FAQ

Q:  What payment methods do you accept?

A:  We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, personal checks and money orders.  Personal checks require a 10-day shipping hold for bank clearance.  International orders require payment via PayPal or U.S. money order in US Dollars (International credit cards can not be processed through regular store check-out).  International shoppers who do not have a PayPal account:  Please check-out, selecting "personal check/money order" as your payment method, then contact us with your request for a PayPal invoice.  You will be able to pay this invoice with an international credit card, even without registering on PayPal.

Q: How can I view the status of my order?

A: Go to the Customer Service, Account Information page. This page lists all your orders. Click the date of the order whose status you wish to view.

Q: What are your shipping costs?

A: U.S. (& U.S. Territories) shipping is a flat $6 to ship any order with a combined total of up to $75.  U.S. orders over $75 receive FREE U.S. shipping!

A: International shipping to Canada, UK, Australia, The Czech Republic, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Denmark, Cyprus, Malta, Brazil, Barbados, Singapore, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands, Mexico, France, Spain, China, Japan, Chile, United Arab Emirates, New Zealand & Saudi Arabia is calculated based on your order total and will be added to your total before you pay, when you check-out.  If your country is not listed here, please contact us before you shop & we'll be happy to add your shipping rates to our system if possible.

 Q: What shipping method do you use?

A: We ship via USPS Priority Shipping within one business day of payment. Typically you can expect to receive your purchases in about 3 business days.

Q: How can these mosaic tiles be used?

A: Stained glass tiles are frequently used to decorate picture frames, vases, flower pots, jewelry boxes, candle holders and other small items around the home. Bigger projects include wall hangings, bathroom & kitchen backsplashes and decorative table tops. 

Q:  Do you have any photos of completed stained glass mosaic projects that I can see?

A:  We sure do!  Visit our Glass Art Gallery to see what others have done with our mosaic tiles! If you have a stained glass mosaic you'd like us to share for you, please let us know!

Q: Can I tile my floor with stained glass tiles?

A: No, we strongly advise against this due to their sharp edges and slick surfaces. They're not always perfect on table or countertop surfaces that are heavily used for this reason as well. This is standard stained glass, the same type used in stained glass panels and windows. It could chip or crack if something is dropped on it. Even more importantly, it has sharp edges which would theoretically be covered by grout, but in reality grout coverage isn't always perfect and it can chip away over time, leaving dangerous edges exposed. If you would like to cover a table or countertop that is not purely for decorative purposes, we recommend coating it with Liquifusion to protect against injury and breakage.

Q: Can these tiles be used outdoors?

A: Yes, stained glass tiles can tolerate hot and cold weather as well as water and moisture.  Just be sure to use Weldbond Glue - it's waterproof and weatherproof - two important features for outdoor projects!

Q: What kind of adhesive do you recommend?

A: Weldbond glue is perfect for any mosaic project! It's weatherproof, waterproof and it dries clear, so you simply can't go wrong with it!

Q: What kind of grout do you recommend?

A: We only sell GlassPro Mosaic Glass grout. We've tested other brands, and this one wins, hands down! It's designed specifically to work with stained glass mosaics & it comes in powder form in a recloseable jar with directions.

Q: How can I cut the tiles to make them fit into my mosaic?

A: You'll need a sturdy pair of Mosaic Glass Cutters. This is the kind of mosaic nipper with the two wheels at the end, not the flat tipped kind. The flat tipped nippers that bite into ceramic tile will crush your glass tiles. The two wheeled nippers only contact the glass at two tiny points and give you a clean break every time! Please see our Supplies section to find a pair!

Q: How thick are stained glass tiles?

A: Standard stained glass is 1/8" thick. 

Q: Is it dangerous to work with stained glass mosaics?

A: Any work with glass can be dangerous. We recommend that you wear protective eyewear, thick gloves and a protective apron when working with glass. Also be certain to cover your work space, and if you're cutting glass, be cautious not to track glass shards into another room with your feet or clothing.

Q:  Who can I talk to if my question wasn't answered on this page?

A: We prefer email correspondence.  Please feel free to contact us with your questions or comments.  We're always glad to help!  If necessary, you may call 719-431-2935 to reach a person by phone.  If it goes to voicemail, please leave a message & Kristi will call you back ASAP.

Q: Do you have a free online Mosaic Art Beginner's Guide?  

A:  Here ya go!

