Mosaic Tiles: Finish the Edges With Tile Trim

Posted on May 17, 2012 by adymaia

Tile trim are used to finish tile edges that cannot be finished smoothly with joints or when edging tiles are not available.

Finishing the edges of are necessary to make the transition to a tiled surface look neat and continuous looking—especially where corners meet—say, table top corners or where the a tiled wall meets a tiled floor.

To make the edges match the tiles, edging tiles are usually used. Others join the corner tiles with different joint cuts and smooth off the edges with a grinder to create a rounded edge (also called ‘bullnose’ or ‘half bullnose’).

Rounding off the edges of unglazed ceramic or stone tiles with a grinder is OK. But this is impractical with mosaic tiles—especially those made of glass. Mosaic tiles usually come in one-foot square sheets, with the individual mosaic pieces stuck on plastic front or mesh backing (paper backing for mosaic pieces made up of clear or translucent glass). These sheets, being flexible, can be used to tile gently curving surfaces. Needless to say, using a grinder on these mosaic tile sheets is not a good idea, unless you want to see the glass pieces fly around the place at high speed.

Still, you’ll need to finish those edges to prevent the tile pieces from being easily dislodged. This is where tile trim comes in. Tile trim makes tile edges look neat and protect small tile pieces from easily coming off. Tile trim are available in several materials, like plastic, aluminum or stainless steel. Plastic and aluminum tile trim are available in many colors and finishes (aluminum tile trim can be anodized with different colors) while stainless steel tile trim are available in polished or matte finish.

Depending on the kind of edges you are faced with, there’s a tile trim style for you. There are tile trim for stairs (these usually prevent feet from slipping); corner tile trim (for both vertical and horizontal corners; for outside or inside corners); and trim that bridge the gap between two tiled floors. There are also tile trim that allow a neat transition from tile to carpet—but you won’t be using these trim much with mosaic tiles, especially glass mosaic tiles, because these tiles are often used where there’s water splashing on them—say, in the kitchen, bathroom or in the shower.

The challenge of using tile trim with mosaic tiles, especially those with glass pieces, is to choose the trim that best complements the color and style of the mosaics. Choose a tile trim that does not draw away attention from colorful tiles. Use stainless steel trim to match stainless steel mosaic tiles. You can make a statement with a bright gold-colored tile trim with muted mosaic tiles. Pay attention to color contrast and harmony and your tile and trim combination will be a hit.

 

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3D Glass Tile for Giving a Warm Touch to a Contemporary Environment

Posted on May 13, 2012 by adymaia

To add contemporary appeal to their home interior, more and more people are opting for minimalistic design. Minimalism means creating an uncluttered look by predominately using the color white. This creates simple, sophisticated lines and clean living space.  What you want to prevent, though, is having a stark or hospital look. When using a mixture of textures, designs and colors, such as those provided by 3d tiles, that can be avoided. Using 3D glass tile creates warmth and dimension and can turn any vertical wall into a striking focal point.

3d tiles now come in a wide range of designs and colors. They are ideal for kitchen or bathroom backsplash walls and offer a striking contrast. Choosing a palette of red and orange hues will add warmth and light.  You can also design your own contemporary mosaic tile design. Either way, contemporary mosaic tile can enhance any living room wall and make it an eye-catching feature out of any living room wall.

Feature wall tile is not only beautiful; it is also extremely practical and easy to work with. With feature wall tiles, it’s possible to alter the appearance of a room quickly and cheaply.  Many do it yourself enthusiasts are installing these themselves. They are cutting costs with great results. That’s because these tiles come on mesh or paper based backing sheets which can easily be removed.

A growing trend with bathroom wall tile decoration is towards covering the entire bathroom wall instead of just half way. This creates a sparkling finish that is easy to clean. It also saves on having to repaint walls.  Bathroom wall tile is also available in larger dimensions which makes it easier to install the tiles and cheaper. There are also fewer grout lines to keep clean.

