Preparation of the bathroom room, in which ceramic tiles are supposed to be laid on the walls, begins with an inspection of the room. Walls are checked for irregularities and lack of verticality. Piping in the bathroom must be installed before. If the surfaces are uneven or deviated from the vertical, then these shortcomings must be eliminated with the help of plaster with sand-based cement mortar. The walls of the bathroom are measured to calculate the area and calculate the number of tiles. The necessary materials and tools are purchased:
- sand;
- cement;
- tile adhesive;
- grout in the seams;
- plastic crosses for laying tiles;
- bucket for mixing glue;
- drill with a mixing nozzle;
- building level;
- notched trowel;
- a simple spatula;
- white rubber spatula;
- rubber sponge;
- grinding block;
- moisture resistant primer;
- tile;
- metal profile or rail for laying the first row;
- diamond crown for cutting holes;
- plastic wedges;
- roulette;
- tongs for breaking tiles.
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Surface preparation and marking
Old coatings are removed from the surface. Then the dust is carefully removed, and the walls are leveled with a cement-sand mortar. For this, plaster beacons are used. If the wall material has poor adhesion, then a reinforcing mesh is used for plastering. When the plaster work is completed, you should take a break for two weeks to completely dry the surface.
Before buying tiles, you need to determine the installation method. The easiest way is direct laying. The tile is attached to the wall from the bottom up. It is better to purchase a tile with a margin of 10-15% for breaking during transportation and during operation. If the height of the bathroom is small, it is recommended to use rectangular tiles laid vertically.
The laying of tiles begins with the application of a strictly horizontal marking line for the second row from the bottom. The line is marked at a height equal to the size of the tile, reduced by at least 20 mm. Height is measured from the lowest point of the floor. The size of 20 mm is taken on the basis that it is extremely inconvenient to cut off a smaller strip of tile. The first row is left to align with the floor plane by cutting the tiles. You can start from the first row if the floor is strictly horizontal, which is rare. Using screws with dowels, a plank is installed on the marked line, on which the second row of tiles will rest. After installing the second row, this profile is removed and the bottom row, consisting of undercut tiles, is installed.
Plastic wedges are used to glue the tiles next to the bathtub.
After drawing a horizontal line, draw vertical landmarks on the wall. The initial line along the vertical is marked in such a way that after filling the horizontal row there is no gap less than 25 mm. In addition to the fact that such a strip is difficult to cut, a vertical row of such narrow tiles will immediately look like a disadvantage. If, during the preliminary layout, the squares of the tiles do not fit into an integer, then the first vertical line should be drawn in the middle of the wall and laying should begin from this line. For the design of corners, a specially designed plastic corner is used. Another method of laying in the corners is to grind the mating front surfaces at an angle of 45 ° with a grinder. After trimming, the irregularities are polished with a bar. You can level the walls with moisture-resistant drywall, but with this method, the volume of the room is slightly reduced, but the work is done faster.
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Gluing tiles
The tiles in the bathroom are being laid on dry cement glue with a composition intended for walls. Glue is prepared by mixing structural components with water. In this case, the mixture is poured into water, and not vice versa. Bathroom walls must be treated with a moisture-resistant primer. It will provide the necessary waterproofing and reliable adhesion of the tile to the wall. In the process of gluing, you need to be careful and constantly monitor the evenness of the surface, verticality and the coincidence of the edge lines. You need to fix the tiles in small sections, marking out squares with a side of four tiles.
Plastic crosses help to maintain the spacing between tiles. A day after gluing, the crosses are removed. Glue is smeared on the wall with a notched trowel. This tool is used to cover tiles with glue. The tile is pressed with slight movements parallel to the wall. Some masters advise to wet the tile, but this is not necessary - the supporting surface of the tile absorbs the necessary moisture from the adhesive solution. Laying should be done slowly so that after gluing each tile, the adhesive sets. In a hurry, you can inadvertently move a tile that has not firmly set enough and thereby weaken the reliability of its future fastening. When pressing the tile to the wall, excessive force is not needed - this way you can squeeze out almost all the glue from under the tile. The part of the composition squeezed out is removed with a spatula made of wood or plastic to avoid scratches on the surface.
