Stone And Glass Tiles To Perk Up Your Bathroom Space

Ever thought of putting mosaics and stone tiles in your kitchen and bathroom backsplashes? Then, that would be the most perfect idea to complete your home renovation. If your walls have already become an eyesore, then transform them by refinishing with stone and glass mosaics.

Stone and glass tiles can certainly enhance the look of your bathroom with their sleekness. Incredibly durable, natural stone mosaics can further, make an ideal choice in completing your home. The soft hues make for the versatility of natural stone mosaic tiles as these can be used in all the rooms around your house.

What better way of getting natural stone mosaics than by contacting an online store like ExoTiles?  Ours is a large selection with a variety of designs and types to choose from. These include onyx, pebble, travertine and marble mosaic tiles, all hand-made and can be customised according to your specifications.

Glass Or Stone?

Choosing between the two could be a bit daunting. Before finally deciding what tile to use, bear in mind there are certain factors to consider. Attractiveness? Yes, both have similarly beautiful outcomes besides their being easy-to-clean as well as their suitability of use in wet zones.

Well, glass tile have this soft sheen that ceramic and stone tiles do not have. The lustre gives a distinct glow making your space bright. Translucent and shimmery, not to mention water-resistant, glass tiles come in neutral and bold colours.

Use them in your bathroom and be amazed at the bold statement it produces. A nice sparkling idea would be to turn your sink and vanity into a central point with such materials. Alternatively, you can also use glass tiles as a subtle backdrop to provide prominence to the other design elements in your bathroom.

As for stones, they may be polished but will still look natural with its colour. Granite tiles or river-rock stone can be polished because if not, they will look rough. Consult the professionals at ExoTiles to know if your stone will need a sealer coat to prevent stains and water marks.

Glass and stone tiles come glued to a mesh ready to be installed.

Ask ExoTiles on how to get creative with your layout. For more interesting bathroom and kitchen tile ideas, browse the pages of this site.  

Mosaic Tile For The Bathroom? Why not?

Haven’t you tried it yet? Don’t be left in the dust. Be modern. Be chic. Go mosaic for your bathroom. Perhaps you may have heard some interesting facts about mosaic tiles. Your entire home will certainly look very attractive with them, not only your bathroom.

Bet you might have known that these materials only look best in backsplashes in bathrooms and kitchens, adding colour, providing fun and zest. Sad to note, not too many people are aware of the benefits of mosaic tiles in bathroom as well as other spaces in your home.  

The Versatility of Mosaic Tiles

Not only are mosaic tiles a fantastic way to add a splash of colour to or highlight your bigger tile. Rather, they also give a really gorgeous visual pop to your bathroom, or any room for that matter. There’s nothing more aesthetically fulfilling than seeing an eye-catching collage composed of tiny tiles forming an intricate and cohesive pattern.

Versatile as they are, mosaic tiles can be installed in practically all rooms in the house, not only bathrooms and kitchens. You can go as far as your creativity will bring you. Use them for backsplashes, on countertops, in the showers, even outside the house like the entryways.

Visit our store today to see our complete line of assorted tiles. We provide lots of interesting options to help you create your own magnificent patterns. With just the right mix of sections of pre-meshed glass, granite, marble, slate or travertine, and you design something that can make a room brighter and wider.

The very luminescent nature of glass mosaic tiles enables them to reflect light to brighten up your room. Their non-porosity make them stain, mould and mildew-resistant. Further, grime stains on glass tiles are no problem either. You can clean them easily by wiping them with a damp washcloth. 

Once you see a build-up of soap scum in your bathroom, clean it up using a mild vinegar solution. What’s more, if an individual tile on the mesh is damaged, simply cut the bad tile out and replace it with an extra tile.

Blended Mosaics For Better Depth And a More Dramatic Flair

If you didn't know it yet, yes mosaic tiles can be blended. A popular trend in home interior designing today is the blending of glass tiles and mosaics, which many consider a very fashionable option.

According to ‘beauty experts’ in the construction industry, the biggest advantage of using mosaic glass tiles is the stunning look that can only be achieved with an accurate installation.

