Glass Mosaic Tiles Buying Guide

Choosing the right tile for your house or office can be a little overwhelming especially because of all the options available out there. Even if it’s your first time buying tiles, you do know the fact that there are hundreds of different types of tiles, thousands of different styles and patterns, and several different materials. In a nutshell, your first challenging decision would be regarding which material to opt for. This article will guide you about Glass Mosaic Tiles Buying Guide in detail. 

Speaking of material, if you want premium quality tiles that don’t just look good but last long too then you should go for glass mosaic tiles. Yes, you read that right! Glass mosaic tiles have the ability to turn any plain platform into an artistic masterpiece without any hassle. Whether it’s your bathroom, your kitchen, your patio, or your office, if you want to decorate your space and make it look more elegant then glass mosaic is definitely the one for you.

Best Thing about Mosaic Tile

The best thing about glass mosaic tiles is that they are available in a variety of different colors, shapes, sizes, and even styles. So when looking for the perfect tile in the market or in the online stores, we assure you that you won’t ever run short of options.

Even in glass tiles, there are several different materials for you to choose from. Some of the most common ones are porcelain, steel, ceramic, and glass. Glass mosaic tiles are growing in popularity with each passing day and it’s quite justified because they really can work wonders when it comes to upgrading your space.

Main Advantages of Glass Mosaic Tiles

You can easily find glass mosaics for sale both in the market and in online stores. It’s easily available and you won’t ever have to worry about going through a lot of hassle to find one.

Other than this, here are some important benefits of glass mosaic tiles that you need to know about;

1-They Are Visually Appealing

Glass mosaic tiles have this shiny coating that looks really luminous and it can brighten up any space easily. Not just this but if you want to make your kitchen or bathroom look more spacious than it is then yes, glass mosaic tiles can really come in handy here.

2-You Have Several Options Available

The best thing about glass mosaic tiles is that they are available in almost all stores and people keep quite a huge quantity and variety of these tiles. So when you visit a store, you’ll have multiple options of tiles with different colors and styles etc.

3-Flexibility in Design

Glass mosaic tiles aren’t just to be used for your kitchen’s backsplash. In fact, these tiles are versatile and can be combined with metal or stone elements in your bathroom. You can even use the tile for your kitchen countertops as it would look really luxurious. If not this, you can use mosaic tiles for decorating your art walls too.

4-Glass Mosaic Tiles are Easy To Maintain and Durable

Glass mosaic tiles come with a non-porous surface which means that they are very easy to clean and maintain. You won’t ever have to worry about the tiles picking up stains from any spills or splashes because the glass is strong and it's resistant to chemicals so it's very easy to wipe off any splash of water or any grease etc. Durability is one of the main reasons why glass mosaic tiles are growing in popularity with each passing day.

5- Glass Mosaic Tiles are Environment Friendly

If you are the kind of person who is concerned about the environment then you should use recycled glass mosaic tiles. These tiles are easily available and the best part is that they are environmentally friendly.

In a nutshell, glass mosaic tiles offer plenty of benefits that bring you the best value for your money. However, the one thing you must know about these tiles is that they are a little more expensive than other materials like ceramic and porcelain. Also, you might need some professional help to install the glass tiles as it’s a little difficult to do this yourself. Overall, for someone who doesn’t compromise on quality just for the sake of saving some money, the glass mosaic tile is going to be the best decision.

All You Need To Know About the Types of Glass Mosaic Tiles

Now that you are well aware of the benefits of glass mosaic tiles, it’s high time to learn about the types that are available in the market.

These tiles come in different styles and variations but today we are going to talk about the most common ones. When choosing the style, you need to consider a few things, including your taste in home decor, your budget, and your existing interior.

1-Recycled Glass Tile

Just what the name implies, this tile is made up of recycled glass and it’s environmentally friendly so using it in your house will actually be great. You’ll find various glass mosaic designs in this category because broken or discarded glass is used to make these tiles. So there’s no one perfect design that comes in the recycled glass tile category. You can choose anything you like, according to your preference.

2-Stained Glass Tile

Have you ever seen the beautiful glass artwork in a church? It’s like the glass tiles are telling a story and they have a history. This is what a stained glass mosaic tile is used for. It makes the place look really artistic like it has some kind of a deep story behind it. If you are the kind of person who wants to add a little dramatic effect in his house then yes, this is the type of mosaic tile you should opt for. The stains you see in these tiles are basically added intentionally using different dye colors. You can get different styles and designs by choosing the dye you like. Because of their dramatic effect, you can use stained glass tiles to cover an entire art wall in your house, especially the one that you want to be the focal point of your house.