If it is necessary to bypass obstacles in the form of pipes, ventilation holes or doorways, the necessary cutouts are made in the tile. Bypassing some difficult places can be considered at the time when laying is planned to make cuts easier and in fewer. If possible, it is best to use a tiled jigsaw. Such a tool is equipped with a wire or rod, which is sprayed with an abrasive composition. With this method, obstacle avoidance is ideal. If there is no jigsaw, use a grinder. In this case, cutouts are obtained with corners that should be covered with any details that do not violate the harmony of the tiled coating. If there is a need to drill holes in the wall to accommodate any interior items, it is better to postpone this work until the walls are completely dry after facing.
After gluing the wall with tiles, it remains to fill the gaps with grout. This is done with a white rubber spatula by moving diagonally across the tile. A variant of direct laying will be a checkerboard laying. It uses tiles of different colors, laid in the form of a chessboard. There can be as many ways of laying tiles as the master's imagination allows. One of the most common is the diagonal. To mark the wall, you need to draw two perpendicular diagonals. They should be located at an angle of 45 ° to the upper edge of the future full cladding. Laying tiles starts from the middle of the surface, first all whole tiles are attached. It is not necessary to lay the entire diagonal at once, but to glue in sections, as with straight laying. The last triangles along the edges of the cladding are best placed at the end of the work.
Not all walls are suitable for gluing an external tile coating - it depends on the material of the wall and the insulation on it. For some exterior walls or insulation, you may need, for example, facade tiles with metal fasteners. In general, facade tiles for exterior decoration can be attached in a few ways - either glued to the surface, or screwed to the wall, or mounted in clips on the frame.
And in any case, the determining moment at will be exactly what base is under it. Based on the base material, the method of fastening the external decorative material is selected, and the type of decorative coating itself is also chosen.
This means that you cannot, for example, mount on weak bases precisely because of its weight. In the same way, you will not be able to equip a wet plaster facade on the walls of an old wooden house due to the fact that such a facade will collapse over time - the foundation under it will be too fragile.
As usual, the tile is attached to the foam
Decorative facade tiles on foam plastic can be fixed in two ways - glued and fixed on the frame.
Let's immediately focus on the frame version. Styrofoam is a combustible insulation, no matter what the foam manufacturers tell us. If the facade tiles are on foam with a gap, then there may be a ventilation gap between the outer decorative coating and the insulation.
In the event of a fire, which is possible with such a combination of "styrofoam - ventilation gap", the fire will spread through the ventilation gap, covered with decorative tiles on top. It will be impossible to put out such a fire.
The only option when facade tiles on foam plastic can be attached to the frame is the full fit of the tile to the insulation and the possible sizing of the foam-tile connection. In this option, there will be no air flow under the decorative coating along the insulation layer, the occurrence of fire and the maintenance of combustion is impossible.
In the case when the classic is used, the facade tiles on the foam are attached with glue, directly to the plaster reinforcing mesh.
Also, clinker tiles will have to be attached to the glue, since it is unlikely that it will be possible to fix it with clamps on the facade.
Fastening facade tiles on self-tapping screws
When installing facade tiles on a frame made of wood or metal, or mounting on old wooden walls made of logs or timber, self-tapping screws can be used.
Not every facade tile on self-tapping screws will stick to the wall. For example, it will not work in this way to fix porcelain tiles or ceramic tiles. There are other ways to fix them.
But any light decorative coating options - plastic or wooden - can be attached in just this way. Metal or self-tapping screws can be fixed directly to the walls of an old wooden house, or you can use a crate for such fastening.
If you need to fix heavy tiles - porcelain stoneware or ceramic facade - you will need metal fasteners.