A certified tiler can expertly produce intricate patterns by just simply arranging glass tiles or a mix of glass and natural stone.

For more interesting bathroom tile ideas, you need not look farther and beyond. ExoTiles is just a click away. Browse the pages of this website. 

The History of Art and the Development of Mosaics

Several thousand years ago, men started to recognize certain patterns in the things they did on a daily basis. For example, they were listening to the bow and arrow flying through the air and they were trying to imitate that sound. There is also an example where their spears would collide and thus produce a certain rhythmic sound. You may have guessed so far that that is the way music was created at first. Men were imitating sounds they heard in nature, and the result today is rather magnificent – just look at how many different music genres exist nowadays. It is the same with other forms of art. You have probably seen those pictures of first paintings that were made in a cave – paintings of several oxen. It is now famous worldwide and it is considered the first form of this kind of art. Men were also, at first, trying different ways to represent nature and things that surrounded them. It is also rather amazing to see how much art upgraded. There are many people who added something new to art, and, thanks to them, we are almost always surrounded by it, and able to enjoy it. However, there is a special kind of art that people call mosaics. I assume that the first mosaic was made when the prehistoric man gathered several different stones and arranged them in certain order. The first mosaics were made out of stone before other materials were used for the arrangement. Mosaics are actually the topic of our discussion. However, I am not going to talk about ordinary and boring mosaics, but rather about some new ways of making those mosaics, and how can it be applied as a way of decorating the inside your home.

The art of mosaics is expanding rapidly nowadays, be prepared!

As the title suggests, the mosaic has become quite popular recently. I mean, it was popular always, but these new methods have been practiced lately, and every day more and more people are buying mosaics. Furthermore, those people who do, do not buy them only to see them as a form of art but rather as something that would serve as decoration in their homes and gardens. Mosaics that many people have installed in their homes lately are made no more no less, but with tiles. Certain bathrooms have these kinds of colorful tiles which form different kinds of figures, and that is something that these mosaics should look like, except the fact that they look way more awesome. First of all, let's take into account that the tiles nowadays have different shapes and many different colors, and most important of all, they are made of different materials. The material of tiles is most crucial for the further development of mosaics, so if you ever decide to have one, have that in mind. There are several important materials which I am going to write about, as a kind of a guide for you, if you cannot make up your mind. Of course, for further information you will have to Google a bit more since I am no expert on this matter, but I do have some experience.

Mosaics made of tiles which are made of glass

This is possible, indeed. I was walking through the mall the other day when I bumped into one – literally bumped into. It was placed temporarily beside the stairway, and it was pretty transparent. But when I took a few steps backwards I saw a beautiful postmodern mosaic which so perfectly fitted into the environment that I praised whoever placed it there. Mosaics made of glass tiles are not only transparent but also very shiny. If you point any kind of light towards it, it will shine with a very pleasing light, or rather, reflect that light in a very pleasing way. This kind of mosaic fits perfectly in white rooms where there is a lot of light. It can also be included in rooms with no light, just watch not to bump into it as I did. But the most important thing that glass mosaics can bring you is serenity. It will make you somehow forget about all the troubles that you had in the past few days, just by looking at it. I have put my glass mosaic by the fireplace in order to emphasize the importance of it, by looking at the fire through it.

Stainless steel mosaics will make your head spin

Considering the light the mosaics give away, those made of stainless steel tiles certainly do reflect it. However, if you place them in a room with no sunlight, they are usually quite dark and rather cold, but that does not make them bad. Moreover, these kind of mosaics are really stylish and they can fit everywhere. My neighbour had one pattern installed in his backyard, and he says that it somehow fulfils his world when he is making barbecue on Sundays with his family. Stainless steel lasts for ages, it can even serve as protection. But do not use it in that way, it is primarily for decoration. The best thing about this material is that it does not require cleaning at all. Well, maybe you should devote five minutes in a few months time and clean it with  a dry cloth, but that is it. No further work is required, when it comes to cleaning.

Ceramic tiles and the things you know about them

You all probably have ceramic tiles in your bathroom, so there is not much I can say here, except that you can make even more magnificent mosaics than those you saw. Ceramic tiles need not be one coloured or square, and the possibilities are infinite. They are, as you know, fragile. So, If you put them in some other areas instead in your bathroom you should be careful.

