Ironstone Mosaics - Material Choices


	<LINK REL="STYLESHEET" TYPE="text/css" HREF="/style/main_style.css"> <TABLE CELLSPACING="0" CELLPADDING="13" WIDTH="438" BORDER="0"> <TR><TD BGCOLOR="#DEC3A8"><!--- 34 ---> <IMG SRC="/images/core/thin_strip.jpg" ALIGN="right" WIDTH="216" HEIGHT="267" ALT="A picture of our decorative mosaic closet trim." BORDER="0"> <SPAN CLASS="SectionHeading">Material Considerations</SPAN> <BR> <SPAN CLASS="vgBody">An Ironstone Mosaic ensures a client of getting a resilient mosaic appropriate for their particular needs. While offering you unlimited color schemes and materials choices, some important considerations are taken into account when choosing materials. The first thing to be determined is whether the mosaic will be installed indoors or outdoors. Other important factors are whether the mosaic will be installed on a floor, a wall, or if it will be used as a counter surface. <BR><BR> An Ironstone Mosaic can withstand direct heat, water submersion and even freezing temperatures if it needs to. Your mosaic will even be resistant to scratching and color fading in areas with exposure to the elements. In areas where slipping may be a concern, floor mosaics are created with materials that are skid resistant as an added safety measure.</SPAN> <P><BR> <SPAN CLASS="SectionHeading">Colors, Textures and Finishes</SPAN> <BR> <SPAN CLASS="vgBody">Something that plays an important role in the “feel” of your mosaic is the material itself and whether it’s finish is polished or matte. Marble, slate, and various stone tile comes in a range of earthy hues and finishes. With porcelain tile, the sky is the limit on color selections, surface textures and finishes. Porcelain is the most versatile of all materials and is superior in hardness next to clay or ceramic tiles. Whether you choose a matte finish or a polished finish, realize the impact it will have on your completed mosaic. <BR><BR> Mixing a variety of materials can be one way to attain certain visual effects. There is a good deal of freedom in using mixed-medias, but it should be done so with careful thought. When using a variety of materials in creating your mosaic, bare in mind that tile heights can vary in thickness. Depending on the effect you are going for, and where the mosaic is to be installed, particular techniques can be applied when creating your mosaic to compensate for height differences. This tends to be more critical for mosaics that go on floors and counter tops than for anything else.</SPAN> <P><BR> <A NAME="mohs"></A> <SPAN CLASS="SectionHeading">Material Hardness</SPAN> <BR> <SPAN CLASS="vgBody">In the industry of surface coverings, the hardness of tile is measured on a number scale called the Mohs Scale. Frierich Mohs, a German geologist who lived from 1773 - 1839, developed this system to determine the density of gemstones and various minerals. The Mohs Scale starts at the softest level of a 1 and goes up to a 10 being the hardest. <BR><BR> In the tile business, the rating scale starts at a MS3 and goes up to a MS5. Sometimes the scale rating will be displayed in Roman numerals to indicate the hardness of the tile on the Mohs Scale. You will see ratings of MS3 for clay and ceramic tiles. Marble, slate and travertine are also rated MS3. Porcelain ranks the highest for tile hardness, having the most durable rating of MS5. In the jewelry trade, the Mohs Scale is still used to measure the hardness of gemstones. A diamond has a hardness of a MS10, like steel, making it quite resilient. And, just to let you in on a bit of trivial information, talc powder only has a rating of MS1 and your finger nail is a hardness of MS3... the same hardness of most tile!</SPAN> </TD></TR> </TABLE>