Photo 1: Tile mats Mosaic tiles grey with natural stone look
Mosaic Stones
Mosaic stones or mosaic tiles are ideal for walls and floors in the toilet or bathroom. We are also seeing mosaic tiles increasingly being used as a backsplash in the kitchen, wainscoting in the hallway, or even on living room walls.
Mosaic offers endless possibilities. You can create beautiful color nuances, patterns, and true works of art. Mosaic provides a lively, elegant, and luxurious appearance. Moreover, mosaic can be perfectly applied to different surfaces, and round shapes or corners are no problem.
Disadvantages of Mosaic Tiles
Despite the fact that we are huge fans of mosaic tiles, they also have disadvantages. The biggest disadvantage is that mosaic stones often need to be laid by a professional. Due to the enormous number of small tiles, placing mosaic tiles is very time-consuming. The meter keeps running, and you often spend a fortune by the time the job is done.
Photo 2: Real Mosaic in bathroom made of loose stones
Mosaic Tile Mats
To solve the problem described above, mosaic tile mats have been developed. You buy ready-made pieces of mosaic in tile formats, often 30x30cm. Small mosaic tiles are glued to a plastic mat, creating flexible tile mats.
Different Types of Tile Mats
Various types of tile mats are available. In principle, you can, of course, glue all kinds of materials to a flexible mat and sell them as a tile mat. However, the most common tile mats are made of real ceramic stones or baked porcelain. There are also variants with glass stones or natural stone tiles.
CERAMIC MOSAIC TILE MATS
Tile mats made of ceramic tiles are ideal for areas that get wet and/or dirty. Places such as the kitchen, bathroom, and toilet are susceptible to stains from water, limescale, food residues, and more.
Ceramic is rock-hard and waterproof. Moisture and dirt do not penetrate the tiles, and they are easy to clean with soapy water. Ceramic tiles are available in many sizes, shapes, and colors, both matte and glossy.
Ceramic, or baked porcelain, is wear-resistant, stain-resistant, scratch-resistant, and easy to keep clean, which reduces the chances of mold or limescale formation.
Photo 3: Tile mat of ceramic tiles in hexagon shape
NATURAL STONE TILE MATS
Natural stone tile mats are perfect for people who love the robust and natural look that natural stone brings. With natural stone mosaic mats, you create an attractive and characteristic ambiance.
Because natural stone is a natural product, it is not available in an infinite number of options. For example, you can find tile mats with marble tiles, slate strips, travertine, flattened pebbles, Belgian or Chinese bluestone, or other types of stone.
Natural stone tile mats are less suitable for the bathroom, kitchen, and toilet because natural stone is susceptible to stains and scratches. However, you can use imitation natural stone tile mats in these areas. Mosaic mats made of natural stone tiles are very suitable for wainscoting in the hallway or cladding a wall in the living room.
Another option is tile mats made of broken natural stone. Instead of neat straight pieces of natural stone being glued to mats, robust broken stones are used. This somewhat resembles Flagstone tiles that we often see outdoors.
Also, check out our range of wall tiles for 1001 applications at the tile dealer.
Photo 4: Tile mat made of flattened pebbles
Photo 5: Bathtub covered with broken natural stone mosaic
GLASS TILE MATS
Glass comes in many colors, dull or glossy, clear or not. All colors of the rainbow are available and can also be perfectly combined for fun mosaic mix tiles. Glass mosaic and glass mosaic tile mats are often seen in bathhouses, swimming pools, saunas, bathrooms, and toilets. Glass is extremely hard, easy to clean, and wear-resistant.
Photo 5: Tile mats made of glass stones
Advantages of tile mats
LESS WORK AND LOWER COSTS THAN MOSAIC
Unlike real mosaic, it is not necessary to apply all the small stones one by one. You can use ready-made mats of 30x30cm, 40x40cm, 20x40cm, and other sizes, which can save you a lot of time and money.
TILE MATS ARE FLEXIBLE AND HANDY FOR ROUND SHAPES
Tile mats are literally flexible. Just like a sheet of paper, a tile mat can undulate. This allows you to use tile mats perfectly for round surfaces. Easily place mosaic mats on curved shower walls or a round bathtub.
PLACING TILE MATS OVER EXISTING TILES
Mosaic is very thin. Often, mosaic mats are no thicker than half a centimeter. This allows you to place them perfectly over existing tiled floors or walls without losing a lot of space or interfering with doors and thresholds.
TILE MATS FOR ANTI-SLIP
Because tile mats consist of many small stones or tiles, there are also many grout lines. This is very useful for a bathroom floor, toilet floor, kitchen floor, swimming pool, or other areas where it can become wet and slippery. Due to all the grout lines, the surface becomes rough. Grouting is usually done with a cement-based or resin-based grout, which are anti-slip.
TILE MATS ARE AVAILABLE IN ENDLESS VARIETIES
Whatever colors, materials, or patterns you like, there is a tile mat to match your style. You can choose glass, ceramic, natural stone, or even wood. For every living style, from industrial to hotel-chic, there is a suitable tile mat to be found.
Photo 6: Bathroom wall covered with beige ceramic tile mats
Disadvantages of tile mats
A LOT OF GROUTING WORK WITH TILE MATS
Just like with loose mosaic stones, tile mats involve a lot of grout lines. While this is good for the slip resistance of your bathroom floor, it creates a lot of work during installation. Tile mats also need to be grouted.
CLEANING TILE MATS
Although the stones or tiles of tile mats are very easy to clean, you have to put in a little more effort with the grout lines. Tile mats have many grout lines, and you need to keep these grout lines clean. In the kitchen, grease or food residues can get into the grout lines. In the bathroom, it is often limescale that you suffer from. Make sure you regularly clean these grout lines so that everything continues to look spick and span.
TILE MATS / MOSAIC MATS ARE NOT CHEAP
Tile mats are more expensive than regular wall tiles or floor tiles. Naturally, more work goes into making a tile mat than a single tile. Also, costly materials such as natural stone, ceramic, and glass are not very cheap. However, these materials are extremely durable. Quality comes with a price.
Inspiration for tile mats
Now that you know the advantages and disadvantages of tile mats or mosaic mats, you know if they are for you. Perhaps you will choose these beautiful tile mats in a ceramic variant or with natural stone tiles. Or will you opt for tile mats with glass stones.
