Search Results for: rough cuts

Morjo ™ 12mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile LOOSE 1/2 LB

Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile 12mm

This color of 12mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile by MORJO ™ is now being sold loose by the 1/2 pound (approximately 185+ pieces), which covers slightly over 1/3 of a square foot with a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. These tiles have a glossy finish, and the glass has solid color throughout (and not just on the tops or bottoms.) They are opaque when mounted on an opaque surface.

Morjo 12mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile cut cleanly into tiny pieces with minimal waste, because of this they are an ideal material for micromosaic artwork. They are hard, durable and UV-resistant. Because of this they can be used for the exteriors of commercial buildings. The fusing process for making these tiles from powdered recycled glass is referred to as “warm glass” or “enamel glass” or “pate de verre.” Mounting grids are available.

Morjo 1/2-Inch Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile

  • tile size: ~1/2 inch (12mm)
  • thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm)
  • sales unit: 1/2 pound loose tile (about 185+ pieces).
  • material: glass
  • variety: recycled glass
  • pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
  • durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
  • usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use

Coverage

Each 1/2-pound bag of about 185+ tiles covers 1/3 of a square foot assuming a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your grouted project.

Grout Gap?

Note that dry indoor mosaics do not have to be grouted (and thus you can simply mount the tiles tightly together), but outdoor and wet mosaics must have grout to prevent water from penetrating behind the tiles. The best way to ensure that the gaps between the tiles is to leave a 1/16-inch gap instead of pressing them tightly together, and this point seems counterintuitive to some people. Consider this: you can never mount them so closely together that water can’t penetrate it, but you can accidentally put them so close that grout doesn’t get adequately pressed into the crack during the grouting process.

Compatibility

These tiles have a NOMINAL thickness of 1/8 inch (4mm), which is the same nominal thickness as most of the glass tile we sell. All tile varies by batch, but any variance in thickness should be irrelevant to most users. You can use these with other brands of recycled glass and even vitreous glass, although the graininess of some vitreous colors might not look good when combined with the homogeneous glassiness of recycled glass tiles.

Cutting Morjo 12mm Glass Mosaic Tile

The MORJO brand cuts like butter into tiny pieces using a pair of Mosaic Glass Cutters. You can make tiny cubes without a lot slivers or cutting waste. This makes them ideal for micromosaic or rendering small details in larger work.

How To Make Mosaics

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or cutting and grouting tile, please see our Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions page or our How To Mosaic blog or our Mosaic Information Guide.

Unglazed Porcelain Mosaic Tile CHUNKY 15mm

Unglazed Porcelain Mosaic Tile CHUNKY 15mm

Unglazed Porcelain Mosaic Tile CHUNKY 15mm are over 5/16 inch thick and sold loose in bags of 1/2 kg, which is approximately 130 to 150 pieces. These are fine porcelain with solid color throughout. Raw, unpolished. The corners and edges are sharp. They will more naturally match the edges of any cuts you need to make, but you should smooth sharp exposed corners with the fine side of a marble file for safety reasons. These tiles and very hard and durable, but they can be cut with our Compound Tile Nipper.

Never Install Tile in Batches

Tile varies by manufacturer batch, and sometimes a color will go out of stock for an extended period if the manufacturer isn’t making it. You should never install tile before you are sure that you have all the tile you need. You could attempt to order more and find that the manufacturer has changed the color or discontinued it.

Product Coverage

Some colors are sold loose in 1/2-kg bags of approximately 130 to 150 tiles. Assuming a standard grout gap of approximately 1/16 inch, a bag of 1/2 kg will cover 60 square inches or 0.4 square inches. To cover 1 square foot, you will need about 3 bags. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your project.

Compatibility

For best results, these should only be used with thick ceramic and stone tiles instead of most glass. These tiles are 8mm thick, which is twice the thickness of most of the glass mosaic tile we sell. If you mount these on a flat surface alongside 4mm thick glass mosaic tile, then the glass would be recessed significantly, which might not look right because the corner edges of the porcelain tiles are pretty crisp (not rounded).

Use With Glass Tile

There is a way to use these with thinner materials, and that is to temporarily face mount the pieces on mounting tape or mounting paper and then press the sheet of tile into a bed of thinset mortar. The extra mortar beneath the thin glass tile will contract (or “thin”) as it hardens (“sets”), and that means the glass tile would still be recessed some compared to the thicker porcelain tile.

