Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Glass Tiles For Your Kitchen - Clean And Clear

Glass tiles are perfect for your kitchen especially if you're thinking of having a contemporary or modern look. These provide a very clean and sleek look that will surely bring in lots of light into the area. Glass tiles are durable as well and are not very hard to maintain aside from what most people would think. Here are some design tips when using glass tiles.

There are different types of glass tiles and colors can vary from transparent to colored opaque. These acquire colors through mixed pigments in molten glass during manufacturing. The color and shade permeate within the tiles' body. During the firing method, a layer of pigment is fused to the tiles' surface. As a result, colors of them are permanent and well-protected against moisture. Color is generally uniform among batches of glass tiles. Clear glass tiles do not use any pigments and are simply molten then fired.

Glass tiles have many advantages. It is moisture-proof which makes it very useful and sturdy in the kitchen. It works best and is most commonly used in walls where it allows light to enter the area without heat.

It is very aesthetic as well considering the variety of colors so people usually create mosaics which serve as a centerpiece of the kitchen. It is good both indoors and outdoors and with its non-permeable quality, endures moisture, heat, fire and ultraviolet rays. By installing glass tiles, other surrounding structures are protected against instant temperature changes.

Smalti is a type of glass tile made up of melted silica with sodium. Some metals and metal oxides are used to stabilize the material before it is fired and hand-cut. Fused glass tiles are usually translucent in nature with a visible opaque layer. Sintered ones usually come in 1 to 3 square feet measurement. It is manufactured by pressing glass powder then heating to fuse particles. Terrazzo glass tiles involve a cast method using glass and concrete amalgam. Cast tiles have a layered appearance created by putting glass chunks into a mold. Slumped glass has a contoured or curved appearance.

For ideas on kitchen tile design, visit http://www.kitchentile101.com

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