A Grout Tip for Glass Mosaics

This innovative product might just be the solution to all your mosaic tile grouting dilemmas!

Photo Credit: Frances Green (Flickr)

A while back, I shared a handy guide here to help you pick the perfect grout color for a mosaic piece. There are usually two options to select from while selecting the grout for any sort of tiles:

• Blend in
• Stand Out

In case you don’t wish for the grout lines to stand out and want it to have a blending effect with the tiles instead, your best bet is to go with a grout color that very closely matched the primary color of your tiles. This way the tile or mosaic pattern would be less visible and the completed installation would have a uniform look. On the other hand, if you want to emphasize the grout lines and the mosaic pattern you can always go bold with a contrasting color for the grout. This will make the tile pattern stand out.

It’s a whole different story with multi-colored mosaics. Generally a mosaic design has five of more different colored tesserae on a single sheet.

In some cases all the colors are from the same color family, like a random mixing of different shades of blue in swimming pool. In other instances the contrast between different mosaic tiles is greater and the colors belong to different color families, e.g. mosaic scenery featuring colorful feathered birds in a garden backdrop. There ought to be another way to go when one is faced grout color dilemmas like these, right?

Well, lucky for you there is a third option! Fret not if you just ordered yourself a custom designed colorful glass mosaic mural and can’t decide on what grout to use with it. Stuck with some gorgeous bathroom tiles that just don’t seem to go right with any of the grout choices available to you? That’s alright there’s an inventive third option that will go perfectly with any mosaic. 

The answer to all mosaic enthusiasts’ prayers is the revolutionary CLEAR EPOXY GROUT. Some of the best commercially available transparent grout products are Mapesil AC/LM 999 by MAPEI and Fillgel by Bisazza (this one is only available in translucent options). 

What so special about this transparent grout you ask, well, here are some obvious advantages of the clear epoxy over the regular opaque variants:

• It blends in charmingly with any and all sorts of glass mosaic tiles and colors
• It gorgeously reflects the color from tile in the mosaic
• It has a special glossy finish and shining feel to it, which isn’t achievable by other grouting alternates
• It spectacularly adds another dimension to the installation unlike the flat opaque cement or epoxy grout

MEC Glass Wallpaper Series: Blue Lotus

·         Clear Epoxy is easy-to-clean and there are mold resistant variants available as well 

We have been using this clear grouting option in several of our clients’ projects since we stumbled upon it for the first time a few years back. It always adds a brilliant seamless effect to the mosaic piece whether it is a mural, portrait or a shower area wall covering. We here at MEC have heard nothing but positive feedback regarding this particular choice of grout. Many architects and contractors prefer this option over the regular grouting and recommend it to several of their customers.    

Now that you’re aware of this neat little trick, maybe you could benefit from it the next time you or a friend decides to adorn a surface with beautiful mosaic tiles. You won’t regret it, we promise!   

NOTE: Get the mosaic tiles installed by a professional tile installed for a fine finish.