The unglazed porcelain is not glossy like glass, so there would be differences in sheen or finish between the two materials, but that is not necessarily a negative thing.

Cutting Porcelain Tile

This product is not soft like most glazed ceramic tile. Porcelain is extremely hard, but it can be cut. Our Compound Tile Nipper is the recommended tool for hard materials like stone and porcelain. A Marble File is also required for smoothing the edges of cuts and shaping the pieces. Corners can be sharp because this material is very hard. Exposed corners should be rounded with the file for safety reasons.

Unglazed Porcelain Mosaic Tile CHUNKY 15mm

  • sold by 1/2 kg, which is approximately 130 to 150 pieces.
  • fine porcelain with solid color throughout.
  • crisp edges, which more naturally matches cut edges.
  • Each tile is 15 mm x 15 mm x 8 mm thick (approximately 9/16 inch x 9/16 inch x 5/16 inch)
  • Coverage: 1/2 kg will cover 0.4 square feet when using a standard grout gap of approximately 1/16 inch.
  • Frost-proof, impervious to liquid.
  • Suitable for indoor or outdoor use.

IMPORTANT INSTALLATION TIPS

For architectural installations, the manufacturer recommends that the porcelain tile be installed with a latex-modified thin set mortar instead of glue. For dry indoor mosaics, we use Weldbond glue.

Porcelain is essentially non-porous and impervious to moisture, and so it is supposedly not stained by grouting, but we have noticed discrete pits and divots in the surface of the tile that can be filled with grout. For this reason, we recommend using GROUT RELEASE (from a building materials store) on the mosaic before grouting:

  1. Mount the tiles to the surface to be covered.
  2. Use a rag or small artists paint brush to apply GROUT RELEASE to the face of the tiles.
  3. Take care not to drip excess GROUT RELEASE in between the tiles or down the sides of the tiles or any place grout will need to bond.

How To Make Mosaic Art

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or mounting, cutting, and grouting tile, please see our page of Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions or our Mosaic Information Guide, which lists instructional pages described by topic. We also post new articles about making mosaics at our How to Mosaic Blog.

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12mm IRIDESCENT Assortment Morjo™ Glass Tile 1-lb LOOSE

Morjo 12mm Recycled Glass Iridescent AssortmentIRIDESCENT ASSORTMENT of Morjo ™ 12mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile is sold LOOSE by the pound, which is different from the individual colors. This 1-POUND should have about 320+ loose tiles. The tiles have a glossy finish, and the glass has solid color throughout (and not just on the tops or bottoms.) They are opaque when mounted on an opaque surface. These wonderful tiles cut cleanly into tiny pieces with minimal waste, and so they are an ideal material for micromosaic artwork. They are hard and durable and UV-resistant and can be used for the exteriors of commercial buildings. The fusing process for making these tiles from powdered recycled glass is referred to as “warm glass” or “enamel glass” or “pate de verre.” Mounting grids are available.

IRIDESCENT Assortment 12mm Morjo™ Glass Tile 1-lb

  • tile size: ~1/2 inch (12mm)
  • thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm), but runs slightly thicker than most other brands nominally 4mm. Can be used in the same mosaics.
  • sales unit: 1 pound, which is approximately 320+ LOOSE pieces.
  • material: glass
  • variety: recycled glass
  • pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
  • finish: IRIDESCENT
  • durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
  • usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use

Coverage

One pound (~320 tiles) covers 91 square inches or 0.6 square feet assuming a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. You need about 508 tiles (1.6 pounds) to cover one square foot assuming a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. You need about 645 tiles (2 pounds) for a square foot assuming no grout gap. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your grouted project.

Grout Gap?

Note that dry indoor mosaics do not have to be grouted (and thus you can simply mount the tiles tightly together), but outdoor and wet mosaics must have grout to prevent water from penetrating behind the tiles. The best way to ensure that the gaps between the tiles is to leave a 1/16-inch gap instead of pressing them tightly together, and this point seems counterintuitive to some people. Consider this: you can never mount them so closely together that water can’t penetrate it, but you can accidentally put them so close that grout doesn’t get adequately pressed into the crack during the grouting process.

