Affordable Vinyl Graphics

There is a new business in Owasso and online. Affordable Vinyl Graphics has a very cool website and an awesome project. It is not directly tied into mosaics but the owner of this company, Heather Rodden, is a very nice person that will go out of her way to get you exactly what you need.

In case you don't know, these vinyl graphics can be installed anywhere including painted walls, metal, plastics, etc. They won't damage the surface that you put them on. So you can hang your mosaic art on your living room wall and then have Heather do a cool graphic that includes the name of your piece. She can do it in any font and tons of colors! You then stick the vinyl under or around your finished art while it is on the wall.

Imagine creating a round piece then having Heather do the name of the piece so that it archs around your art. Cool effects! So hop over to Affordable Vinyl Graphics when you get a chance and make sure to look at their Photo Gallery.

Your Grout Color

This is the most common question for me...what color grout should I use? This is a very tough question since this can ruin your project if the wrong color is chosen.

Remember the rule of thumb:

• Mostly warm colors...use brown grout
• Mostly cool colors...use gray grout
• Mostly vivid colors (all very bright)...black is a possibility
• All white...use white grout

I have people that do a piece where the focal point is all in blue and the back ground is all in brown. Since blue is a cool color they think gray but imagine gray grout with brown tiles...Yuck! You want to choose a color that will make the entire work flow. Brown would be best in this case. What if your focal is all blue and the background is all orange. In this case you will want to use gray to keep your focal from being fractured. Gray would look fine with the orange tiles too.

Don't forget the correct intensity. If your piece is mostly dark then use a darker tone. If it is mostly light use a lighter.

So the rule of thumb is just a guideline. Always do the grout test to make sure of what color to use. Simply don a mask and sprinkle a little of each grout possibility into the grout joints of your piece. See what looks best then vacuum the dry grout out before mixing the real batch.

Tulsa Home & Garden Show

Hello everyone! The Tulsa Home & Garden show is now over and life can start getting back to normal for the Tile Shack crew. It was a huge success and I wanted to share some of the pics of our booth.

We put together some great displays that show our tiles installed.

We also had some great artwork. Carriera and Artemesia were created by Tish Busking. The shoes and aquarium were done by Sean Busking.

We also got in some rest and play time with some our builder friends.

Tulsa Granite and Middleton Construction of Tulsa also featured our tiles in their booths.

Finishing Edges on an Art Project

Finishing edges on a work of art has always been an issue. There are several ways that will complete your piece and make it gorgeous.

Try:

1. Build a frame out of wood. This works especially well when thin backerboard or Wedi board has been used as the substrate.
2. Do a grout rub on the edges. The grout won't stay in bulk but will leave a fine layer of grit and color that will blend well with the rest of your piece. Just rub down the edges while grouting the rest of the piece. Make sure to pick up your piece and wipe off the excess build up before it sets up. This works well with wood and Wedi board.
3. Use stained glass copper foil. This stuff has an adhesive backing so it sticks well on the edges. For this to really work you will need to make sure your edge is clean of all grout. The adhesive doesn't stick well to dried grout. I use this when I do a piece on backerboard but it can be used on all surfaces. For a silver edge, use the tape that is used on duct work that you can buy at your local hardware store.
4. Paint those edges. This is really only a good technique if your work is done on wood. Be sure to tape off the edges before grouting. Pull off tape before grout has set and paint in a couple of days.
5. Brass foil is a great edging for wood. This is a metal band that is nailed onto the sides of your piece before you grout. Here is a link to a company where we buy our's. We buy brass foil that is .02 mm. Be sure to buy the width that you will need for your surfaces. Go the extra penny and buy brass nails to use on this stuff. It will give a nice finish.

Although you can lay tiles on your edge, I never recommend it. If your piece gets bumped or falls those edge pieces have a good chance of falling off.

Shipping Costs

With gas prices constantly going up, our freight costs go up too. Many clients don't understand why shipping is so high. Rest assured that we only charge the actual shipping plus our $1 for handling. When you are checking out on our site, your cart will return the real time shipping rates for UPS or USPS.

Now let's see how many people read this blog. I am offering you a free shipping coupon on your order of $50 or more. This is a one time coupon and can be used by anyone within the Continental US. If you live in Alaska or Hawaii, I will split the shipping with you but you will have to type the code into the Comment box to get the offer. The Discount Code is freeship2252008 and is valid until March 25, 2008.

Finishing Edges on a Commercial/Residential Installation

The big question this week has been how to finish your edges of your installation. If you are used to working with ceramic tiles then you have to realize there is a difference with the glass tiles. Most glass tiles are colored throughout so even the edges are colored. This just means that you don't need a bull nose tile to cover the edge to keep color.


My favorite way to complete the edge is to just rub grout into the small gap along the edge. I will tape it off first so I don't get grout on the wall or surface that the tiles are adhered. Then I will grout as usual making sure to rub the grout down the edge of the tiles. As soon as I clean off the excess grout, I will remove the tape to give a nice finished area.


You can also leave the gap of the tile edges alone. After grouting and cleanup, take a caulk that is your grout color and caulk down the edge. You may be caulking other areas too so do it all at the same time.


Framing it out is another way. It looks good but is a little more work. This is especially nice if you are doing wainscoting with tile on your wall or just running a border of tiles around your bathroom. Take a piece of molding and stain/paint it first. Then nail it in to frame your tiles after installation. It would be best to grout before doing this part.



Some people don't want the tiles to just stop at the end of their cabinets and counters. Try stair stepping the tiles down to give it a more flowing look. You have to have the right size top and bottom of your area to do this though. Refer to the picture at the left.


As you can see, there are several ways to finish the edges of your installation. You can make it as simple or elegant as your space needs.

Why on Earth have I not posted lately????????

I have been so busy that I completely forgot about my blog for 2 weeks. This is crazy!

Business has been incredible but getting ready for our latest shipment was the main reason. We received over 22,000 pounds of glass in last week and we had to find a place to put it all. Our warehouse is packed now! We, at least, created a path to get from the front to the back so that we can move easily.

I promise to be better about posting. Of course now I am getting ready for the Tulsa Home and Garden Show. UGH! Too much to do and too little time!