1.  Pick a surface: *Indoor - Plywood for wall hangings, vases, pots, backsplashes, wooden boxes, an old table, pretty much anything except the kids or dog. *Outdoor - Cement stepping stones or a cement bench, terracotta pots, cement board for wall hangings, or your car if you don't mind the "eccentric" look.   (Avoid anything that will absorb outdoor humidity and warp over time.) 2.  Pick a design: *Draw your design onto the surface and be sure to keep it simple...at least a first until you find what works for you. *If you'll be using light colored translucent tiles, be careful not to place them directly over the lines you've drawn, as the lines will show through the tile.   *Consider a background color that will contrast with the focal point of your design.  If you're making dark red flowers with dark green leaves and then use dark blue tiles for your background, it will all blend together.  A lighter background will help the vibrant colors of your design jump out! 3.  Pick a method: *Direct method - Glue tiles directly to your surface, one at a time.  This method is the most popular & recommended for most projects. Your end result will give you a masterpiece that looks handmade, which is probably what you want. You don't want to work you heart out only to have something that looks like it was just mass produced in a factory. (For the purpose of these instructions, I will be referring to the direct method.) *Indirect method - Set tiles in place on a sheet of mosaic mount, face down, before flipping over to place on mosaic surface all at once. This method is recommended for a table top that needs to be smooth. The end result will give you a flush surface. 4.  Glue those tiles!   *Most mosaic adhesives come in a bottle with a narrow squirt-top.  You can choose to put a dot of glue on the back of each tile one at a time, or dot your surface as you go, or draw a whole line of glue & work you way across it. It's entirely up to you.  If you see too much glue squishing out to the sides of the tiles and filling the spaces between tiles, try using a little less.    *The most popular glue in the mosaic industry is Weldbond.  Whatever glue you choose, make sure it's waterproof, weatherproof and that it dries clear.  Why is weatherproof important? Because adhesives that are not weatherproof (and many aren't) will expand and contract with weather changes, causing your tiles to pop off! *Use the two-wheeled Mosaic Glass Cutters for nipping glass tiles. Even if you plan to glue your tiles in the shape they're already in, there's always that little space at the end of a row, or a corner, or wherever, that you need a little different shape to fill in a space.  Use Mosaic Nippers for ceramics or other forms of tile.   (These tend to just crush glass tile, while the two-wheeled cutters produce excellent results!) ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS wear protective glasses when cutting tile!!!  You may not have ever really put an eye out by running through the house with scissors when you were a kid, but it's never too late!   *You usually have at least a couple of hours to move tiles around (with some effort, depending on how much time the glue has had to dry).  If the glue is really dry, and you just have to reposition a tile, try wedging a flat-head screw driver under one side and giving the end a light tap with a hammer. Keep in mind that the beauty of mosaics is their uniqueness. Don't shoot for perfection!  The less perfect it is, the more you'll love it in the end! Tiles that don't lay perfectly flat or in line with each other will play with the light in different ways. This is why the direct method is recommended - your masterpiece will be so much more fun to look at! 5.  Time to grout:  At least 24-hours after glue has dried. *Pick a color that will contrast with your tiles nicely.  If it's too similar in color to your focal point, your design will be lost in the grout.  You're not limited to just black or white either!  You can find several wonderful colors at super low prices at www.mosaictilemania.com!   *Powder-form - If you're buying grout online, this weighs a little less than pre-mixed grout and will help lower shipping charges. You also have more control over how thick or runny you want it to be (toothpaste consistency is usually ideal), but be sure to wear protective goggles & a face mask while mixing.   *Pre-mixed - This comes in a small tub and is ready to go.  Either form of grout is good, it's entirely personal preference. *Sanded grout - Avoid coarsely sanded grout. This is good for filling in larger spaces.  Most artwork has relatively small spaces between the tiles so finely sanded grout is best because it fills gaps of just about any size, big or small, and it leaves you with a smooth and even surface when it dries. *Non-sanded grout - This is good if you only need to fill in extra tiny spaces between tiles. It also has a smooth look once it's dry. *Wear gloves if your hands will come in contact with the grout (and they will).  This way you won't just be wishing you'd worn gloves while you're still picking grout from your fingernails a week later!! *Grab a handful of grout, drop it into the middle of your project and then spread it around using a grout spreader.  Spreading with your hands, even with gloves, can give you a nasty cut if you accidentally slide your finger along the sharp edge of a tile. Smart people only have to do this once before promising to never spread grout with their hands again.  Even smarter people just use the grout spreader in the first place. :) *Once the grout has filled in every last space, wipe off the excess.  At first there will still be quite a bit of grout on your tiles, but that's okay. Let it dry for 10-20 minutes, then go back with a wet sponge or rag and wipe again.  Misting the tiles just a little with a squirt bottle of water will help clean the tiles while adding strength to your grout between the tiles.  *Don't overdo it though, you don't want to wash all the grout away!   Just once or twice should be enough.  After 24-hours you'll probably see a haze on your tiles left behind by the grout.  This is very easy to buff off now that your grout is dry. (Although grout shouldn't be considered completely dry - cured - for at least 2 weeks.  Until then, keep all projects indoors.) Tips: *Work outside while grouting whenever possible and wear clothes that you wouldn't even wear to answer the door when the pizza arrives.  Mosaics are messy work!    *On wall-hangings, you may want to place wall-hanging hardware on the back of your plywood before you start your mosaic. It's possible to do without knocking off tiles after your work is finished, but it's risky.  The only reason to wait until after you're done is so that your plywood can lay flat while you work.    *If you do decide to nail wall-hanging hardware to you work after it's completed, lay it face-down on a soft surface like a carpeted floor while you do it.  Also, use screws instead of nails if possible to avoid exposing your hard work to the impact of a hammer. *Be sure you have enough tile before you start.  We sell our tiles in 25 square inch standard size "sets", so no matter what size tile you're buying, you always know how much coverage you'll get from any "set".  (1/2" tiles = 100 tiles per set, border tiles = 50 tiles per set, 1" tiles = 25 tiles per set) For every square foot you need to cover, you'll want about 5 1/2 sets. *Please feel free to contact us with any questions.  We're always glad to help!! Mosaic Tile Mania, Copyright 2004-2007

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