Compatibility

These tiles have a NOMINAL thickness of 1/8 inch (4mm), which is the same nominal thickness as most of the glass tile we sell, but these run slightly thicker by a hair.

Cutting Morjo 12mm Glass Mosaic Tile

The MORJO brand cuts like butter into tiny pieces using a pair of Mosaic Glass Cutters. You can make tiny cubes without a lot slivers or cutting waste. This makes them ideal for micromosaic or rendering small details in larger work.

Use in Mosaic Art

The color palette of the Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile is rich in hue and tint, and this makes it a professional rendering tool suitable for portaiture and murals. The 12mm (~1/2 inch) size is sufficiently large for conventional applications, but the material cuts very cleanly into small pieces that can be used for micromosaic artwork.

Morjo ™ 12mm IRIDESCENT Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile

Morjo 12mm Iridescent Recycled Glass Tile ISO 900px

12mm Iridescent Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile by MORJO Mosaic Tile™ are sold on removable paper sheets of 49 tiles glued face down with chalky-backs showing. (Remove by paper and chalky mold release by soaking for about 1/2 hour.) Each sheet covers approximately 1/11 of a square foot assuming a grout gap of 1/16 inch. These tiles have a glossy finish, and the glass has solid color throughout (and not just on the tops or bottoms.) Opaque when mounted on an opaque surface. Back sides are chalky, but they wash clean when the paper is soaked off the faces. More details below:

Chalky backs of tile
Chalky BACKS of tile are showing. The faces are nice and glossy, but they come face down on the removable paper sheets. Soak the tiles for about a half hour to remove the paper.

These wonderful tiles cut cleanly into tiny pieces with minimal waste, and so they are an ideal material for micromosaic artwork. They are hard and durable and UV-resistant and can be used for the exteriors of commercial buildings. The fusing process for making these tiles from powdered recycled glass is referred to as “warm glass” or “enamel glass” or “pate de verre.” Mounting grids are available.

Soaking To Remove Paper

Soaking to remove paper is NOT extra work! Why not? Because you should always rinse loose tile to remove glass dust created during shipment. These tiles are glued with starch glue, which turns to jelly in water and is rinsed away. Please do not order if that is a problem. These are a premium material intended for artists wanting the best colors at a competitive price. Soak for less than 1/2 hour to avoid turning the paper to pulp.

White Chalk on Bottoms

There is factory chalk on the bottoms of the tiles, which rinses off easily in the soaking process. The tiles look as photographed on our website once soaked free of the paper.

Morjo 1/2-Inch Iridescent Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile

  • tile size: ~1/2 inch (12mm)
  • thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm), but runs slightly thicker than most other brands nominally 4mm
  • sales unit: 49 tiles temporarily mounted face down on paper.
  • sheet size: 3.625 x 3.625 inches (~1/11 square foot).
  • material: glass
  • variety: recycled glass
  • pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
  • durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
  • usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use

Coverage

Each sheet of 49 tiles is 3.625 inch x 3.625 inch and covers 1/11 of a square foot assuming a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your grouted project. For no grout gap, you will need about 13.2 sheets to cover each square foot.

Grout Gap?

Note that dry indoor mosaics do not have to be grouted (and thus you can simply mount the tiles tightly together), but outdoor and wet mosaics must have grout to prevent water from penetrating behind the tiles. The best way to ensure that the gaps between the tiles is to leave a 1/16-inch gap instead of pressing them tightly together, and this point seems counterintuitive to some people. Consider this: you can never mount them so closely together that water can’t penetrate it, but you can accidentally put them so close that grout doesn’t get adequately pressed into the crack during the grouting process.

Compatibility

These tiles have a NOMINAL thickness of 1/8 inch (4mm), which is the same nominal thickness as most of the glass tile we sell, but these run slightly thicker than Elementile and vitreous.

Cutting Morjo 12mm Glass Mosaic Tile

The MORJO brand cuts like butter into tiny pieces using a pair of Mosaic Glass Cutters. You can make tiny cubes without a lot slivers or cutting waste. This makes them ideal for micromosaic or rendering small details in larger work.