To sum up, mosaic is an old kind of art, and it becomes very popular from time to time. This is the time when new ideas are introduced to this kind of art, and many people opt to have one in their home. Should you decide to have one, consult this article as well as the internet about the further division of materials out of which these mosaics are made of, if you want to of course.

Mosaic tiles available through www.exotiles.com.au

Keep Calm and Decorate your Home with Mosaic Made of Tiles

People live fast in the 21st century. We eat fast food and junk food, we sleep very little and everything we do, we do rapidly. Before we reach our forties, we are very much in pain, and not just physical, but mental as well. Our bodies are designed to live in a slower pace of life, because technology made it move fast and we cannot keep up with it. However, the thing we should definitely do in order to avoid all the stress caused by living fast, is to find and do something that will bring balance to our life. And I do not mean to do that for a living, but rather as a hobby. There are many things you can and you probably already do, such as fishing, cooking or even playing football with your friends. However, I want to talk about doing something that has a calming effect as well as artistic value. I want to talk about home decoration. Home decoration is one of the greatest things to relieve stress. But that is just one of many aspects that decorating your home brings to your soul. But, there is a more specific way of home decoration, which you have maybe heard of, and that is with a mosaic – and not just an ordinary one, but one made of tiles. Tiles? Yes, it actually can be done, and the results are rather enchanting.

A word or two about this unusual art

Well, it seems unusual when I write about it, but you have probably seen this kind of works somewhere. For example, this technique is used and has been used for a long time in all sorts of public venues, but the most important ones you have probably seen in someone's bathroom. That's right, people have their bathrooms redesigned with tiles. They are placed in such a way that they make a mosaic. But, most of these mosaics in bathrooms are not purely for decoration but rather for protection, and therefore, people do not pay much attention to the looks of it. When I had my tiles put in the bathrooms, workmen had done it all wrong, and he had put all the tiles upside down not knowing that they are supposed to form a mosaic. Therefore, I decided to do something more with this kind of art and I did a little bit of researching on the internet, and found out a very surprising fact. Our tiles need not be placed only in our bathrooms, they can also be placed in other rooms in our house, even in our garden. When I saw the pictures, it seemed so... normal. People have found different ways to make the tiles fit in the environment. The colors and shapes of tiles were perfect on those pictures, as if they were shaped by Michelangelo himself. I wondered for many days how can a piece of ceramic be shaped and yet stable like that? And then, after doing a little bit of deeper research I found out that there are actually many different types of tiles, and when I say different I mean different materials out of which those tiles are made. Let me tell you a word or two about these materials, since that is the most important division in this type of art.

Stainless steel tiles to decorate your living room

Stainless steel tiles can be described as rather stylish and modern. Their color can vary, but it is usually grey, because steel is usually grey itself. But no matter the color, what you can get from stainless steel is the quality of endurance. Steel lasts for ages, and therefore, your mosaic made of this type of tiles will last for as long as you want it to last. The name itself suggests that this kind of steel does not bow to the passage of time, and it literally cannot rust. Of course, there are things that you should keep stainless steel away from, such as acidic food. This type of food may seriously damage the steel by leaving a stain that cannot be removed. Considering the matter of decoration, stainless steel can be added to almost every room, but the living room is the best place for it. It simply melts down with the technology that is usually found in the living room, such as TVs, stereos, recorders, etc. No matter where you put the mosaic made of stainless steel, I can guarantee you that it will fit perfectly.

I'm looking at you through the glass... mosaics made of glass

When I mentioned glass, you probably thought to yourself that this kind of mosaic is fragile and breakable. Well, you are wrong. Although they are not as durable as stainless steel, these tiles are certainly stronger than the glass on your on your windows. Their best feature is the reflection they provide when there is not enough light in the room. That reflection is not blinding, furthermore, it has a pretty calming effects, both for your eyes and your brain. The best place to put glass tiles mosaic is definitely the bedroom, because the morning sun reflects best upon these tiles, thus providing you with that „morning“ feeling of rest so that you feel as you are full of life. But then again, glass mosaics need a little bit of cleaning. If you devote five minutes a month to clean stainless steel mosaics, this kind will take you twice as much, which is not too much, when you look at it objectively.

