Last week we talked about a product we stumbled upon for installing tile without using mortar. Well now it seems that everybody is on the bandwagon and there is another product called SimpleMat available at Home Depot that claims to do the same thing.

According to the SimpleMat website, “SimpleMat is a double sided, adhesive mat specifically designed for bonding tile to countertops or backsplashes. The back of the mat has a flat adhesive which bonds to the backsplash wall or countertop. The front side has a raised adhesive which bonds to tile or stone. SimpleMat replaces traditional thin-set mortar or mastic adhesive.”

Again, if the product works as advertised then this is a great product for the homeowner and do-it-yourselfer. You will still need to grout any project where SimpleMat is used but tiling a backsplash or countertop will be in the realm of possibility for many more folks with a product, or shall we say, products like this on the market.

We are happy to be able to introduce our newest line of glass mosaic tile products as coordinating 1” x 1” blends that match our Solana 3” x 6” Glass Subway tiles. Our new Solana Glass Mosaic tile blends come in a 1” x 1” size, they are mesh mounted for easy installation by the Do-it-Yourselfer or the professional alike and they are in stock today for shipment right to your door.

There are six blends colors available and four of the blends colors – Meadow, Smooth Grey, Sand Dune, and Blue Lagoon coordinate colors with our Solana 3 x 6 glass subway tiles. So now, customers of ours for example who are installing our glass subway tiles in their showers can integrate our Solana 1” x 1” glass mosaic tile blends in a shower shampoo niche or as an accent stripe along the back and or side walls of the shower.

Customers installing a kitchen backsplash can also create an accent stripe as needed or use the Solana 1” x 1” tiles as “corner cut outs” when an accent piece is desired in larger backsplash areas.

And for the glass mosaic tile blends colors such as Latte and Cabernet that were not made to coordinate with our Solana 3 x 6 glass subway tiles these colors are very rich and beautiful to stand on their own. Consider using the Latte color as a design accent with our Bamboo 3 x 6 Chestnut color tile for a glass mosaic tile accent with Bamboo subway tiles. The cool part of these new glass mosaic tiles is that there is no limit to the possible design combinations using tiles right from our own product portfolio.

While we love the bond strength and the security that comes with knowing that tile has been placed on the wall with mortar, there might be a new product on the market that short circuits the tile installation process and allows wall tile jobs to be completed in just one day.

Bondera TileMatSet comes essentially as double sided tape on a 12-inch wide roll with the double sided sheet of adhesive placed between two pieces of clear plastic. The material has to be cut to fit the wall you are tiling and generally can be done by most DIY’ers.

The nice thing is that once your tile is up on the wall grouting can be done immediately and walla!, most any wall tile project can be completed in one day. Have a look at the manufacturer’s website where there are some interesting videos on using the product.

We were asked just this week if it is possible to use glass tiles as an accent with our beveled subway tiles. The answer is clearly yes and we can offer some tips for those that are considering such an installation in their homes.

The main thing to consider when combining glass tiles and beveled subway tiles is the thickness of each of the materials. It is better in most cases to use 4 mm thick glass tiles since this size glass material will match up well with the thickness of our beveled subway tiles.

For a few 4 mm thick glass mosaic tile blends suggestions try our Coastal Blends glass mosaic tiles, our Kona Blends glass mosaic tiles, or our Milano Blends glass mosaic tiles all of which are in stock and ready for quick shipment.

In the next several weeks our customers will have the opportunity to choose coordinating glass mosaic tile blends in a 1” x 1” size in colors to match many of our Solana Glass Subway tile colors. We have created a mix of blends colors to match many of our glass subway tiles as well as blends colors, well, which we just happened to like how they looked together.

The blends will be in stock and will be priced at a level that makes their purchase affordable for most remodeling budgets out there. Our customers have been asking us for more glass mosaic tile choices and we think you will be pleased with what you see when the material is ready. Check back with our Blog often at the beginning of the year when we hope to run a few deals on our new glass mosaic tile blends to get the ball rolling with our new products

We often get asked what size grout joints should be used with our Solana Glass Subway Tile. In our opinion most subway tile installations look much cleaner and are more “true to the material” when the grout joints are spaced as tightly as is technically possible with your chosen tile. Glass Subway tile comes in many shapes and sizes so our answer in this case will apply mostly to our brand of Solana Glass Subway tile.

Glass is such a modern and contemporary look most interior designers will tell you that when designing with material that fits in to a modern theme it is best to showcase the primary material as much as is possible and to minimize any distractions to the eye which may take away from the look you are trying to achieve.

We recommend installing our Solana glass subway tiles using a 1/8” grout joint which is about as close as is technically safe to install this type of tile. Choose a grout color that coordinates with the tile and you will have a beautiful installation that will draw loads of compliments from all of your friends. For more ideas on how our tiles may look in a kitchen or bathroom like yours, have a look at the installation photos for this tile under the more photos area from the Solana Glass Subway tile page.

