How to fix mosaic tiles

[dc399]

Hi there

I have a small area in my bathroom I want to put mosaic tiles up in. I have bought the tiles - they are glass mosaic ones fixed onto a 33 x 33 mesh from Wicks. However, I have no idea what the best way to fix them is....

My Dad has suggested using an 'all in one' ready mixed adhesive and grout. However, having read a few things on this forum its seems like less of a good idea?! What is the best/easiest/less chance of a cock up method? Again the old man says that the powdered type adhesive / grouts are difficult to mix up and I should go for a ready made one. Is this the case?

Also, is it still the case that the fixing and grouting of mosaic tiles should be done separately? For some reason I had the impression that that is can all be done at once, via the adhesive filling in the gaps through the mesh as they are pushed onto the wall. However, again I think I have this wrong! Is the grouting hard to do with mosaics?

Any hints or advice would be appreciated!

Dave

 

[Jasonb]

The readymixed adhesive & grout will take ages to dry out on glass so you will get a lot of problems with the tiles slumping (sliding down the wall)

I use BAL Mosaic Fix which is a powdered adhesive that has a very bright white colour so if a bit seeps into the joints it won't show (assuming white grout) Use a 3-4mm mosaic trowel as this will help stop excess adhesive in the joints and press the sheets into the adhesive using a grout float. If you do get a bit come through rake it out as the adhesive starts to firm up but before it sets.

Grout the next day with a powdered grout.

It is possible to pregrout paper fronted mosaics but if not experienced it can get very messy.

Jason

 

[IngeJones]

I have just in the past couple of weeks used these Wickes glass mosaics for the first time. I did use the Wickes ready-mixed adhesive/grout and it appears to have worked out well.

I marked out on the wall the actual area that would be covered and then applied the adhesive in a fairly thin roughly even layer over that area using a flexible spatula - no more than a sheet of mosaic area at a time. I would say about 2mm thick, maybe less, on average perhaps.

Then I just held up the sheet and pressed it firmly against the wall. I experienced no slippage. Grouting was completed as normal for any tile, after the adhesive had fully dried.

I think if you have uneven walls and were hoping to correct that by the common method of taking up the difference with the adhesive, then you might well get slippage and slowness in drying. In my case I have uneven walls but I allowed the mosaic to follow the unevenness. If evenness is important to the user, I would suggest starting with a primed plywood baseboard or similar so you still only need a thin layer of adhesive.

Just one thing you might want to know in advance - the mosaics had little pits on their surface, and the occasional chip on the edge. The grout tended to lodge in these, and it's visible. I don't find it unattractive, but you might.