3-Translucent Glass Tile

Translucent tiles are often used in bathrooms to cover the shower area and well, they do look great. With this tile, you can add a little privacy in the bathroom but at the same time, you’ll be able to add a little style there. Some other great uses of this tile are; spa bathroom, kitchen backsplash, or a semi-private window.

4-Tumbled Glass Tiles

Tumbled glass tiles are made up of recycled glass which is why they have sharp edges. To make the best use out of these tiles, it’s important to first remove the sharp edges so that there’s no risk of any injury. Just like any other glass tile, it’s important that you use professional help when installing this one in your kitchen or bathroom.

5-Van Gogh Glass Tile

The Van Gogh glass tile is one of the most expensive glass mosaic tiles but it’s totally worth the use. It’s expensive because it’s rare and unique and it resembles stained glass tiles alot. A metallic pigment is used to paint the backside of these tiles and then to make it opaque, the metallic paint is then coated with black paint. This helps give the glass tile the depth it should have to look like a mirror. The overall effect created with the help of multiple colors is just great and it looks extremely stunning and artistic. Especially if there’s a wall art space in your house, you should use the Van Gogh glass tile on it to make it look beautiful.

Pros and Cons of Installing Glass Mosaic Tile

Just like any other tile in the world, the glass mosaic tile comes with its own pros and cons. Now before you make the decision of choosing a glass mosaic tile for your house, it’s of utmost importance that you know about the pros and cons involved.

Pros of Using Mosaic Glass Tiles

• It doesn’t matter if you pick translucent glass tiles or opaque ones, the beauty of a mosaic glass tile is that it always reflects light and it helps brighten up spaces like nothing else. Especially if you have a small bathroom or a kitchen that you want to look more spacious then these tiles can really help you here.
• There are multiple options of color, design and style available when it comes to a glass mosaic tile. In simpler words, with these tiles you can create the exact effect that you’ve always wanted to. Whether you want something simple for your kitchen’s backsplash or something artistic for your art wall, you’ll never run short of options.
• Glass mosaic tiles are easy to maintain. They don’t even get damaged due to moisture or Sunlight. This also is the reason why these tiles don’t catch stains from spills or grease easily. They are very easy to clean and to maintain, all you need to do is to use a simple wet cloth.

Cons of Using Mosaic Glass Tiles

• Just like all other types of tiles, the glass mosaic tile can easily be damaged with heavy impact. For example, if a cast iron tub bumps into the tile while it's being installed, it will easily crack or break.
• Aligning the pieces of these tiles to create a perfect look can be difficult with glass mosaic tiles. You probably would require professional help to do that no matter how experienced you are with tile installation.
• Glass tiles are expensive. If you do a little price comparison, you’ll see how glass mosaic tiles are pricier than ceramic or porcelain tiles. If you are covering a large area in your house, you’d of course need someone skilled to do that which means that you’ll have to pay extra labor cost.

Best Places to Install Glass Mosaic Tiles

One of the best things about glass mosaic tile is that it offers flexibility in both application and design. The very first thing that comes to people’s mind is the kitchen backsplash when they buy a glass mosaic tile and well without a doubt, it really looks great there but there are other places too where you can use these tiles. Another great place where you can use glass mosaic tiles is for your bathroom remodeling projects. If you want to upgrade your bathroom and make it look more modern and unique then again, glass mosaic tiles are going to be the best option for you here.

If you are new to glass mosaic tiles, you should know that they are resistant to water and are non-porous so they can’t be damaged by moisture. In fact, these tiles can’t generally get damaged easily. The one place where we wouldn’t recommend you use these tiles is the floor. It’s risky because these tiles are a little slippery and that can pose some safety risk if you opt for it for your floorings.

If you want to get more creative with the use of glass mosaic tiles then here are some ideas that can come in handy for you;

1-Accent Wall

Instead of limiting the use of these tiles to just bathrooms and kitchens, you can even use them for your accent walls. No matter which wall you want to decorate in your house or office, you can pick a great mosaic tile design and then install it on the wall that you want to be the focal point of your house.

2-Around the Fireplace

Glass tiles are easy to clean and maintain so you can definitely use them around your fireplace. You should go for a subtle mosaic tile style because that’s what usually looks good near the fireplace. As far as the colors are concerned, try something in cream, light brown or light grey if you want the tiles to compliment your fireplace.

