International correspondent, Joe Simpson profiles Ezarri, a Spanish company with a 30-year track record in setting the standard for mosaics.

What will be the colour of my pool´s water?” This may seem an obvious question, but how many mosaic and swimming pool tile manufacturers really emphasise the final look of the water-filled pool during the mosaic selection process?

And yet this is surely the fundamental question; the architectural equivalent of “Does my bum look big in this?” If mainstream shoppers will not buy skinny jeans based on the garment’s appearance on the hanger, why should home-owners be expected to buy a swimming pool mosaic on the basis of a sample board?

Ezarri takes a radically different approach; one based on an archive of hundreds of designs and colours, and an international portfolio of successfully completed projects spanning private pools, hotel spas, wellness centres and eye-catching commercial installations.

From this experience Ezarri knows that the pool water´s colour is not going to be determined solely by the shade of glass mosaic chosen. Many other factors will have an influence, such as the water’s depth, the quality of light at the pool’s location, shadows and reflections from surrounding buildings, the type of artificial light used and, fundamentally, if it is an indoor or an outdoor pool.

Ezarri’s understands that the greater the volume of water, and the deeper it is, the bluer the swimming pool will tend to look. Sunlight is also a crucial element. The more light there is, the clearer the water will look; while less light will tend to darken the water. If the pool is surrounded by plants, it will look greener and darker; and if the surrounding landscape is more desert like, the water will look clearer.

So, when it is consulted on a project, Ezarri’s approach is to take all of these factors into account and provide the customer with a series of guidelines and recommendations to ensure that the final mosaic is meets, or even exceeds, design expectations.

Ezarri’s comprehensive mosaic collection can achieve a range of different pool looks. White mosaics, such as Carrara, Perla, Diamond and 2545-a, will deliver light, sky-blue water tones. Its beige and rose-coloured mosaics are ideal for achieving green shades of water, that range from light through to dark depending on the colour of the mosaic. Typical examples include Marfil, Arena, Nacar, 2514-b, 2576-, 2596 and 2597.

If the selected Ezarri mosaic´s colour is grey, such as Inox, Cuarzo, Stone, 2660-a and 2522-b, the water will tend to have a mix of greyish-green tones. Whereas blue-green mosaics, such as Azur, Sky, 2521-b, 2508-a, 2518-b and 2529-b, tend to yield a light, turquoise blue colour.

Customers seeking classic Mediterranean blue water should consider Ezarri’s blue style references, such as Ocean, Zafiro, Blue Lagoon, 2505-a and 2503-d. These yield a water colour that ranges from light blue through to a deep and intense blue. If the required look is even more dramatic with a water colour similar to high-mountain lakes, then Ezarri can offer references like Ebano, 2502, Capricorn, and Lava.

Installation advantages

Using Ezarri mosaics has many practical as well as aesthetic benefits. Pool builders have long recognised the benefits of installing a material with near zero absorption of water, and excellent resistance to chemicals. Factor in the tesserae’s inherent hardness, and their ability to adapt to the shape of the pool, and it is easy to see why they enjoy such enduring popularity.

When it comes to installation, contractors will readily testify to the benefits of Ezarri’s unique Joint Point system. Unlike conventional mesh-backed or paper-faced mosaics, which are difficult to install and can compromise adhesive coverage, the Joint Point offers proven ease of installation and can reduce installation time by up to 25%, while ensuring an excellent finish.

Invented by Ezarri more than 20 years ago, Joint Point remains the quality reference for the swimming pool mosaic sector; one that guarantees a perfect and uniform mosaic tile installation.

Joint Point’s main advantage is that it delivers a maximum grip surface, with 92% of the mosaic’s surface free for receiving adhesive. This guarantees the durability of the finished installation. Joint Point also aids accuracy as it offers better visual control over tile placement. It is also unaffected by moisture, as the adhesive dabs do not expand or contract like mesh or paper-based systems.

The system provides the ideal combination of malleability and stiffness. It is flexible and easy to cut; making even the smallest area remains uniform and controllable. Furthermore, Joint Point has minimal thickness and is very uniform and controllable.

To make sure that every contractor can deliver Joint Point’s full capabilities, Ezarri provides a downloadable installation tutorial on its corporate website (www.ezarri.com).

