Specialty Tile

Mosaics

Any grid of smallish tiles that work together to create a whole is a mosaic. In some mosaics, the tiles function like the pixels of a digital image, creating a mural effect. Other mosaics are composed of an eye-catching pattern of colors. Even a field of like-colored squares is considered a mosaic if the tiles are 3 inches or smaller.

You’ll find mosaics made of virtually any tile material, from glazed ceramic to natural stone, colored glass to metal, or combinations thereof. And the tiles or a mosaic aren’t always square. They can be hexagons, rectangles, circles, random shards, or even the shapes of little fish or vegetables. The more irregular the shapes, the thicker the grout lines likely have to be. Tiny, opaque glass mosaics are particularly popular now, as are mixed textures – smooth glass with rough stone, for example. Another intriguing look is that of a river rock mosaic of whole round stones, an inch or two in diameter, packed tightly and grouted.

Almost all mosaics are sold already assembled on a mesh, paper, or rubber backing, typically as 12-by-12-inch squares, making installation not much more difficult for standard tiles. Some prefab mosaics are specially designed as borders or inlays for floors. Of course, you can also use individual tiles to create a custom mosaic in any artistic pattern you can dream up.

Decorative

Retailers use this term for highly ornamental tiles – anything beyond the basics. A decorative tile might be brightly colored, painted with an image or pattern, filigreed, embossed, or otherwise textured. It might even be encaustic tile, with an embossed decorative pattern filled with clays of different colors (a process invented by 12th-century Cistercian monks).

Use decorative tiles en masse to create striking focal points, or sparingly as accents to dress up a field of simpler tiles. Either method is an effective way to create something special when you’re tiling on a budget.
Trim Pieces

Trim tiles are the solutions to three-dimensional problems: the edges and corners of tile jobs. Bullnose tiles provide a finished edge where a tile field ends, chair rails offer a cap for the top edge of a tile wainscot, and V-caps finish all the edges of countertops. Baseboards are the finishing touch where walls meet floors, while corner pieces are used for outer and inner corners of walls, fireplaces, and outer complex surfaces. You may also find crown moldings, picture frames, and any number of other useful shapes.

Some tile lines include matching trim. Others come in limited configurations, while still others are available only in  field tiles. If you’re using tiles that have no matching trim pieces, look for complementary trim from another line.