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Are Mosaic Floors Slippery?

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Mosaic designs are an inspired choice for floors – and one that may not occur to you as you style your home. Durable, non-fading, and luxurious, mosaic art has infinite options. It’s also practical! Our customers are sometimes curious about how well our mosaics will perform on their floors – asking if mosaic floors are slippery like some other surfaces.

The short answer: No! Mozaico follows an age-old tradition of creating beautiful mosaic art that stands up to foot traffic, temperature changes, and water – all while remaining safe underfoot. Our products allow you to experience pure design perfection on all types of surfaces in your home or business – with no fear of slip hazards.

Throughout the world, you’ll find mosaic floors in the finest hotels and public spaces. When architects and interior designers specify products that meet safety standards, they know that products like our mosaic designs are ideal.

United States ADA Standards are one way to assess floor safety and slip resistance. General Flooring Guidelines from the organization define a stable surface as: “One that remains unchanged by contaminants or applied force so that when the contaminant or force is removed, the surface returns to its original condition. A slip-resistant surface provides sufficient frictional counterforce to the forces exerted in walking to permit safe ambulation.

In other words, surfaces such as our mosaic tile artwork meet these requirements with their durable tiles – they can be cleaned to remove any liquids, dirt, or other materials, and don’t compress or change shape under pressure or foot traffic. The area under foot remains safe and non-slippery, even when under water – such as in pools or spas.

Another gold standard for determining slip resistance is DCOF ratings. The Dynamic Coefficient of Friction of Hard Surface Material is utilized by the American National Standards Institute, Inc. (ANSI). This examines real-world slip risk in a variety of situations, including wet areas such as showers and bathrooms, swimming pool ramps and decks, and more. It’s the official test method in at least 49 nations, including the USA. Unglazed mosaics, known as Surface 5 in their assessments, is one of the highest-scoring floor surfaces for slip resistance. Mosaic scores an average 0.63 DCOF rating – well above the recommended standard of 0.42 for safety!

American National Standards Institute, Inc. (ANSI)
Image source: Mozaico

How do mosaics achieve their favored status? It’s a combination of materials, craftsmanship, and a commitment to longevity. In addition to the slip-resistant properties of the mosaic tiles we use in our mosaic designs, every Mozaico artwork is built on a strong, tough fiber mesh. This maintains the integrity of the design and prevents issues with individual tiles popping loose – also meeting the ADA standards for durability.

Mozaico artwork
Image Source: Mozaico

Unlike smooth, solid surfaces, mosaic art contains more tesserae (individual tile pieces) than you’d like to count. (Go ahead, if you’d like, but even our octopus friend here has thousands of marble mosaic tiles!) Each hand-placed element creates a safe walking surface – and a stunning customized look, in this case.

Image source: Mozaico

From elaborate accents to simple backgrounds, mosaic art is unparalleled for achieving unique effects in demanding environments. Cool, durable surfaces provide slip-proof textures and coverings for everything from tabletops to pools.

Image source: Mozaico

Your imagination shouldn’t be contained – mosaic art can be customized to fit within other types of flooring as an accent. Odd shapes? Stunning color choices? The world is literally at your feet! Our design team can work with your exact specifications, creating dream environments for any space.

Image source: Mozaico

Mosaic rugs and floor accents are impervious to spills, delightful to walk on, and stunning. Polished granites, marbles, and semiprecious stones bring a sense of luxury to any type of decor style, just as they’ve done for centuries.

Image source: Mozaico

Tailor-made solutions from our artists are filled with the infinite possibilities of mixing materials and color. Non-slip mosaic surfaces work for seating, counters, and more.

Image source: Mozaico

Patterns and shapes can enliven bathrooms and other damp environments – adding a strong punch of design savvy to even smaller rooms.

Image source: Mozaico

Curious about how the beauty of mosaic art can transform your floors and more with glorious, non-slip surfaces filled with pattern and color? Try our fun new Mosaic Finder!

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