To sum up, taking a hobby or doing what you love can literally save your life. You should slow the pace of life down by doing what you love. There are things that can both calm your nerves and make the world that surrounds you a more beautiful place. For example, home decoration is one of them, and finding new ways of decoration is the best way to decorate your home. I wholeheartedly recommend that you should try this kind of art – mosaic tiles.

The Bathroom – What To Do In There?

The bathroom is a complicated thing. Not the bathroom itself, but the things in it and their arrangement and organization and all the things you need to make the whole shebang work... complicated. There is too much work to be done here and it can get overwhelming. And overwhelming is never a good thing to be involved in. No one even likes the very word, much less the very notion of it. Let’s face it, the words starting with the prefix over are never fancied, they tend to be too much for most of us, if you know what I mean. I hope you get the joke...

Nevertheless, don't be shy about your bathroom DIY as every part of the house needs to be properly arranged for your comfort and for your well-being in general, so does this one. But then again, most other areas of your home are probably easier to organize, and this one could prove to be a challenge. Unless you are a weird fellow and you like this kind of work, which I hope you’re not, for your sake, life can offer much better things than work and just work... especially work like this. Have fun and do this kind of work only once, and that’s when you get your home. Finish it, and never change it again. Well, you can change, but just too some extent and that’s like a chair over here and a picture over there, and be done with it!

Speaking of weird fellows, does OCD make you one of them? This mild disorder can prove to be a nuisance when you combine it with cleaning and arranging your home. You would need to do things over and over and over and over again... Not nice, not nice at all. Trust me, I have experience with it. But it does not make me a weird fellow! At least I hope it doesn't...

Anyway, when you do your home, there are so many things to be done. I guess much more than the bathroom itself, but when you look at each room individually, the before mentioned is at the top of the list.

As for the rest of the rooms, we know what needs to be done. For example, in the living room you need to worry about the sofa, some armchairs maybe, a television set and several other electronic thingies, like radio, a DVD player and whatnot. There’s not much you need here really, maybe some shelves for the books, but since too few people actually read books nowadays I guess that this can be scratched from the list. Anyhow, add some decorations like pictures and statues and it’s all done. The arrangement as well as all of these things won’t cause many problems since the only thing you need to worry is placing the TV opposite to the sofa and armchairs so that everyone can watch it, obviously. This doesn't seem to be a real problem, unless, once again, you need to place shelves for books. But, judging from the fact that most of us are owners of a very small amount of books, I guess that this can hardly be a nuisance.

I am missing something here. I covered everything that you can actually put on the floors and the walls, and once you've done that, it seems that nothing else can even exist. But you couldn't be more wrong! There are more ways to lighten up the atmosphere of your home. The very floors and walls are also something that needs to be looked at. Unless the builders did a good job with the looks, the colors and whatnot, you won’t have to worry about it. But people can get very picky when it comes to the places where they are going to live for a very long time. Everything has to be perfect, or as close to perfect as it can get. I’m sure that you don’t differ from these types of people. And then again, we all have the right to be picky when it comes to our homes. If you can afford it and you can have it the way you want it, of course you should make it that way; no matter how much of a nuisance you’ll be to others and yourself as well.

When it comes to walls, the real problem is not any of these rooms, but the bathroom itself. What else if not the bathroom. I have been mentioning the bathroom for so many times; you though that there was no reason for that? Hell, the title itself is the most constantly mentioned thing in this piece text.

Nonetheless, this room can be a problem since the best solution for the walls can be to cover most of it with tiles. Bathrooms tend to get dirty and can be very ugly if not properly attended. These wonderful things will solve this problem. Many of them are stainless, so you won’t have to worry about the rust and dirt like you need to worry with regular tiles. Don’t get me wrong, these won’t solve these problems completely, but they will be better than regular tiles. And what more do you need, since you can’t have something that’s perfect. That’s just not the way it works.