After choosing the predominant color for your bathroom makeover, consider selecting a few wall tiles of a contrasting color and placing these in a random pattern on the walls. This will liven up the bathroom walls with more color. You can also select a few patterned bathroom wall tile in the same color scheme and scatter these at random. This will also help liven up the walls.

Possibly you have a room with an outstanding feature, such as a fireplace, that you want to highlight.  The best way to do this is with feature wall tile.  Any wall can be transformed and given new life. With feature wall tile, you can choose a natural stone look that will add gorgeous contrast and warmth to a room.

One of the newest advances in room décor is split face tiles. Split face tiles in stone will beautifully enhance any wall that you want to make a focal point. Split face tiles create depth and dimension and are available in a variety of materials.

Whether you decide on 3D glass tile, contemporary mosaic tile or split face tiles when decorating, these all will enrich and bring warmth to a contemporary home design.

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White is the Newest Trend in Home Décor Colors

Posted on May 13, 2012 by adymaia

The latest trends in contemporary interior decor show that designers are putting a major emphasis on using the color white. More and more interior design magazines and interior accessories are featuring white as the predominant color. This is because white goes well with all colors. Not only does it offer a striking complimentary contrast for all interior décor accessories and objects, it also shows off a room’s features to best advantage. White is definitely the hottest color right now. Contemporary tile materials such as white flooring will add a sparkling modern look to any home.

White tile is the ideal contemporary tile material for floors and walls in the modern home. It brings out the light in a room and brings out the air and spatial qualities. White tile gives a luster compliments other design materials and interior decorating features.

Now it’s possible to achieve a pristine white color décor in your home that’s similar to that of Thassos marble. Known as the whitest natural stone in the world, it comes from the Greek island of Thassos where it was quarried for centuries. The Romans especially liked using it in their building projects and it made Roman architecture famous.

Nowadays, Thassos marble is just as much in demand for bathroom and living room floors, staircases, countertops and entrance ways. Thassos marble comes in a number of different designs which include pure white with no veins or pure white with just a few large crystals as well as with streaks of muted gray.

Engineered Thassos marble has the same highly polished surface as natural marble. It has several advantages to natural stone, though. Engineered marble is as hard as granite and is shatter proof. It does not need sealing because it is non-porous, unlike natural marble. Engineered Thassos marble is also easier to care for because it is water and stain resistant.

Another way to bring the same contemporary sparkle of white marble into your home is with milk glass tile. This material has the same pristine whiteness as natural marble. It is called milk glass because its high gloss shine comes from crystallized glass. During the production process, crystallized glass is melted with porcelain to make a material that cuts easily into uniform tiles and sizes.

Milk glass tile does not need polishing, unlike natural stone which needs to undergo a lengthy polishing process before it can be used. Milk glass tile maintains a high luster and finish all its life. Another advantage is that it has consistent coloring. The lustrous surface makes for easy cleaning which makes it ideal for wall and floor tiles.

White flooring will give a fresh dazzle and contemporary look to your home. It’s a contemporary tile that will bring out the best design feature of any room. It also complements and enhances all other designs or materials.  With white tiles, the walls and floors of your home’s interior will have the benefit of a lustrous sheen and sparkle.

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Welcome!

Posted on January 12, 2012 by adymaia

MineralTiles.com was launched in 2006 after being selling the latest in glass and porcelain mosaic tiles on eBay for about six months. Ever since we have been learning not only about our industry and the online business, but also about people’s decoration ideas and dreams.

On a daily basis we have the pleasure to talk to customers from all over United Sates by phone and email, and we learn so much with them. From their curiosity, design ideas, questions (many by the way, which we don’t mind answering at all), expectation, and sometimes their frustrations.

Many of you, including the ones who have been buying or visiting us repeatedly, know that Mineraltiles.com is not only about selling products, but also about providing tile design ideas and helpful information on how to install glass tile, stainless steel backsplash, and porcelain tile.

We are launching this blog to be a place where we will be sharing ideas, posting news, and  getting opinions from our customers about our products, services, and most importantly: to hear your design needs.

So I want to thank you for visiting us and I hope you enjoy reading our blog.

 

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