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.

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.