3-Framing

If you want to enhance a certain picture or a painting, you can use a glass mosaic tile for framing it. To get the best results, we’d recommend that you use small pieces of glass mosaic tile and install it around the picture in a unique way.

4-In Your Backyard

It might sound like an odd idea to you but yes, you can always use glass mosaic tiles outdoors. From decorating your porch to using the tiles in your outdoor kitchen, you can do anything with the glass tiles to make your outdoor area look great.

Cutting Glass Mosaic Tile

If you have the time and the right skills, you might not even need to call a professional to cut and install the glass mosaic tile in your kitchen or bathroom. It’s a simple skill that just requires some attention and time. The challenging part however is when you have to cut the tile. Moreover, if your project is about making certain place or wall look more artistic then it’s obvious that you’ll have to invest more time and be more careful while cutting the glass tile according to the space you have.

Speaking of cutting, the very thing you need to do is to find the right tool to cut the tile. One of the most common tools used here is a wet saw but you should know that a wet saw only works when you have to cut bigger pieces of the tile. A wet saw isn’t the right tool if you are cutting the tile for your kitchen’s backsplash because, for that area, you of course need small pieces of tile. To cut small pieces of the tile where you really need precision, it’s better to use some glass nippers or a double-sided wheel scorer. Other great options are; a Dremel or a handheld pen cutter for even tinier pieces. To make sure that there’s no hurdle while cutting the tile, we recommend you that you first remove the back mesh part and then start cutting the tile.

For work safety, you should always take precautionary measures and wear gloves or goggles because when you are using a wet saw to cut the tiles, you might get injury with the small sharp pieces. So take the precautionary measures, ensure that everything is safe for you first and then start cutting the tile accordingly.

Installation of Glass Mosaic Tile

It goes without saying that the difficulty you’ll be facing during installing the glass mosaic tile directly depends on the project. If you are cutting tiles for your sink or kitchen countertop, it might not be as difficult for you but if you want to install small or curved pieces of tile around different outlets then yes, it will be a little bit of a hassle for you.

Usually, when it comes to installing glass mosaic tiles, we recommend that you use some professional help. You can easily find glass mosaic tile installers around. Now it does mean that you’ll have to spend some money on paying them for their services but at the end of the day, you’ll be saving yourself a lot of time and you won’t even have to worry about getting injured or not getting the things done right. In other words, hiring professional help is always the wiser option.

However, if you are still going ahead with DIY glass mosaic tile installation then we’d want you to follow some basic tips here;

• Measure the place where you want to install the tile and then measure the size of each tile individually. This way you’ll know how many rows of tiles you need to get the work done.
• If you want to install your tiles with symmetry then it’s better if you first draw a centerline especially for your kitchen’s backsplash right from the bottom of the cabinets to the top of the counter.
• When you are about to place the tile on the wall, make sure to use some kind of a block of wood or something heavy to press it. This way you’ll be sure that the tile has been install properly. After this, the next step is grouting.

Things to Consider When Buying Glass Mosaic Tiles

Before you start looking for glass mosaics for sale, there are a few things that you should take under consideration. One of the biggest problems with people is that they always rush into buying tiles. You need to understand that with glass mosaic tiles, you have thousands of options and you really need to be patient before finalizing one. Especially if you want the best value for your money, you should take your time, research different styles and designs, and then purchase the best suitable one.

Moreover, you need to consider these factors;

1-Size

You probably already know the place where you want to install the mosaic tile so it’s better to first measure the space and then choose the size of the mosaic tile accordingly. Yes, you can always cut the tile and make it according to the space you have but again, it’s always better to consider the size first.

2-Color

The color is the most important of all factors when buying glass mosaic tile. You want the tile to be excellent on your walls, kitchen, or bathroom so consider the color carefully and always keep the interior of your house in mind.

3-Design

There’s no one design that we can call “perfect” for you. It’s all about your own taste and likes and dislikes so again, it’s all about taking your time and searching for different designs to find the perfect one for yourself.

Final Word

Glass mosaic tiles can work wonders for you if you want to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your place. From kitchens to bathrooms to accent walls, you can install these tiles anywhere easily. It’s just that you first need to find the right tile and then the right people who can help you install it in your desired place. Always remember that DIY tile installation is great but hiring professional help means you can get the best work properly and the tiles installation will be proper wherever you want them to be.

If you are also in search of amazing tile then buy Siver Glass/Metal/Stone Mosaic Tiles. You can also reach us at our FACEBOOK page.