Use in Mosaic Art

The color palette of the Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile is rich in hue and tint, and this makes it a professional rendering tool suitable for portaiture and murals. The 12mm (~1/2 inch) size is sufficiently large for conventional applications, but the material cuts very cleanly into small pieces that can be used for micromosaic artwork.

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Morjo ™ 8mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile

8mm recycled glass mosaic tile Morjo brand

8mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile by MORJO Mosaic Tile™ are sold on removable paper sheets of 100 tiles glued face down with chalky-backs showing. (Remove paper and chalky mold release by soaking for about 1/2 hour.) Each sheet covers approximately 1/12 of a square foot assuming a grout gap of ~1/32 inch. These tiles have a glossy finish, and the glass has solid color throughout (not just on the tops or bottoms.) Opaque when mounted on an opaque surface. Back sides are chalky, but they wash clean when the paper is soaked off the faces. More details below:

Chalky BACKS of tile are showing. The faces are nice and glossy, but they come face down on the removable paper sheets. Soak the tiles for about a half hour to remove the paper.

These wonderful tiles cut cleanly into tiny pieces with minimal waste, so they are an ideal material for micromosaic artwork. They are hard and durable and UV-resistant and can be used for the exteriors of commercial buildings. The fusing process for making these tiles from powdered recycled glass is referred to as “warm glass” or “enamel glass” or “pate de verre.” Mounting grids are available.

Soaking To Remove Paper

Soaking to remove paper is NOT extra work! Why not? Because you should always rinse loose tile to remove glass dust created during shipment. These tiles are glued with starch glue, which turns to jelly in water and is rinsed away. Please do not order if that is a problem. These are a premium material intended for artists wanting the best colors at a competitive price. Soak for less than 1/2 hour to avoid turning the paper to pulp.

White Chalk on Bottoms

There is factory chalk on the bottoms of the tiles, which rinses off easily in the soaking process. The tiles look as photographed on our website once soaked free of the paper.

Using Sheets? WARNING

These are mounted on paper, but the spacing isn’t perfect due to the small size of the tile, which could be an issue if you are mounting whole sheets to cover areas. DO NOT ORDER IF THAT IS A PROBLEM FOR YOUR PROJECT. All that being said, you could pull off any tiles that aren’t exactly in line and mount those later, which is the standard method for dealing with irregularities in sheet-mounted tile. We recommend using larger tiles for covering architectural surfaces.

Morjo 5/16-Inch Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile

  • tile size: 8mm (~5/16 inch)
  • thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm), but runs slightly thicker than most other brands nominally 4mm. Can be used with other brands.
  • sales unit: 100 tiles temporarily mounted face down on paper.
  • sheet size: 3.5 x 3.5 inches (~1/12 square foot).
  • material: glass
  • variety: recycled glass
  • pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
  • durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
  • usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use

Coverage

Each sheet of 100 tiles is a little over 3.5 inch x 3.5 inch and covers approximately 1/12 of a square foot assuming a standard grout gap of 1/32 inch. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your grouted project. For no grout gap, you will need about 11.8 sheets to cover each square foot.

Grout Gap?

Note that dry indoor mosaics do not have to be grouted (and thus you can simply mount the tiles tightly together), but outdoor and wet mosaics must have grout to prevent water from penetrating behind the tiles. The best way to ensure that the gaps between the tiles is to leave a 1/32-inch gap instead of pressing them tightly together, and this point seems counterintuitive to some people. Consider this: you can never mount them so closely together that water can’t penetrate it, but you can accidentally put them so close that grout doesn’t get adequately pressed into the crack during the grouting process.

Compatibility

These tiles have a NOMINAL thickness of 1/8 inch (4mm), which is the same nominal thickness as most of the glass tile we sell, but these run slightly thicker than Elementile and vitreous. Most users won’t notice the difference. These can be used with other brands of tile that is nominally 4mm thick.

Cutting Morjo 8mm Glass Mosaic Tile

The MORJO brand cuts like butter into tiny pieces using a pair of Mosaic Glass Cutters. You can make tiny cubes without a lot slivers or cutting waste. This makes them ideal for micromosaic or rendering small details in larger work.

Use in Mosaic Art

The color palette of the Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile is rich in hue and tint, and this makes it a professional rendering tool suitable for portraiture and murals. The material cuts very cleanly into small pieces that can be used for micromosaic artwork.

