| 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 or marble floor. 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 are normally made of remnants and broken sheets of larger tile and then further broken into even smaller pieces of11/2 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/ |
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| This is your source for detailed information on the unique and exotic world of marble tile, polished marble tile and tumbled marble tile. Both are perfect for creating a marble floor or marble back splash in the kitchen, bathroom or any floor or patio. |
| Marble Mosaic Tile |