Facade tiles with clasps
Porcelain stoneware facade tiles with metal fasteners - clamps - can be mounted on any walls that can bear the weight of the fastening system and the mounted facade. That is, any brick, concrete or wooden walls can be lined with this material using the system metal frame and brackets holding .
Clamp-mounted ceramic façade tiles can also be attached to all types of walls. The only limitation here will be the ability of the load-bearing wall to withstand the weight of the hanging cladding material.
Independent production of facade tiles and fixtures
Can decorative facade tiles be made with your own hands and fasteners for it? Of course yes. Previous materials on the site have already talked about how you can make. The technology for the production of facade tiles will independently be approximately the same.
The technology for the production of tiles for outdoor use will be disclosed in the following materials on the site, but you can find out how a home-made facade tile with metal fasteners will be mounted right now.
The diagram shows facade tiles with metal fasteners, arranged with, and fixed on the outer wall of the house - this will be the general “pie” of the wall:
As you can see, it is the clamps that are used, but you can use their home-made likeness, but not self-tapping screws. Why? Because such facade tiles on self-tapping screws will not be able to stay on the wall normally, even if they are self-tapping screws with wide caps. The material of the cladding panels itself will not withstand.
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Today we will analyze in detail how to glue tiles on the wall. Although this issue must be considered in conjunction with gender. After all, that's basically how it's done. This will depend on the markup and the rules for choosing the material.
Today we will look at how to choose the right material and how to properly glue the tiles on the wall in stages.
If you have not decided how to paste over the wall in the kitchen instead of tiles, this is not surprising, because this material is quite difficult to find a replacement for:
- When applying this type of coating, you get a beautiful and even plane that will last for quite a long time;
- The material perfectly tolerates high humidity and is most often used in the decoration of rooms with high humidity, for example, in the bathroom (see Bathtub tiling: how to do it right);
- Not afraid of low temperatures and suitable for finishing rooms without heating;
- There is a large number of Not only colors, but also sizes. This will allow you to pick up the material with virtually no waste;
- It is not afraid of alkalis and various oils, therefore it is also suitable for finishing industrial premises;
- It is also not difficult to maintain and how to glue the fallen off tiles on the wall you will not have any problems, because it is easy and fast to do. You just need to try on and fit the tile to the desired size and simply fix it on the mortar.
Material selection
Any person can glue tiles on the floor or walls, and with their own hands. First you need to choose the right material. Everything here will depend on the location of the cladding and the location of the plane itself.
The most basic division of a tile can be defined in two ways:
Choosing a tile | This material has a thin appearance. He does not tolerate physical impact. It has many options for manufacturing and, accordingly, types. So there is plenty to choose from: For example, for an “apron” in the kitchen, tiles of lower quality are suitable, while in the bathroom, you should not buy low-quality ones. |
floor tiles | The difference is that for the floor, it is more durable, with a non-slip coating, while for walls, a glossy one is used, possibly with an embossed pattern. Dry mix, selected taking into account moisture resistance, this is indicated on the package. The tile is "discounted", usually does not correspond to the desired quality, or these are leftovers. |
Attention: When buying, you should always make calculations upwards, because the tile often breaks, or an error is possible when cutting. You always need to remember that, having bought the required number of tiles, in the future, it may simply not be exactly the same.
Ways and methods of laying tiles
Laying tiles is a fairly simple operation. Among builders, it is not considered difficult, it can be performed by anyone, even a student. Nevertheless, the work of such a plan requires preparation for it, and, importantly, actions according to the rules, that is, in order to achieve a positive result, everything must be done correctly.
It is also important to observe safety measures. It would seem - it would be, what could be harmful, with such work? But don't neglect your own health. All work is divided into stages, each stage at the same time, has its own characteristics. By carefully studying, and strictly following the rules, everything will work out.
Security measures
A very important step. When working with tiles, one way or another, it is understood that inevitably, one has to deal with a material that is very sharp, with sharp edges.