Eco credentials

Aesthetically speaking, Ezarri provides range of over 300 colours with different textures and formats, including anti-slip options. The company said this provides the contractor everything they need to guarantee client satisfaction. This is enhanced by Ezarri’s ability to produce customise colours and offers the creative possibilities that digital printing brings. Finish options are another point of differentiation with shiny, gloss, matt and anti-slip textures all available in three size formats: 25 by 25mm, 36 by 36mm, and 50 by 50mm.

Sustainability is another important advantage. Ezarri’s mosaics have strong ecological credentials, as the raw material used is 100% recycled glass. Its products have ISO 14021 Environmental Certification, and the company holds ISO 14001 Environmental Management Certification.

Ezarri is a popular specification source for architects and interior designers, who are drawn to its wide range of colours and formats. The extensive style references it has developed means that designers can find the mosaic solution to deliver their design concept for any pool, spa or interior design project.

If required, Ezarri can customise any project via digital printing that can transform any image onto a mosaic, ensuring a look that is unique.

It also produces custom colour mixes for customers. Indeed, the mix generator tool, allows designers to discover the limitless creative possibilities of multiple mosaic mixes.

All of Ezarri’s mosaics are manufactured in the company’s state-of-the-art facilities in Lazkao, Spain. This ensures 100% quality control of the production process, while allowing the company to pledge to have at least 95% of the style references in the portfolio in stock at any time. This translates into market-leading service standards.

Project experience

Ezarri has both a large project department and a design department to help designers and their clients deliver successful projects. Experience counts, particularly when it comes to large projects featuring glass mosaic installations where unforeseen circumstances must be minimised as much as possible. The company proudly flags over 30 years’ experience and hundreds of completed international projects.

Ezarri also stresses that, due to its variety of colours and formats, and because these products are always available, backed up by high quality marketing materials, it is perfectly aligned to the commercial needs of ceramic tile distributors.

It prides itself on having a sales team who enjoy their job and being able to offer a range of promotional materials specifically designed for distributor’s showrooms. This material effectively displays the design potential of Ezarri’s mosaics for both interior and exterior projects. Distributors are supported by a fully automated 300,000sqm warehouse that simplifies logistic planning.

Obvious sales potential for Ezarri’s distribution partners lies in mosaics for bathrooms, kitchens and interiors. From a shower tray or backsplash, right through to an overall tiled finish for bathrooms or kitchens, its interior mosaics are designed to capture the customer’s attention.

Ezarri has also been at the forefront of designed mosaic installations that take full advantage of the emerging potential of coloured grouts. The company encourages customers to explore the possibilities of different joint colours and their glittering effects to enhance the mosaic´s aesthetic qualities. The same colour mosaics with varying grout colours can yield very different design results, and customers can use Ezarri’s mix generator to see the different effects.

At a technical level, Ezarri recommends the use of epoxy grout classified as RG. This type of joint remains consistent over time and is easy to maintain.

Australian accents, new product launches

For Australian customers seeking a distinctive local accent, Ezarri’s Gem mosaic tiles is a range of glass mosaic tiles based on the characteristics found in gemstones of the Australian outback. The Gem range comprises five colours: Aquamarine, Sapphire, Emerald, Topaz, and Tourmaline. The company’s design department developed each colour using combinations of the pearlescent effect of tiles from the Iris range with colours from the Niebla range to imitate the brilliance, colour and lustrous effects of precious stone. The Gem range is available only in Australia from the exclusive Australian distributor of Ezarri mosaic tiles, Europe Imports.

Two new ranges from Ezarri really stand out. The Zen Stone range draws its inspiration from the natural beauty of stone and marble. The collection focuses on the natural, going back to basics where simple harmony and beauty reign. The result is 18 designs inspired by stone, marble and wood, all with a natural matte texture, and delivered in a number of tranquil colours.

The other significant launch is Safe-Steps. Here the beauty of mosaic, its glossiness, large array of colours and smooth texture are maintained and yet delivered in a new anti-slip system. Safe-Steps is the result is an extensive R&D project designed to create a long-lasting safety surface with a subtle texture and low maintenance requirements. The result has all the desired elegance of glass mosaic with maximum anti-slip effects.

The latest mosaics encapsulate the commercial acumen of Ezarri, a company that is constantly pushing the boundaries of this exquisite material’s potential.