What Is Mosaic Tile?

Buy on Wayfair

Despite its size, mosaic tile offers an enormous range of options. It’s a favorite choice for bathrooms that’s also simple to install. So what is mosaic tile? Here’s what you’ll need to know.

Size And Format

Mosaic tiles are basically small, miniature size tiles. Because they are so small, they typically come pre-attached to a sheet of mesh backing. Each of these mosaic tile sheets is made up of a large number of these tiny tiles.

This format makes them easy to work with and install. If they were not attached to a backing, installing mosaic tiles one-by-one would be incredibly time-consuming and exceedingly difficult, especially in complicated patterns. Luckily each sheet already has all the tiles already perfectly spaced and arranged.

While the majority of what’s available does come in this format, it isn’t always the case. There are also mosaic tiles that are not attached to a backing however these are normally used to create murals and designs, known as mosaic art.

Types And Choices

One of the biggest benefits of mosaic tile is that it’s available in an almost never-ending variety. You can easily find just about every popular shape available in this format from basic squares, and rectangular subway tiles to those which are more complicated such as arabesque and hexagon mosaic tile.

They also come in all of the colors and materials that larger tiles do. Many tile choices actually combine multiple materials in each mosaic sheet. For example, metal and glass are popular choices and so are stone and glass mosaic tile. But there are many other combinations. To add to the variety, you can also find mosaic options available in all tile patterns. However, unlike with bigger tiles, mosaics already have each tile pre-positioned in the mesh sheet according to the specific layout.

Where And How It’s Used

The smaller size of mosaic tile makes it a popular choice for floor areas that are not as expansive, such as halls and entryways. They are often used in kitchens on floors, walls, and backsplashes. You’ll also see them commonly used in bathrooms and showers. The fact that mosaic floor tile has many more grout lines than tiles of bigger sizes makes it a smart choice for bathroom and shower floors in particular.

That’s because the extra grout lines help to add grip. And in wet and slippery conditions grip can help to prevent accidents. Because there are so many different material choices, exactly where mosaic tile can be used will depend on the specific material that the tiles are made from.

Start Shopping for Mosaic Tile!