So:
- When dismantling (see How to remove tiles from a wall without damaging the base), you need to use safety glasses to avoid getting small particles into your eyes.
- To protect hands, use gloves. Here Special attention- the fact is that when tile adhesive gets under the nail, it hardens, while expanding, as a result - you can be left without nails. In case of accidental contact, rinse with a brush.
- The same goes for the eyes. Tile adhesive is not exactly cement, it contains a huge amount of chemical compositions. Therefore, in case of contact with eyes, rinse immediately, and if necessary, consult a doctor. When glue gets on the skin of the hands, cracking is obtained, and sores are formed - very painful and unpleasant.
- They use medical gloves, but choose more durable ones (always a pair in stock). Face and hands, before working with the solution, it is recommended to lubricate with baby cream, in case of accidental contact with glue, it will be easier to remove.
Preparation for the main work
Before gluing the tile to the wall, it is necessary to prepare the base plane with high quality. This will depend on appearance and durability of the coating. Moreover, everything can be done with your own hands and, accordingly, the final price will not be high.
Everything is done in the following order:
- Remove all unnecessary, freeing the walls - it is necessary. Sometimes, they try to avoid this step, but trying to trace a tile around an obstacle generally results in a loss of quality. It is better to remove everything that is possible, this will save time, simplify the task as a whole, and improve the quality of the work performed.
- Painted wall treatment.
- It is best to wash off the old dye completely. There is an article on this topic on our website (see How to wash off the paint without problems).
- If it is not possible to remove the dye, then it is necessary to process it with sandpaper, in addition, notches are made on the wall for better adhesion of the solution to the wall. Notches are made with an old ax, or with a hammer, or alternatively with a perforator.
- . Alignment of the walls, a very important step. It will not be possible to avoid it, in the end, this, one might say, is a condition under which it becomes generally possible to perform high-quality styling.
- It is necessary to check the corners and verticality of the walls. Otherwise, it will turn out to be “spread”, it looks very ugly, but in fact it is a marriage. In such works, the most important is the vertical direction, the corners themselves, of course, it is desirable to “bring out”, but the vertical will just affect the expansion. This can be done using a level, attaching it to the wall, or using a plumb line.
- In case of violation, the wall must be corrected. With the help of guides, the front wall is “displayed”. Guides are attached to the wall with a gypsum mortar. You don’t need to cook it a lot, the guides are attached to the “blunders”, while the vertical is verified.
- They are also installed vertically, at a distance of 50 cm from each other, while they should not be taken far from the wall, only to the distance necessary for alignment.
- In cases where it is necessary to retract the guides farther than 3 cm, it is necessary to strengthen the mounting grid before applying the leveling plaster. In this case, the applied layer of plaster should not be made immediately thick, but should be applied gradually, allowing the previous layer to dry. To perform such work, it is recommended to use dry mixes that meet the quality requirements for rooms with high humidity.
- In the event that there is already an old tile on the wall, it must be removed. It is removed with a hammer and a chisel, you can use a puncher, having previously installed a special nozzle on it. The work is dangerous because when the tile is broken off, its small parts can get into the eyes. Protective goggles must be worn.
- The floor also needs to be leveled, after removing the old tiles. But before starting work, the floor must be treated with waterproofing. There are a lot of such materials, there are various films, or they use roofing mastic.
This is in order to prevent possible leaks, as well as the possible accumulation of water in the floor slabs, which in itself may well be a room with high humidity.
After the insulation device, beacons are installed on the floor, attached to the gypsum mixture. You need to install them, along the bathroom, at a distance of 50 cm from each other. The distance is not important, but you do not need to make it too large (it is inconvenient to level the solution), and too small (wasted work).
The tool is the same as in cases of leveling walls with plaster. In cases where the floor turns out to be wooden, you need to examine it for wear. If necessary, replace (in whole or in part), while the wooden parts are treated with special solutions that prevent rotting and burning. Waterproofing in this case is done on top of the boards, on a 10 cm whip on the wall.
markup
Before you glue the tiles on the walls, it must be properly marked.
