Mixed Media Installations - Hardwood & Tile/Stone

The pictures speak for themselves. Maybe you've seen designs in shopping malls, Tile and hardwood grid pattern government offices, or fancy banks. The list goes on. Mixed media is a common term used in the flooring industry where wood floors are installed with tile or stone floors forming a unique design.

Any design is imaginable, using nearly any hardwood or stone that is known to man. Our example shows a marble inset with a picket design in hardwood. Planning and absolute attention to layout is critical to the success of these types of installations. We strongly suggest when considering such a project using the same company for both hardwood and stone or tile.

Natural Stone And Hardwood

Natural stone and mixed media with hardwood are quite popular nowadays. Knowing how each one functions becomes another necessity for a successful installation that isn't pocked with problems down the road. Wood and water do not mix well, yet the components for an adjacent decorative surface such as stone and tile require water during the installation procedure.

Attention to detail is another important key. Hardwood should be installed last, but you're likely to hear disagreements on that issue. If our grid pattern above isn't perfectly square when our hardwood picket area is ready for installation, the entire design is compromised. It can continue, but it takes from the beauty of perfection. Tile and stone have different vertical heights along with the hardwood chosen. Planning is important! Failure to plan carefully will just end up looking like a botched amateur job. The importance in obtaining the same finished vertical height of both floor coverings is critical.

Bamboo Inset Into Stone Floor

Designs are up to anyone's imagination. The one pictured below is a horizontal bamboo Hardwood inset into stone floor inset with a natural stone surround in the foyer of a home. It basically mirrored a design on the ceiling.

A design of that dimension which measured 14 feet across, required more than a little floor preparation and thought because the installation was handled by two separate companies. It turned out nicely, but communication between the two companies should have been given priority from day one.

Other forms of mixed media include stone medallions and borders. Many of these are preassembled and don't rely on the enemy of wood floors; water. They are generally glued into place during or after hardwood floor installations once the design area is cut out. However planning once again is key.