We are probably biased but we believe our Elements decorative ceramic tiles offer one of the most beautiful opportunities to add unique design and color to any area of the home. Our patterns such as the Tubac and Clifton tiles when placed together show a beautiful continuous pattern that immediately will bring attention and a focus to any area where the tiles are installed.

The Elements decorative ceramic tiles work well as wainscoting in a kitchen or bathroom area. And one of the more popular uses of these tiles has been as an accent wall in a home or commercial location. Our customers tell us that they are delighted with how well the Elements tiles transform an area and how eye-catching the designs are when installed over a large area.

For those considering any of our Elements tiles please contact us before ordering. We would love to have more photos of any completed Elements projects and we would be willing to discount any larger Elements tile orders in exchange for nice photos of the completed project.

We wanted to share a photo of a recent tile installation from one of our customers who used our Solana Glass Mosaic tiles in 1 inch by 1 inch for their kitchen project. We thought the kitchen came out wonderful and the colors of the Meadow blend really do coordinate well with the customer’s kitchen environment.

We thought that the colors in the Meadow glass mosaic tile blend really bring out the colors in the kitchen. You say, what are you talking about since the counters are charcoal/black and the cabinets are white. Precisely our point. If one tries to coordinate colors exactly either with the cabinets or the counters you will never be able to have a good color match simply because each component in the area comes from a different manufacturer and every manufacturer has their own color charts.

Choosing a different but a complimentary color to ones cabinets and counters can often bring out the colors in a kitchen or bath because all of the different components coordinate and work well together. Keep these points in mind when choosing colors in your kitchen or bath and you will be happy that you did.

Given that summer is just around the corner and pool season is coming fast we know that a lot of our customers have been working feverishly to complete their pool and other outdoor projects in order to be ready for the summer swim season. For this reason we want to remind those of you who might be working with a contractor or pool company, make sure that when installing tiles as a water line decoration in your swimming pool your contractor does the following:

* uses an anti-fracture membrane to prep the surface before installing any tiles

* installs the tiles using expansion joints to allow for settling and any “flex” in the concrete. Installing expansion joints is very important especially when installing glass tiles in a pool area

Following proper installation procedures will ensure your tiles last for many years without any problems to speak of.

With summer fast approaching we have noticed an uptick in interest from our customers planning DIY projects in their home. We love speaking to and assisting our customers who are taking on their tiling projects since installing your own material is a great way to save a bucket load of $$$ for installation on tile and any other home remodeling project.

In that regard we have a great collection of glass mosaic tiles that are priced very affordably at $4.99 per sf. Our Coastal Blends collection consists of ten beautiful colors in neutrals blends and grey blends which are perfect for kitchens and baths. There are also several blue blends and green blends which have proven popular as a waterline tile in swimming pools and spas.

The Coastal Blends glass mosaic tiles come mesh mounted and they are sold by the sheet. For those considering glass mosaic tiles for their DIY projects where affordability and budget are a consideration give our Coastal Blends glass mosaic tiles a second look since these tiles are an affordable way to add the contemporary look of glass mosaic tiles to your home.

We have seen an increased interest this month from our customers choosing our glass floor tiles for projects such as a family entertainment room as well as a commercial building entry way. Glass tile made for and used as a floor tile can add a very unique design element to a space where one may be wishing to add a wide area of color. For this purpose we offer both the Trumpet and the Cello glass floor tile collections for our customers to choose from.

Clear glass has been used as a floor surface since the early 1900’s when glass block was introduced to provide natural light under city sidewalks and to walking passages in industrial and manufacturing plants. Glass has also been used as flooring in commercial projects such as restaurants and hotels where large panels are used in 3’ x 3’ or 4’ x 4’ blocks that often weigh several hundred pounds per piece. Today, glass has been adapted for home and light commercial use so more folks can enjoy the beauty of glass material in their home and work locations.

Both the Trumpet and Cello glass floor tiles are offered in standard floor tile sizes from the AnchorBayTile website but they are both also available in many custom sizes that are made via a special order. Please inquire directly to us via email to sales – AT – anchorbaytile.com if you have any further questions about these or any of our tiles.

Earlier this week we introduced a new product in the form of a 10 inch Diamond Blade made for cutting Glass Tiles. Our diamond blade products are made for WET use on a tile wet saw and they are manufactured with a continuous rim and the finer diamonds found on glass tile blades.

Our Glass tile diamond blade in 10 inch size is made by a true R & D company who continually strives to manufacture the finest products on the market. Because of this commitment to making quality diamond blade products our customers can expect a longer blade life on their tile jobs and no shredding or chipping of the glass which can be common for lower cost glass tile blades.

