Weldbond the best mosaic glue made

An amazing product. Weldbond is a water-based adhesive that looks and handles just like plain white glue yet cures stronger than many of the smelly solvent-based glues. The manufacturer's brochure calls Weldbond "the most versatile, non-toxic, non-flammable adhesive on the North American market." We don't think this is an exaggeration. Weldbond is probably the most-used adhesive among mosaic artists with no close second. It bonds to hundreds of different materials and is very water-resistant once it dries. The 8-oz size bottle is the ideal size for handling while creating mosaics - not too heavy, yet large enough. Easy cleanup with soap and water.

This glue is the most popular mosaic tile supply we sell, and it used by nearly every mosaic artist. However, don't be silly and use this in a pool or fountain. Weldbond is water based.

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Mosaic Tile Grout

Our grout comes pre-mixed with sand. Sand is needed for strength when the gaps between tiles are 1/8" or greater, but sanded grout can also be used when the gaps are smaller. All the mosaics at the gallery were made with sanded grout.

Choosing A Grout Color:

"Grout can totally change the look of a mosaic, especially if you want to emphasize the flow of individual tiles so they do not blend together. In other words, if you want the tiles to stand out, you have to choose a grout color that CONTRASTS the colors of the tiles. Avoid choices like gray grout with gray tile. In my experience, a grout with some color almost always looks better than white grout. Plain white grout is usually used in summer camp projects, and that's probably not the look you are trying for. Darker grouts usually make the colors of tiles look deeper and richer while the white grout can makes the mosaic look bleached out. When in doubt, avoid plain white grout." -JM

How Much Grout Do You Need?

It depends as much on the gaps between the tiles as it does the total area. If your gaps are tiny 1/16" then you will probably use less than 1 lb. of grout per square foot. If you have thick tile with large gaps, you could use over 1.5 lb. Keep in mind that you have to budget extra for all the wasted grout you probably will have falling off the sides of the mosaic. You might want to do your grouting over a plastic dishpan so you can catch it and use it. You should be conservative on your first attempt at grouting and budget some extra for waste. Remember, a little wasted grout is better than a wasted mosaic!

Mosaic Tile Mesh

Mosaic Tile Mesh is 38.5" wide and sold by the foot in one continuous piece. The mesh is made from woven fiberglass and is the same material factories use for pre-mounting ceramic tile for rapid installation in bathrooms. Artists use it in much the same way: Sit at your desk and glue your tiles to the mesh, allow the design to dry, then glue the whole piece to the wall. Most people cut the mesh into 1 ft. x 1 ft. pieces and work in sections. Does this save time or effort? YES. IT IS MUCH EASIER TO GLUE TILE TO A HORIZONTAL PIECE OF MESH SITTING AT A TABLE THAN IT IS TO GLUE TILE TO A VERTICAL WALL. The mosaic tile mesh is flexible, cuts with ordinary scissors, and the spacing is small enough so that 3/8" tile can be glued to it. Most people use Weldbond. Make sure that you lay the mesh on a non-stick surface for gluing the tiles, or else you will glue everything to your table. Most people report that taping down wax paper or parchment paper works fine.

Other mosaic supplies, such as tweezers and mounting grids, are available also. Keep in mind that which mosaic supplies you need is a function of the type of mosaic tile you are using and how you plan to install them.