Contemporary mosaic art: Turning your ordinary swimming pool into a gorgeous piece of art
I was wondering how to do this intro and convince all of you who have simple plaster or aggregate finish pools that the mosaic is the way to go when it comes to pool-shell coverage. On the other hand, do I really need to convince you that chocolate chip cookies are better than the empty, dry ones?
First of all, it could be important to note that the history of both mosaics and man-made swimming pools goes back some 4,000 years or more. Just that data should be enough for you to put two and two together, and by “two and two”, I mean mosaics and swimming pools. However, first pools weren’t exactly treated as swimming pools, but bathing pools as well. Romans were the first to separate swimming pools from bathing ones. Why? Because they were progressive and innovative, of course. On the same note, do you know what else they did? They started covering pools with mosaics. Why? Because they were awesome, of course. There is nothing better you can do for your swimming pool then cover it with high-quality mosaic tiles.
Just like the tiles in your kitchen and bathroom, swimming pool mosaic tiles are available in virtually any range of styles, types, and shapes. In this post, we will chat about the three major types of swimming pool tiles, their benefits, and main features.
One of the most commonly used types of swimming pool tiles are the porcelain tiles. Porcelain tiles are very easy to install and maintain. Mosaic swimming pool floors and sides made of porcelain are soft to the touch and they require just a basic cleaning to retain their original vibrant look. Porcelain tiles are often hand-painted, featuring exciting designs and textures. Textured versions of these tiles are particularly interesting, as they can look almost magical with the surrounding landscape. Aside from these, there are also textured-glazed porcelain tiles that will give your swimming pool a dose of excitement and a daring vibe.
In the past couple of years, there has been a noticeable growth in the popularity of glass tile swimming pools. This option is by far the most expensive one, due to the fact that these tiles are made of recycled glass materials. These gorgeous tiles are the most durable of all the pool tiles, and they do miracles for accentuating the transparent nature of water. They come in small mosaic-tile formats, and unlike most other tiles these have the advantage to fully cover curved surfaces. There is a wide variety of glass tiles to choose from so you can go for different qualities, which can come in handy if you are on a budget. You can also choose from a variety of colors, as well as the tiles with an iridescent coating that will shimmer as the light changes and as the water flows over the surface.
Some might argue that this last (and most important) category isn’t a separate category at all, but I beg to differ. See, both porcelain and glass tiles are two major categories, that are significant for different reasons, and they both may or may not be used to built mosaic designs. On the same note, mosaics tiles per se can be drafted as a completely separate category. They are a combination of different designs, colors, and sizes. If you opt to have a specific image or pattern made to embellish your pool, you should drain your pool at least every two years, in order to thoroughly clean your mosaic. Over the course of two years a considerable amount of algae, mold, and chemical-residue can be built up and visually suffocate your precious mosaic, so a good cleaning will renew it.
So, I tried to yammer as little as possible, and let the pictures speak for themselves. If after all of that watery beauty up there you still want to plaster your pool and turn it into a one-dimensional swimming whole, then maybe you don’t deserve a chocolate chip cookie at all.
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