| Tumbled Marble Mosaic |
About Tumbled Marble
This is your source for detailed information on
the unique and exotic world of tumbled marble
tiles and polished marble tiles. Both are
perfect for creating a marble floor or marble
back splash in the kitchen, bathroom or any
floor or patio.
Tumbled marble tile and polished marble tile
are typically manufactured from 3/8" larger
slabs of tile. Depending on the style of tile
chosen the methods of manufacturing vary
greatly. The key to this from a design
standpoint is whether having a product that is
machine produced or hand made has
relevance to the project. Although the products
differ in layout, square versus interlocking,
because of the nature of the product layout
both produces a seamless field.
Polished tiles are typically not formed from
broken mosaics. They are usually uniformly
cut into 1"x 1" squares that are then glued onto
12" x 12" mesh mounted tile backings. This is
an automated process and as such produces
a very uniform result. The tiles typically have a
1/16" separation between the tile squares and
to maintain a seamless look that separation
should be used between the full tile sheets. It
is possible to use larger tile spacers but that
may compromise the integrity of the look for a
tumbled marble flooring.
Tumbled marble mosaic tile begin life in a hectic manner. They are normally made of remnants and broken sheets
of larger tile and then further broken into even smaller pieces of 11/2 to 3 inch pieces. Then the pieces are placed in
a tumbler which rotates the tiles with an abrasive which softens all sharp ends and bevels all the edges so there
are no rough areas exposed. These pieces are then hand puzzled onto a 12 x 12 inch interlocking mesh backing. It
is critical that installers do not use any spacers otherwise the seamless concept will be compromised.
There are many sources of tumbled and polished marbles made into the mosaic tiles. The most common are
Italian marbles, Egyptian marbles and Indonesian marbles. The latter is the most cost effective and readily
available. They are all stunning when installed and depending on whether you go with tumbled marble or polished
marble you can achieve a modern and clean esthetic with a hint of old world charm and the always consistent
beauty of natural stone.
Finally, the biggest concern for many is how easy or complicated is the installation. Like the pebble tiles, the
application is very straight forward. The biggest key is making sure the tiles interlock or that the seam lines are less
than 1/16". The other important point is cleaning the excess grout off the installation so that the individual pieces
stand out.
For information and purchasing details try: www.naturalstoneoutlet.com/Flatrock.html
of larger tile and then further broken into even smaller pieces of 11/2 to 3 inch pieces. Then the pieces are placed in
a tumbler which rotates the tiles with an abrasive which softens all sharp ends and bevels all the edges so there
are no rough areas exposed. These pieces are then hand puzzled onto a 12 x 12 inch interlocking mesh backing. It
is critical that installers do not use any spacers otherwise the seamless concept will be compromised.
There are many sources of tumbled and polished marbles made into the mosaic tiles. The most common are
Italian marbles, Egyptian marbles and Indonesian marbles. The latter is the most cost effective and readily
available. They are all stunning when installed and depending on whether you go with tumbled marble or polished
marble you can achieve a modern and clean esthetic with a hint of old world charm and the always consistent
beauty of natural stone.
Finally, the biggest concern for many is how easy or complicated is the installation. Like the pebble tiles, the
application is very straight forward. The biggest key is making sure the tiles interlock or that the seam lines are less
than 1/16". The other important point is cleaning the excess grout off the installation so that the individual pieces
stand out.
For information and purchasing details try: www.naturalstoneoutlet.com/Flatrock.html
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