So:
- When marking, the size of the tile, the presence of insert elements, the presence of a border or panel are taken into account.
- Starting from the ceiling, it is calculated how many whole (not cut) tiles fit to the floor.
- The bottom row, on the floor, is trimmed (trimmed). For convenience during work, at the place where the whole tile ends, closer to the floor, a bar or a steel profile is attached, so that it becomes possible to “put” the first row on the “shelf”.
- Such a “shelf” is attached to the dowels, but so that it can be easily removed, but at the same time, you need to install it according to the level. It turns out that the first row from the floor remains, it is done after the rest of the tiles are laid, the mortar has hardened. In cases with a curb, such a shelf is made in front of the curb, but if there is still little experience, it is recommended to go from bottom to top (gradually), then the curb itself will turn out arbitrarily, there, in place, it is possible to clarify.
- For clarity, a variant with a diagram is possible, it’s simple here, a drawing is made, and the tile is spread. There is an opportunity to experiment. You need to calculate like this - the front wall, the one that is straight, from the entrance, on it, the tile is glued, taking into account the cutting spacing, that is, in such a way that the cut part is on both sides. This wall is done first.
- For beginners, and for experienced tilers, it is very convenient to use special "inserts" in the corners, adjoining the wall to the floor (plinth), in this case, the cut part of the tile is hidden, visually it looks very beautiful. But in general, all cut off edges are “driven” to places that are not visible when entering the room, or attention to such places is drawn last.
Laying tiles
Now we will directly figure out how to glue the tiles on the walls. This work is done in a certain sequence.
The stages of gluing tiles to the wall will be distributed in the following order:
- Before starting masonry, a solution is prepared.
There are several options here:
cement mortar | Cement mortar for gluing tiles to the wall is suitable, both on internal surfaces and on external surfaces. Not afraid of temperature extremes and high humidity. |
Ready mix | These compounds are best used only for internal work. After all, you don’t even know how well their composition will withstand. After all, the instructions on the package do not at all indicate the correct preparation.
|
Water is poured into a bucket (or into a basin), gradually, in small portions, a dry adhesive mixture is poured, while constantly mixing. The solution should not be too thick, at the same time not too liquid. Stirring is recommended with a construction mixer (nozzle on a drill).
Attention: after the solution is mixed, it needs to stand for about 5 minutes. And you need to take into account the peculiarity - the batch, after settling, becomes a little thinner. The solution is being prepared, only for cold water. It is not necessary to add various additives to the mixture, such as cement or sand, sometimes they experiment by adding PVA glue.
The mixture is completely ready after it is diluted with water.
- The next step will be - laying tiles. When it comes to walls, it is easier, and at the same time more qualitative, when the solution is applied to the wall. It's not important, you need to work in a way that is convenient.
- Before applying the mortar, it is recommended to treat the wall with a primer mixture (penetrating primer), this is done immediately before laying the tiles, and in addition to strengthening the plaster structure, it plays the role of wetting, for better adhesion of the adhesive to the wall. At the same time, the tile itself does not need to be wetted. With a notched trowel, the solution is “stretched” along the wall, a large area should not be covered, enough for 2 - 3 tiles. "Crosses" are inserted immediately.
- Professionals, do not insert crosses in the connection of 4 tiles, and do not sink them. Only one petal is inserted, so that later you can easily get it. The mixture under the tile should be distributed evenly, leaving no voids in the corners. During installation, periodically, you need to clean the seams, this is done with the same “cross”, and then swept away (with a brush - sweep).
- In the process of work, it is constantly checked - evenness in all directions (vertical, horizontal), as well as the joints of the tile itself. To do this, use the level. For the convenience of work, there are several "chips" - when a tile is taken, you need to pay attention to the pattern on the reverse side, in the future, navigate along it, this is done in order to avoid "turnovers", sometimes it happens that the pattern on the front side does not match, because it is inverted.