Quickly Order Using Checkist

Enter some quantities and click our new time-saving button for “Add All to Cart” at the top or bottom of the list.

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Multicolor Assortment 12mm Morjo™ Glass Tile 1-lb LOOSE

Morjo 12mm Recycled Glass Tile AssortmentMULTICOLOR ASSORTMENT of Morjo ™ 12mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile is sold LOOSE by the pound, which is different from the individual colors. This 1-POUND should have about 320+ loose tiles. The tiles have a glossy finish, and the glass has solid color throughout (and not just on the tops or bottoms.) They are opaque when mounted on an opaque surface. These wonderful tiles cut cleanly into tiny pieces with minimal waste, and so they are an ideal material for micromosaic artwork. They are hard and durable and UV-resistant and can be used for the exteriors of commercial buildings. The fusing process for making these tiles from powdered recycled glass is referred to as “warm glass” or “enamel glass” or “pate de verre.” Mounting grids are available.

Multicolor Assortment 12mm Morjo™ Glass Tile 1-lb

  • tile size: ~1/2 inch (12mm)
  • thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm), but runs slightly thicker than most other brands nominally 4mm. Can be used in the same mosaics.
  • sales unit: 1 pound, which is approximately 320+ LOOSE pieces.
  • material: glass
  • variety: recycled glass
  • pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
  • durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
  • usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use

Coverage

One pound (~320 tiles) covers 91 square inches or 0.6 square feet assuming a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. You need about 508 tiles (1.6 pounds) to cover one square foot assuming a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. You need about 645 tiles (2 pounds) for a square foot assuming no grout gap. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your grouted project.

Grout Gap?

Note that dry indoor mosaics do not have to be grouted (and thus you can simply mount the tiles tightly together), but outdoor and wet mosaics must have grout to prevent water from penetrating behind the tiles. The best way to ensure that the gaps between the tiles is to leave a 1/16-inch gap instead of pressing them tightly together, and this point seems counterintuitive to some people. Consider this: you can never mount them so closely together that water can’t penetrate it, but you can accidentally put them so close that grout doesn’t get adequately pressed into the crack during the grouting process.

Compatibility

These tiles have a NOMINAL thickness of 1/8 inch (4mm), which is the same nominal thickness as most of the glass tile we sell, but these run slightly thicker by a hair.

Cutting Morjo 12mm Glass Mosaic Tile

The MORJO brand cuts like butter into tiny pieces using a pair of Mosaic Glass Cutters. You can make tiny cubes without a lot slivers or cutting waste. This makes them ideal for micromosaic or rendering small details in larger work.

Use in Mosaic Art

The color palette of the Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile is rich in hue and tint, and this makes it a professional rendering tool suitable for portaiture and murals. The 12mm (~1/2 inch) size is sufficiently large for conventional applications, but the material cuts very cleanly into small pieces that can be used for micromosaic artwork.

Morjo ™ 12mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile

Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile 12mm

12mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile by MORJO Mosaic Tile™ are sold on removable paper sheets of 49 tiles glued face down with chalky-backs showing. (Remove by paper and chalky mold release by soaking for about 1/2 hour.) Each sheet covers approximately 1/11 of a square foot assuming a grout gap of 1/16 inch. These tiles have a glossy finish, and the glass has solid color throughout (and not just on the tops or bottoms.) Opaque when mounted on an opaque surface. Back sides are chalky, but they wash clean when the paper is soaked off the faces. More details below:

Chalky backs of tile
Chalky BACKS of tile are showing. The faces are nice and glossy, but they come face down on the removable paper sheets. Soak the tiles for about a half hour to remove the paper.

These wonderful tiles cut cleanly into tiny pieces with minimal waste, and so they are an ideal material for micromosaic artwork. They are hard and durable and UV-resistant and can be used for the exteriors of commercial buildings. The fusing process for making these tiles from powdered recycled glass is referred to as “warm glass” or “enamel glass” or “pate de verre.” Mounting grids are available.

Soaking To Remove Paper

Soaking to remove paper is NOT extra work! Why not? Because you should always rinse loose tile to remove glass dust created during shipment. These tiles are glued with starch glue, which turns to jelly in water and is rinsed away. Please do not order if that is a problem. These are a premium material intended for artists wanting the best colors at a competitive price. Soak for less than 1/2 hour to avoid turning the paper to pulp.

