Marble mosaic tiles cut using a waterjet machine are known for their design precision and uniqueness. But are they also functional? Moreover, can we use these tiles in the bathroom like a shower floor?

Good news: we can safely use marble mosaic tiles in the bathroom where it gets wet. We recommend them generally because of their resistance to multiple damaging factors like water and moisture. Marble mosaics can also give us infinite designs and styles.

In this article, we will explain why marble mosaic tiles are reliable in places like bathrooms and showers, and the advantages of incorporating them into the interior.

Marble Mosaic Tiles: What Are They?

First, we make marble mosaic tiles out of real and natural marble. While artificial ones can give you a close marble-like appearance, their durability, and gloss are not on par with natural stone.

Second, mosaic is generally a style of art where we put together small pieces of materials to create a pattern or an image. In this case, we use marble as the material; the color, kind, and size of each piece will depend on the design output that our clients requested.

Sinodec has a waterjet tile collection where we use a waterjet machine to cut the marble—and other natural stones—in different shapes. With the help of computer software or what we call computer-aided design (CAD), we can easily program the machine for precise cutting.

How Can We Use Marble Mosaic Tiles in the Bathroom?

We already mentioned that we can use marble mosaic tiles in the bathroom, but the question is how we can apply them in the place. Well, we listed four ways to answer this.

1. Floor

Marble mosaic tiles on the bathroom floors will give us the freedom in customizing our bathroom look, compared to being limited in choosing between plain square or rectangle tiles.

2. Wall

Walls make up a large area of the bathroom. Whether we want them to be decorative or minimalist, marble mosaic can do so through its patterns and a simple image that we can arrange for you.

3. Backsplash

Bathroom vanities often have backsplashes both as decoration and wall protection. Especially since you have a bathroom sink, the water may damage the wall behind it if not made of tiles.

Later in this article, we will explain how the quality of marble mosaic tiles can offer resistance to damage.

4. Skirting

Skirting is what we use to close the gap between the floor and the wall which can look unappealing; we also use this to protect the wall itself. We have written about using natural stones as wall skirting, but we can also use tiles.

The height of your desired bathroom skirting will determine the space allotted for the marble mosaic. The space is important for us especially if you want the mosaic to be very intricate.

7 Advantages of Using Marble Mosaic Tiles in the Bathroom

1. Resistant to Water and Moisture

If you have been around reading our previous articles, we always explain how marble is porous but resistant to water damage at the same time.

Since your bathroom is the place where you will use a lot of water (aside from the kitchen) you need materials that will not be affected by it.

In Sinodec, we don’t seal the marble mosaic tiles when we export them abroad or deliver them to our clients here in China unless the client specifically requested sealing. But as stone experts, we do recommend the latter for additional protection.

2. Excellent Heat Conductor

Marble mosaic tiles are excellent heat conductors, meaning they can retain a normal temperature that is not too hot or cold. This is despite the temperature changes outdoors and constant usage of water and heater (if applicable).

This is important to ensure comfort while taking a shower or using the bathroom in general, so our feet for example, won’t be too cold or hot. If we have marble mosaic wall tiles, they can help adjust the overall temperature based on the outdoor weather.   

3. Best for Radiant Floor Heating

As we previously mentioned, comfort inside the bathroom is essential. Aside from choosing a flooring and walling material that helps with regulating the temperature, we can also incorporate methods like radiant floor heating.

Radiant floor heating is an invisible heating setup installed below the floor’s surface using systems of hot water tubes (hydronic) or electric wires (electric) which produce thermal radiation.

Tile and stone are the most compatible materials for radiant floor heating because they have high thermal conductivity. The heat from the floor heating system will be quickly absorbed by these materials thus immediately radiating them above.  

In this case, using tiles made of natural stone such as marble is an efficient choice. To top that off, having a customizable mosaic design not only gives comfort to the feeling but to the eyes as well.

4. Non-slip

Contrary to the misconception that marble tile floorings are slippery, we can adjust the tiles’ grip by choosing the right finish. We recommend honed and tumbled styles of finishes if you will use marble mosaic tiles as your floors.

• A honed finish will have a matte and consistent surface. This is also the stage before polishing the marble tiles, which we do not recommend for flooring.

• A tumbled finish will have a smooth and worn-out appearance that will often have muted colors. This finish is also perfect for the antique-looking interior.

However, we don’t need to worry about incorporating a non-slip finish with marble mosaic tiles if we are going to use them for the following: walls, backsplash, skirting, or even ceilings. You may have them polished if that is what you prefer.

5. Highly Durable

Marble mosaic tiles are hard and not susceptible to cracks. This is as long as we ensure that the tiles that we use are of high quality and the method of installation—such as the adhesive for the mosaic—is performed with the best materials, we can expect them to last for decades.

6. Flexible With Designs

There are a variety of designs for marble mosaic tiles. Whether you want it to be a mosaic of repetitive patterns for the floors or a simple image art on the walls, it is possible with the right manufacturer.

We have waterjet technology that can help us precisely cut and shape any type of marble that our clients request. When it comes to the actual designs that we want the mosaic to make, we have qualified designers to put them to life by using 2D or 3D computer software.

7. Cost-effective

The purchase of marble mosaic tiles may not be the cheapest especially when of high quality, but it is still cost-effective. Because of the value these tiles provide in both appearance and durability, we will be investing in a product that will last longer and will not need constant repairs.

The cleaning of these tiles is also not complicated. As we always say, mild and neutral liquid dish soap or detergent combined with warm water is enough for us to remove occasional marks.

Conclusion

Using marble mosaic tiles in the bathroom is an effective way to decorate the place while serving a purpose: flooring, walls, backsplash, and skirting.

The misconception with marble flooring is dangerous and slippery is not true, especially if the mosaic tiles have a honed and tumbled finish. These tiles also give us the benefit of thermal insulation to ensure that the bathroom’s temperature is comfortable.

Overall, we recommend marble mosaic tiles in the bathroom because of the value they can give in both appearance and longevity.

How about you? Have you picked a mosaic design for your bathroom?