These are not the only options for you. So much more types will you find. You will be able to have mosaics in your bathroom, and they will probably be the only nice and pretty things in this room, because, well, we know for which things this room is used... You might want marble tiles, copper tiles, or even well-designed stone mosaic tiles, the choice is yours to make. And it won’t be an easy one, since there are so many wonderful choices.

Anyway, I do hope that this can prove helpful when it comes to the room that can cause so many problems for you. If not, oh well, you’re on your own here...

Let me Take You to the World of Modern Art

I am no expert when it comes to home decoration and other issues that involve style and taste. However, I made a thorough research on the net and found out a lot of interesting data that helped me decorate my home as best as I can and trust me, there are several aspects you should take into account, when it comes to home decoration. The comfort comes first. You don't want your home to look beautiful and to be total eye-candy, if your body cannot enjoy it. After comfort comes the usage of it. Let's face it, it is much better to have a sculpture that is a fountain at the same time, and you use it to drink water from it, than just a sculpture that stands in the corner of your room. However, this is totally optional. Finally, the look of the certain piece of decoration is taken into account. You should always pay attention what you put and where, because an ugly home, however comfortable, will not be appealing to the people who visit. Of course, there are some eastern techniques, such as feng-shui, that combine beauty and comfort, but they are mostly based on beliefs that are not really scientifically proven.

The art ages old gets a new form. Place tiles all over your house.

What I really want to focus on is the art of placing tiles and making mosaics out of them. You have probably seen on the television those big mosaics made out of small stones. Well, I'm not really talking about that kind of mosaic, but a more modern form. Tiles are nowadays produced in many materials, and each material has its own advantages and disadvantages, but we will talk about that, later. First of all I want to ask you this – where do you think you can place your mosaic made of tiles? Well, believe it or not – everywhere. There are tiles in the bathroom, and that is nothing new. Yours probably has tiles. However, you can take that to the next level of creativity and style and, for example, use painted tiles in your bathroom instead of boring one-colored ones. That way you will enjoy yourself more whilst using the bathroom and you will break the monotony that can sometimes be a feature of this part of the house. Now, lets move on to the other rooms.

Bedrooms can be very interesting if mosaic tiles are added there. There are the ones made of glass which literally glow if the light in the room is vivid. Can you imagine the feeling of waking up and facing the glowing mosaic made out of glass tiles. It is indeed like heaven on earth, and you just woke on the cloud that floats on the surface made of sunshine.

How about living room? I know it sounds weird at first, but there are people who add mosaic tiles even there. Tiles made of stainless steel can have a very calming effect, and its color fits almost every style of living-room. Whether you enjoy those old fashioned living rooms with a fireside and two rocking chairs, or you prefer those modern ones with big TVs and a lot of electronic devices, mosaics made of tiles will fit everywhere, especially those made out of stainless steel.

Finally, you can even take the decoration outside. If you live in a house and have a yard, and you don’t know how to decorate it, I suggest that you place mosaics. Of course, watch out that it fits the rest of the house when talking about design. My favorite one was the thing that my neighbor did with tiles. He placed them at the bottom of his swimming pool. He added some lighting beside it and it had this amazing glow even during the night.

A word or two concerning the materials out of which tiles are made

As the title suggests, and as I have mentioned before, tiles can be made out of several different materials. All of them have certain qualities that make them special in their own way. But whichever one you choose, it is important that the design itself possess certain quality. Because, believe me, I have stumbled upon very fragile ones which were literally breaking under the slightest pressure of my hands. You certainly do not wish your mosaic to fall apart after a week. Therefore, durability is very important. Now when it comes to stainless steel, durability is not in question at all. These kinds of tiles tend to last for decades and they do not even rust, as the name suggests. They are also not very difficult to maintain – you may need to clean it maybe once or twice a month, just to remove the dust and make sure that you can see your reflection in them.

There are also tiles made of stone. Now you have probably seen these more often than those made of stainless steel, but if the approach to combining them into a mosaic is unique, they can be pretty interesting. Although their durability is not as good as the durability of steel tiles, it is good enough if you pay attention

Finally there are tiles made of glass, which I, also, have mentioned before. Although you may think that this kind is the most fragile, it is not so. Namely, these kinds of tiles are designed so that the glass is so thick, it is almost impossible to break them.