White Chalk on Bottoms

There is factory chalk on the bottoms of the tiles, which rinses off easily in the soaking process. The tiles look as photographed on our website once soaked free of the paper.

Morjo 1/2-Inch Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile

  • tile size: ~1/2 inch (12mm)
  • thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm), but runs slightly thicker than most other brands nominally 4mm
  • sales unit: 49 tiles temporarily mounted face down on paper.
  • sheet size: 3.625 x 3.625 inches (~1/11 square foot).
  • material: glass
  • variety: recycled glass
  • pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
  • durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
  • usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use

Coverage

Each sheet of 49 tiles is 3.625 inch x 3.625 inch and covers 1/11 of a square foot assuming a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your grouted project. For no grout gap, you will need about 13.2 sheets to cover each square foot.

Grout Gap?

Note that dry indoor mosaics do not have to be grouted (and thus you can simply mount the tiles tightly together), but outdoor and wet mosaics must have grout to prevent water from penetrating behind the tiles. The best way to ensure that the gaps between the tiles is to leave a 1/16-inch gap instead of pressing them tightly together, and this point seems counterintuitive to some people. Consider this: you can never mount them so closely together that water can’t penetrate it, but you can accidentally put them so close that grout doesn’t get adequately pressed into the crack during the grouting process.

Compatibility

These tiles have a NOMINAL thickness of 1/8 inch (4mm), which is the same nominal thickness as most of the glass tile we sell, but these run slightly thicker than Elementile and vitreous.

Cutting Morjo 12mm Glass Mosaic Tile

The MORJO brand cuts like butter into tiny pieces using a pair of Mosaic Glass Cutters. You can make tiny cubes without a lot slivers or cutting waste. This makes them ideal for micromosaic or rendering small details in larger work.

Use in Mosaic Art

The color palette of the Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile is rich in hue and tint, and this makes it a professional rendering tool suitable for portaiture and murals. The 12mm (~1/2 inch) size is sufficiently large for conventional applications, but the material cuts very cleanly into small pieces that can be used for micromosaic artwork.

How To Make Mosaics

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or cutting and grouting tile, please see our Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions page or our How To Mosaic blog or our Mosaic Information Guide. ; ;

Morjo Mosaic Tile ™ Sample Board 12mm

12mm Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile by MORJO Mosaic Tile™ are sold on removable paper sheets of 49 tiles glued face down with chalky-backs showing. (Remove by paper and chalky mold release by soaking for about 1/2 hour.) Each sheet covers approximately 1/11 of a square foot assuming a grout gap of 1/16 inch. These tiles have a glossy finish, and the glass has solid color throughout (and not just on the tops or bottoms.) Opaque when mounted on an opaque surface. Back sides are chalky, but they wash clean when the paper is soaked off the faces. More details below:
Chalky backs of tile
Chalky BACKS of tile are showing. The faces are nice and glossy, but they come face down on the removable paper sheets. Soak the tiles for about a half hour to remove the paper.
These wonderful tiles cut cleanly into tiny pieces with minimal waste, and so they are an ideal material for micromosaic artwork. They are hard and durable and UV-resistant and can be used for the exteriors of commercial buildings. The fusing process for making these tiles from powdered recycled glass is referred to as “warm glass” or “enamel glass” or “pate de verre.” Mounting grids are available.

Soaking To Remove Paper

Soaking to remove paper is NOT extra work! Why not? Because you should always rinse loose tile to remove glass dust created during shipment. These tiles are glued with starch glue, which turns to jelly in water and is rinsed away. Please do not order if that is a problem. These are a premium material intended for artists wanting the best colors at a competitive price. Soak for less than 1/2 hour to avoid turning the paper to pulp.

White Chalk on Bottoms

There is factory chalk on the bottoms of the tiles, which rinses off easily in the soaking process. The tiles look as photographed on our website once soaked free of the paper.