We often hear the question from our customers about what trim piece should be used when installing ceramic beveled subway tile in one’s home. This question is an easy one to answer though not so obvious to those who may be tiling their kitchen or bathroom for the first time.

Our beveled ceramic subway tiles are unique because the edge of the tile slopes down on all four sides of the tile so the edge now is thinner than the center body of the tile. A bullnose trim piece can normally be used with standard ceramic tiles but since there is no beveled slope on a bullnose trim piece the beveled field tile and the bullnose trim tile will not match up together. Therefore, one can and should only use Quarter Round 1” x 6” trim pieces as your edge piece when installing together with a beveled ceramic subway tile.

If you have any additional questions after reading this post feel free to call the AnchorBayTile team and we would be glad to offer assistance, suggestions, and any other advice on your ceramic tile project.

There are so many different grout color choices available that it is hard to choose one from another. So what is one to do? This question has no easy answer nor does it have a right or a wrong answer. Whichever direction you ultimately choose will certainly have an impact on your tile project, but rest assured that with a little thought and proper planning your tile project will come out fabulous.

There generally are two schools of thought in choosing grout colors and either one has its pros and cons. When choosing grout one can either select a grout which BLENDS in with the tile or you can select a grout which contrasts with the tile. Selecting a grout color that blends in with the tile is probably more common and in our opinion does a better job at spotlighting the tile and the beauty in the material which you selected. After all, you probably spent months comparing tile samples from different manufacturers so why not choose a grout color that spotlights the tile rather than the grout. Selecting a grout color that blends in with the tile also allows the eye to see the tiled area as one continuous space rather than a checkerboard of individual tiles.

That being said, there are instances where choosing a contrasting grout color might be a wise choice to bring in a unique look to the tiled area. For example, when working with a black and white retro area in order to match other décor in the room it might be a nice idea to use dark or even black grout together with a white tile. In cases like this is where a contrasting grout color would be a wise choice.

When selecting a grout color, get “grout sticks” from your local tile retailer or home improvement center and bring these to your home to put the grout samples next to your tile right in the area or space to be tiled. Doing so will give you a clear picture of what the grout and tile will look like in the room under the lighting that will be there when the project is done.

[caption id="attachment_397" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Bamboo Tile with Chicklet edge pieces"][/caption]We developed our bamboo trim and decorative tile pieces for our customers to use with our bamboo subway tiles as edge pieces for a kitchen backsplash. One of the bamboo pieces we designed with the top of a backsplash in mind if a project calls for not tiling to the bottom edge of the cabinets.

For a trim piece for the right or left edge of a kitchen backsplash we made what we call a chicklet piece that is a small and narrow decorative piece meant to give a nice edge to ones’s backsplash or any area where the bamboo tiles may be installed.

The tapered bullnose edge cap is a larger piece and more decorative than the chicklet piece due to its tapered shape and the natural colors that appear and because one can see more of the Bamboo in this piece. It is quite a beautiful piece and will surely bring praise and compliments to any one who uses this item in their project.

With times as tough as they are these days we receive feedback from our customers and we are striving every day to make good Design affordable to everybody. Families are staying home more, not going out to eat as much and spending their summer planning weekend “staycation’s” instead of the annual family vacation to some exotic locale. In light of these trends that have emerged, homeowners are taking on weekend projects such as upgrading the kitchen backsplash or even tiling a tub surround or bathroom vanity area as a means of performing upgrades to their home that provide a major improvement to an area for a small investment in time and money.

At Anchor Bay Tile we have worked hard over the past several years to bring our customers affordable glass tile options for those weekend tiling projects. We have a wide selection of modern glass mosaic tiles for any budget and any color palette imaginable.

Try our newest glass mosaic tile line we call the Coastal Blends collection which is a selection of ten contemporary blends colors that match up wonderfully with granite in the kitchen or as a perfect bathroom shower glass mosaic tile selection. For those looking for an inexpensive choice for upgrading the waterline tile in a swimming pool or spa, have a look at the Laguna or Newport colors in our Coastal Blends glass tile collection. Any of the ten colors of the Coastal Blends are in stock and retail for only $8.50 per 1.15 square foot sheet.

We also offer the Milano ¾” x ¾” glass mosaic tile blends and the Kona Blends glass mosaic tiles in a 1” x 2” size. These affordable glass mosaic tile options offer a higher level of design sophistication and both collections are in stock and retail for less than $15.00 per sheet. Our Milano glass tile blends have been a hit with customers with granite colors such as Giallo Veneziano or Blue Galaxy while our Kona Blends 1” x 2” tiles have been popular in showers, tub surrounds and bathroom vanities as a perfect accent strip to add a touch of color with lighter travertine tiles or ceramic tiles.

If you have wanted to upgrade your home with glass tile but weren’t sure it was financially feasible, please give our tiles a second look and call us any time for design questions and suggestions. Were happy to help!