Cenere hexagonal mosaic – grey marble in dark and light shades

Description

Cenere is a grey glass-ceramic mosaic of hexagonal tiles with a pattern in a long-lasting marble grey, from dark to light. Over the years it stays rich and shiny.

The dark and light tiles are arranged like a chessboard, with feathery cloud-like veins and a small openwork print glimpsed here and there. The pattern is both calm and graphic. A good choice for a modern bathroom, an office kitchen or a hallway in an urban style.

Why choose Cenere

• No pores: the glass absorbs at most 0.04% water, so it does not attract mould, stains or odours.
• Lasting colour: it fades neither in sunlight (ISO 4892) nor from cleaning products (class A under ASTM C650).
• Frost-resistant: it withstands repeated freezing and thawing (ASTM C1026), so it is also suitable for outdoor spaces.
• Strong: flexural strength is 55 N/mm² (EN ISO 10545-4), and the surface is smooth and free of defects.
• Eco-friendly: made entirely from recycled glass (100%); it contains no lead or cadmium pigments or other heavy metals.

Specifications

Silicone backing compared with mesh and paper

The Cenere tiles are fixed to the sheet with silicone (polyurethane) dots. They join the pieces together and leave the back almost open – over 95% of it is free for the adhesive, so the bond is very stable.

The backing adds no thickness, is not damaged by the adhesive and grout, and does not warp in storage. The sheet is flexible, so it follows curved walls, steps and corners with ease.

Where Cenere fits

• A feature wall in the bathroom
• A patterned kitchen backsplash
• Decorative panels in spa centres, hotels and restaurants

Which grout to choose

Grey grout preserves the monochrome look, while white makes the mosaic stand out.

In shower cubicles and other wet areas, use epoxy or waterproof C2 grout – it lets no moisture through and does not darken.

How much material to allow for

Measure the width and height of each wall to be tiled, multiply them and add an allowance for cutting. As a guide: adhesive is about 2 kg/m² for tiles up to 25 mm, 2.5 kg/m² for 40 mm and 3 kg/m² if the pieces are even larger; for grout – (A + B) / (A × B) × C × D × 1.6 kg/m², when the tile is about 3 cm, the thickness about 6 mm and the joint 2 mm. Actual consumption varies with the evenness and absorbency of the substrate, the adhesive and grout, the trowel, the joint size, the shape of the room and the installer's skill. Check the quantities against the technical data sheets of the chosen products and with your contractor.

Installation steps for Cenere

1. Preparing the substrate. The surface must be dry, sound, free of dust and level – up to 2 mm deviation over 2 m. In a shower, waterproofing is applied first.
2. Choosing the adhesive. Use white flexible cement adhesive C2TE S1. Colour matters, because the glass lets a little light through and grey adhesive would darken the shade.
3. Application. Spread the adhesive with a notched trowel (3–4 mm) over an area for two or three sheets.
4. Bonding. Lay the sheet and press it with a rubber float over its whole area. Keep the same 2 mm joint between the sheets.
5. Cutting. In corners and around openings, cut the silicone dots with a utility knife, and cut individual tiles with special glass-mosaic nippers.
6. Grouting. Start after 24 hours. For the shower area, epoxy or waterproof C2 grout is the best fit.
7. Cleaning off residue. Wipe the grout with a damp sponge before it dries; epoxy grout – immediately, with a special cleaner.
8. Putting into use. The shower can be used once the grout has fully cured.

Tools and materials: notched trowel 3–4 mm and rubber float, utility knife, special glass-mosaic nippers, sponge, bucket of water, plus the white adhesive C2TE S1 and a suitable grout (epoxy or waterproof).

Test results

Surface care

• Wipe with a soft cloth or sponge and a neutral cleaning product.
• Do not use abrasive powders, metal brushes or acidic grout cleaners.
• After showering, run a silicone squeegee over it – no water marks are left on the glass.

How to order

• Cenere is sold in whole cartons of 1 m².
• Take the whole quantity at once, with a 5–10% allowance, so everything comes from the same batch with a similar shade.

Questions and answers about Cenere

Which adhesive is suitable?

White flexible cement adhesive C2TE S1 – it does not change the colour of the glass.

Which grout is best?

In wet areas – epoxy or waterproof. Grey grout keeps the single-colour look, while white makes the mosaic stand out.

Can I take less than a carton?

No, it is sold in whole cartons of 1 m². Take everything at once so it comes from one batch.

Is it suitable for chlorinated or salt water?

It is intended for walls and damp rooms; cleaning products do not affect the glass.

Can it go over old tiles?

Yes, provided the old tiles are sound, clean, degreased and primed with a suitable primer.

Why the colour on site may differ from the photo

Glass mosaic changes its appearance depending on the circumstances, so the colour in photos and visualisations may not match exactly the real thing. The factors are:

• the screen you are viewing on – monitor, phone or tablet, and its settings;
• the lighting – sun, clouds, lamps, time of day;
• the angle you view from – glass plays with light differently;
• water in a pool – its depth, clarity, chemistry and the sky above it intensify the colour and push it towards blue;
• the shade of the grout and adhesive and how large the tiled area is;
• the surrounding colours – coping, paving, walls, plants;
• the batch – different batches may differ slightly in shade;
• in mixes and glass with an effect, the tiles naturally differ from one another.

The pools and interiors shown are purely illustrative. When the exact shade matters, call us before you order.

How to work out how much mosaic you need

Send us the dimensions of the pool or room – we will calculate the area and the number of cartons before you order.

See also: Wellness, Pools and Equipment, Cladding and Paving, Pools, Pool Chemicals, Pool Accessories.