Morjo 1/2-Inch Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile

  • tile size: ~1/2 inch (12mm)
  • thickness: 1/8 nominal (4mm), but runs slightly thicker than most other brands nominally 4mm
  • sales unit: 49 tiles temporarily mounted face down on paper.
  • sheet size: 3.625 x 3.625 inches (~1/11 square foot).
  • material: glass
  • variety: recycled glass
  • pigments: colorfast, UV resistant
  • durability: frost-proof, impervious to liquid
  • usage: suitable for indoor and outdoor use

Coverage

Each sheet of 49 tiles is 3.625 inch x 3.625 inch and covers 1/11 of a square foot assuming a standard grout gap of 1/16 inch. Use our tile estimator to calculate how much you need for your grouted project. For no grout gap, you will need about 13.2 sheets to cover each square foot.

Grout Gap?

Note that dry indoor mosaics do not have to be grouted (and thus you can simply mount the tiles tightly together), but outdoor and wet mosaics must have grout to prevent water from penetrating behind the tiles. The best way to ensure that the gaps between the tiles is to leave a 1/16-inch gap instead of pressing them tightly together, and this point seems counterintuitive to some people. Consider this: you can never mount them so closely together that water can’t penetrate it, but you can accidentally put them so close that grout doesn’t get adequately pressed into the crack during the grouting process.

Compatibility

These tiles have a NOMINAL thickness of 1/8 inch (4mm), which is the same nominal thickness as most of the glass tile we sell, but these run slightly thicker than Elementile and vitreous.

Cutting Morjo 12mm Glass Mosaic Tile

The MORJO brand cuts like butter into tiny pieces using a pair of Mosaic Glass Cutters. You can make tiny cubes without a lot slivers or cutting waste. This makes them ideal for micromosaic or rendering small details in larger work.

Use in Mosaic Art

The color palette of the Morjo Recycled Glass Mosaic Tile is rich in hue and tint, and this makes it a professional rendering tool suitable for portaiture and murals. The 12mm (~1/2 inch) size is sufficiently large for conventional applications, but the material cuts very cleanly into small pieces that can be used for micromosaic artwork.

How to hang mosaic art with French Cleat wall mounts

Most mosaic wall art can be mounted on a wall with a simple hangar and wire. However, larger mosaics will need more robust mounting hardware. The “french cleat” is a type of wall moulding that can be used to securely affix heavy mirrors, cabinets or artwork to a wall. In addition to its strength, the french cleat also allows mosaic art to be mounted flush against the wall and makes leveling it easy.

If you built a frame on the back of your mosaic as described in this tutorial, then french cleat moulding is a good hanging option.

"Element" mosaic art
Mosaic art built with a wooden frame structure on the back can be securely mounted flush against a wall using the “french cleat” system.

Preparations and Safety

To make french cleat wall mounts you need a table saw, screwdriver, screws, and a drill. A level and ruler are needed to position the mosaic art properly on the wall. You also want a stud finder.

Proper personal protection equipment (PPE) should be worn when using power tools. Table saws are extremely dangerous, wear a dust mask, safety glasses, and hearing protection when using the table saw. Always have someone help you when using a table saw. Safety glasses and gloves should be worn when using the drill.

If you don’t have much experience with a table saw, don’t try to learn on this project. Instead, you probably know somebody who is a carpenter or who does woodworking in their spare time. Ask them for help, if you tell them it’s for a mosaic art project they will probably think that’s really cool and offer to make the pieces for you, saving you time and preventing any risks. This tutorial is intended for artists who are already familiar with table saws, and who are looking for a solid way to wall-mount a mosaic.

"Energy" mosaic art and two pieces of wood for french cleat wall mount system.
This mosaic is going to get a french cleat attachment on the back. One piece of wood will be affixed to the back of the mosaic and the other will be fastened to the wall.

The two pieces of wood shown above are scraps from when the wood backing was built onto the above mosaic. Cut a corner off of each piece of wood using a 45° angle with the table saw.

table saw set at 45° angle
You can use a table saw to cut a piece of wood to be used for the french cleat.
mosaic art and two pieces of wood for french cleat
Mount one of the pieces to the frame, the other will go on the wall.

Install the French Cleat Moulding

The proper way to affix the moulding is one piece on the wall with the angled side facing up and one piece on the mosaic with the angled side facing down.

french cleat moulding attached to back of mosaic
The first piece of moulding has been affixed to the back of the mosaic.

You can see above the moulding for the mosaic is installed inside the wooden frame. It is placed evenly between the left and right, and flush against the upper frame piece. Another option is to use a wider upper frame piece and cut the corner off of that before making the mitre cuts. That way you only have to do it once.