Our diamond blade products are now in stock and can be shipped immediately to your home or business location.

Our Solana Glass Mosaic Tile Blends tiles are available in a 1” x 1” size in four coordinating colors that match our 3” x 6” Solana Glass Subway tiles. The Meadow color is a wonderful light and soft green color that matches our Mint color Glass Subway Tile. The Smooth Grey glass mosaic tile blend shares the same name as our Solana 3” x 6” glass subway tile color in smooth grey. The Blue Lagoon glass mosaic tile blend is a mix of three colors with one of the primary colors being our Solana 3” x 6” Cool Blue color. Finally, the Sand Dune blend is a mix of Cappuccino and Khaki and coordinates with each of the colors in the same name in our 3” x 6” glass subway tile collection.

These glass mosaic tile blends are a great and affordable choice as a shower accent stripe when paired together with our 3” x 6” glass subway tiles. We have also had clients use the 3” x 6” glass subway tiles in the shower and use the coordinating glass mosaic tiles color as the kitchen backsplash choice. This way the color palette in the home can be consistent from one room to another.

We would love to hear any creative ideas you might have to use our glass mosaic tiles and glass subway tiles in a unique and fun design.

We had a call from a client the other day asking us about our new Solana Glass Mosaic Tile Blends in 1” x 1” in the Latte color. The customer asked about the colors found in the Latte blend and whether they would match well with a particular color in the project they had been planning. While it is hard for us to tell over the phone about matching colors we were able to offer some thoughts about the Latte glass mosaic tile blend.

The Latte blend is a combination of three very neutral colors that are a nice match for many different color combinations of fabrics, paint colors, lighting and faucet fixtures, and furniture. Our Solana glass mosaic tile blends come mesh mounted as almost all mosaics do and the Latte color would be a fine compliment to Oak, Cherry or dark Maple cabinets.

Our Solana glass mosaic tile blends are meant for kitchen backsplashes, showers, tub surrounds or swimming pools or spas. Order a sample of the Latte color today and we know you will be pleased with the beautiful colors in what is one of our favorite blends.

We have been getting a lot of questions lately about how to install our un-glazed Hexagon Porcelain tiles so we thought we would cover some of the basic installation tips right here in our Blog.

When installing any un-glazed tile the installer must first consider the fact that he or she needs to protect the surface of the tile from exposure to any of the installation materials that may come in contact with the tile surface during the installation process. Because of this, the surface of any un-glazed tiles must be sealed prior to installation to guard against any installation products ruining the surface.

If the installer is confident that no mortar will get on the surface of the tiles during installation then the surface protection step can be completed after installing the tiles with the adhesive. If there is any possibility of the mortar making it’s way on to the tiles then it is best to seal the tiles prior to installing them with adhesive and of course prior to grouting.

When installing our porcelain Hexagon tiles we recommend laying the material out on the floor and running a coat of clear, penetrating sealer made for ceramic tile grout over the tiles using a roller brush and making sure that the sealer goes on even and consistent. Let the sealer dry on the Hexagon tiles before proceeding to the next step in your installation.

Making cuts to the porcelain Hexagon tiles can best be achieved using Tile Nippers designed for use with porcelain tiles. The Hexagon tiles are NOT designed to be cut on a wet saw because the water on the saw will dissolve the mesh after continuous exposure to water.

Follow these tips for an error free installation and please send us any photos of your new Hexagon tile floor once your job is done.

Our new Solana Glass Mosaic Tile Blends in 1” x 1” have been a hit so far with our customers and we appreciate all of the support. We find that our clients play with the different color combinations available and come up with some fantastic uses for these glass mosaic tiles that we never would have thought of.

The Cabernet color we are finding works well in a number of scenarios and we thought we would offer some suggestions to help in any remodeling project planning. For those looking to add glass mosaic tiles where darker cabinets might be involved, for example lets say a rich mahogany color or a dark walnut, the cabernet blends color would be a nice kitchen backsplash color in a kitchen that has a lot of light. The darker color in the cabernet blends coordinates well with brushed nickel or bronze fixtures and lighting accessories.

For those with lighter cabinets the cabernet would be a nice choice in kitchens containing an accent wall or fixtures in a dark charcoal, steel grey, or maroon color. The cabernet in these scenarios would coordinate well with the colors mentioned and would also add color in the form of the wine and maroon color that is featured prominently in this blend.

Give our staff a call anytime if you have any questions about any of our products and how they might fit in with your remodeling plans.