To sum up, colors and styles are all mixed-up nowadays as the art suggests. Therefore, people have taken tiles from bathrooms and started placing them all around the house. Little by little it became an art on its own – the art of mosaic tiles. Although it existed long before, this approach is new, and these mosaics fit in each and every room. There are different materials to choose from, and different shapes and figures to be made out of tiles, all according to your own taste.

How to Install Stainless Steel Mosaic Tiles

Stainless steel is a very common choice for material used for making mosaic tiles. This is due to the fact that stainless steel has properties that are very desirable when it comes to tile constructing. 

These properties are:

●             It is lightweight;

●             It doesn't oxidize easily;

●             It cannot just simply stretch or discolor;

●             The shine it has can last for more than 20 years…

So, it is safe to say that stainless steel is a very durable material.

People have had these kinds of mosaic tiles installed as various, both commercial and residential interior decorations. Some have put them on walls, floors and ceilings, while others have put them on backsplashes, countertops, various water features, and so on.

Full and detailed mosaic tiles installation guide on ExoTiles.

http://www.exotiles.com.au/mosaic-tile-installation-guide/

The following article is concerned with tips on how people should perform the installation process, when stainless steel mosaic tiles are concerned:

●             At the very beginning, it is very important to note that the installation process of these kinds of mosaic tiles should be done by people that are experts in the field. This is because you have to watch out for various possible problems. For example, if any sort of electrical work is being done around the tiles, people can get electrocuted easily (since metal is a good conductor of energy). Also, care is required in places where high temperatures will surround the stainless steel (fireplaces, stoves, etc.), as well as extremely cold places. Furthermore, if you are installing this kind of mosaic tiles, you should avoid installing them in places that may be subject to impact by a strong force, or where there is heavy abrasion. Having all this in mind, you can conclude that an expert hand is somewhat necessary.

●             Sometimes, stainless steel mosaic tiles can be installed on gently curved surfaces. In order for them to have uniformity between each individual tile, the tiles themselves have to be manipulated. This is done by using both larger and smaller individual tiles. This design can end up being very stunning and impressive.

●             The substrate (the underlying layer) should be prepared well. It should be fixed, flat, cleaned of all contaminant materials such as dust, or oil, or paint, and it should be dried properly. All this is done in order for the tiles to get attached to the substrate correctly. Special care is required in humid areas, such as bathrooms and kitchens. The material usually used for substrates is concrete, cement and is some cases treated plywood.

●             Waterproof membranes are also a very important thing to have when installing tiles made out of stainless steel. They are used to prevent water leakage through walls and floors. Special care is advised when adding the membrane up the wall and outside shower areas. Actually, the waterproof membrane system is advised to be used in all wet and humid areas. Keep in mind that some systems may require the use of a primer.

●             There are various adhesives (glues) available on the market for purposes of installing tiles. It is highly advisable to follow the instructions provided by the adhesive manufacturer within the package point by point. There are many brands of adhesives available on the market and most of them are suitable for installing stainless steel tiles. The most commonly used are cement-based adhesives. They are usually recommended for places where no movement is anticipated. On the other hand, there are modified cement-based adhesives that can be used where there is movement. 

●             Grout is used to fill up the spaces between the tiles and to keep them joined together. For the best possible results, a constant use of a firm sponge is advised. This is due to the fact that grout gets separated from the tiles after it is dried. So, therefore, you should apply the grout at least 2 (in some cases more than 2) times. The second time the grout is supposed to be non-sanded.

So, after you have gone through all this, you should end up with having stainless steel tiles installed wherever you want. Now, you are advised to clean them regularly, in order for them to keep their original shape for as long a period of time as possible. Most stains can be cleaned just by the usage of a small cloth or sponge to which you can add a soft detergent. Fingerprint stains can be cleaned with olive oil. Just do not use soap or bleach, as it can damage the tiles.

To sum up, this is all you need to know concerning the installation of stainless steel mosaic tiles. Here are some examples, just to show how beautiful and well installed tiles look like.