1 inch screw
These screws are long enough to go through the wood, but not so long that they would go all the way through the CBB and hit the glass.

Use the same screws for the frame’s french cleat moulding as were used for the frame itself. Don’t use deeper screws because you could puncture the mosaic’s surface.

measure to figure out offset for wall side piece of french cleat
The wall side piece of the moulding needs to be set a few inches below the ideal top position of the mosaic.

Once you have the mosaic’s piece installed figure out where on the wall you want the mosaic. Then you’ll need to figure out the vertical offset for the wall piece. In the above example, you can see that the top of the frame is 4.25″ away from the middle of the moulding when it is slid into the mosaic. That means that the screws need to go 4.25″ below the desired height of the top of the mosaic on the wall.

wall side of french cleat
The second piece of moulding should be secured to the studs behind the drywall.

Use a stud finder to locate one or two studs. Lighter mosaics can be affixed to the drywall, but for heavy projects like this it’s good to use the studs themselves and long screws into them. There aren’t any pictures, but after putting this into the wall I added a couple extra screws to the middle of the wood that just went into the drywall. Also, notice the level; make sure things are lined up nicely before permanently attaching the wood to the wall. Once you’ve gotten this far you’re ready to hang the mosaic.

"Energy" mosaic art mounted on wall with french cleat.
“Energy” mosaic plaque by Natalija Moss mounted against the wall with the french cleat system.
mosaic art mounted flush against the wall
“Energy” mosaic art mounted both secure and flush against the wall. If you use a metal frame like this, choose aluminum over steel because it is lighter and easier to work with. Also, be sure to file the corners down to prevent injury if someone walks into it, or secure it high on the wall where it can’t be disturbed.

This mosaic is now secure in place, flush against the wall, and level. For extra tall mosaics hung in this fashion you can add an extra bracket at the bottom with a couple screws hidden behind the frame (if it has one) to prevent the mosaic from falling off the french cleat if it gets bumped by someone.

METALLIC Glass Mosaic Tiles Assortment 3/4-Inch 1 lb

Metallic Glass Mosaic Tiles Assortment 3/4-Inch

Our Metallic Glass Mosaic Tiles Assortment includes all 29 shades of our 3/4-inch Morjo™ Metallic glass tile. These tiles have copper dust swirls and streaks inside the glass for a permanent sparkle. Sold by the pound (approximately 145+ pieces). These tiles are hard and durable enough for outdoor installation, yet they cut easily into halves, quarters, and triangles with little force using a pair of mosaic glass cutters. The grooved side bonds adhesive more securely.

Metallic Glass Mosaic Tiles Assortment 3/4-Inch

  • Sales unit: 1 pound (roughly 145+ tiles).
  • Tile dimensions: 3/4 inch x 3/4 inch (20mm x 20mm).
  • Tile thickness: 4mm (1/8 inch nominal).
  • Material: glass with metallic copper dust swirled inside the glass.
  • Coverage: each pound covers 0.69 square feet.
  • Coverage: 218 loose tiles cover 1 sq ft. with grout spacing of 1/16 inch.
  • Frost-proof, impervious to liquid.
  • Suitable for indoor/outdoor use.

Product Coverage

Each pound covers 0.69 square feet, assuming a standard grout spacing of 1/16 inch. Coverage for 1 square foot requires 218 tiles. Note that cutting tiles generates some scrap, so you may want to budget 5% extra.

Compatibility

The 3/4 inch size (20mm) and 1/8 inch nominal thickness (4mm) is industry standard, which means these tiles can mix and match with a wide variety of brands.

Cutting Glass Tile

Though durable enough for outdoor mosaics, this tile cuts easily with minimal force using the mosaic glass cutters. Ordinary tile nippers are not recommended for any type of glass.

Metallic Glass Tile in Mosaic Art

Even as an occasional accent, metallic glass tile will add sparkle, depth and luminosity to any mosaic project. Break up monochromatic color fields with their metallic equivalent, or sprinkle in pieces to add drama to your details.

How To Make Mosaics

For more advice on designing your mosaic project or cutting and grouting tile, please see our Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions page or our How To Mosaic blog or our Mosaic Information Guide.