How to Lay Mosaic Tiles Harlow
How to Lay Mosaic Tiles
Mosaic tiles can create a great finish in both kitchens and bathrooms. Mosaic tiles come in large sheets on a mesh backing to hold them all together. This makes it much easier and quicker to lay the tiles and allows you to buy ready made patterns. Mosaic tiles are also much easier to fit around obstacles such as sockets and switches.
Marking Out
If you are only tiling part of the wall, such as a splashback for example, you should first mark out where the tiles will finish on the wall. Take a length of batten and a spirit level and draw a pencil line to mark the top edge of the tiles. The easiest way to do a splashback it to make it the height of one full sheet of mosaic tiles. If you are planning to cover a full wall with mosaic tiles, you obviously do not need to mark out the edge.
Applying the Adhesive
Using a good quality tile adhesive and a notched adhesive spreader, apply the adhesive to the area to be tiled. Hold the spreader at a 45 degree angle as you drag it through the adhesive so that the ridges are an even depth. If you are tiling a large area, only apply enough adhesive for 2-4 sheets of tiles at a time.
Laying the Mosaic Tiles
Take the first sheet of tiles and, making sure you have them the correct way up for the pattern, apply them to the adhesive at one end of the wall (for a splashback) or in the bottom corner of the wall. Press the tiles firmly into the adhesive with your hands, making sure that it is level and tight up to the edge. Now use a short length of wood to tamp the tiles flat and level. Pay particular attention to the edges of the sheet.
Dealing With Obstacles
Continue to apply the tiles in this way until you reach the end of the run or meet an obstacle such as a socket. Tiling around obstacles with mosaic tile sheets is, as mentioned earlier, much easier than with normal tiles.
Measure from the edge of the last full sheet of tiles before the obstacle, to the near edge of the obstacle (we will say socket for argument's sake). If tiling a splashback, and the socket is lower than the pencil mark you made on the wall, also measure down from the pencil mark to the top edge of the socket. Finally measure the height and width of the socket. Now transfer those measurements to a tile sheet and with a sharp trimming knife, cut out any tiles which are inside your marks. It does not matter if the section of tiles you cut away is larger than the socket. Before spreading adhesive around the socket, hold the sheet against the wall to make sure it fits.
Spread adhesive for the cut sheet of tiles and lay them in the same way as you did the others. Unless you are very lucky, there will be some gaps around the socket but don't worry about them for the moment, just finish off laying the rest of the tiles. Once all the tile sheets are in place, trim a few tiles from the edge of a spare sheet. Measure the gap around the edge of the socket and, if it is more than half a tile width, cut some tiles to fit using Tile Cutti...