- Tiles in packaging, during transportation, or later during work, are always placed on the "edge". This will prevent the tiles from breaking. Of course, they will change it in the store, but you will have to go there, and besides, it may not be the right color. Before work, the material must be "stand", for about 8 - 10 hours, at the temperature at which it will be used.
Finishing
It means "gripping". The final stage, therefore, it should be treated responsibly. Grouting material is sold ready-made, dry, and can be of different colors.
Attention: It is recommended to use ready-made, already diluted, of a certain color. It often happens that you can’t repeat the color, and you have to invent something, so it’s better not to suffer, but to purchase a ready-made solution right away.
- With the finished mixture, the gaps between the tiles are filled with a silicone spatula. This must be done in such a way that there are no voids left. As it dries partially, the seams are “washed out” with a foam rubber sponge. To do this, use ordinary water, but add liquid soap there.
- The seam must be processed in such a way that it is formed in an even strip, without bubbles and gaps. At the same time, you do not need to leave too much, the formation is done along the edge of the tile, so that the “grout” does not protrude. All plastic parts (corners, plinth) are smeared with silicone sealants, excess is removed with a sponge and soapy water.
In conclusion, I would like to add - despite the fact that the work itself is not difficult, the attitude towards it should be very serious.
Now you know how to glue tiles on the wall. If you do everything slowly, then it will not take much time and you will also save financially. After watching the video in this article and the photo, everything can be done quickly and efficiently, the instructions will help to avoid mistakes.
Tiles and stone often serve as surface finishes. Their durability largely depends on the quality of the installation. In that big role materials that are not visible to the eye play - these are leveling compounds, a well-thought-out base, adhesive and waterproofing solutions.
It is very important to choose the right tool to which the tile will be attached. Therefore, let's talk about the varieties of floor fasteners in more detail.
Adhesives are divided into two groups according to the conditions of their use. The first group - adhesives for outdoor use. They are made specifically for the street, taking into account the climate, various influences on them. And the second group - adhesives for interiors with milder conditions of use.
In addition, there are special adhesives that, depending on the conditions, are used in a particular room. For example, there are adhesives for swimming pools, because. the substance is constantly in contact with water; for individual enterprises where contact with any substances may occur; for special underfloor heating, because there is no constant temperature for many other rooms. All these adhesives were developed under certain conditions of use.
Separately, we can distinguish adhesives that are used to attach heavy plates, for example, stone or ceramic. Glue in such cases must be very durable, frost-resistant, resistant to water and heat treatment. When using such glue, you can not use additional fasteners. There are adhesives that hold heavy loads, although they do not need to be applied to the entire surface, but only to 10% of the surface area.
If light stones or glass are used for cladding, then these materials are recommended to be glued with a special glue made from white cement. If you are laying natural stone or marble (thin-layer or moisture-sensitive), you must use a special epoxy adhesive, otherwise they may warp. Epoxy glue is made without the use of water.
Instructions must be attached to the glue. It will say what kind of work this glue is intended for.
Now the composition of the adhesive most often includes a polymer-mineral composite. It usually consists of polymer additives and a cement-sand mixture.
The capabilities of the adhesive depend on the composition of the polymer additives. The more components, the more varied the possibilities of the adhesive. For example, some polymers improve the adhesive's ability to attach (adhesion). Another type of additive increases the ability of the adhesive to retain moisture, because if the adhesive does not hold it well, it can go into the cement, and it will begin to crumble. The last type of polymer controls elasticity. This is necessary, if there is pressure in the tile or in the base or any changes begin to take place, the adhesive will reduce them.
So, it depends on polymers what kind of glue will be: durable, waterproof, very durable. What layer of glue to apply, first of all, depends on the thickness of the tile itself. The adhesive layer can be 2-15 mm. If you apply a thin layer of glue, it will dry evenly and last longer. But this method of work can only be used on a specifically prepared surface. Most importantly, it must be very even. If not, then you will spend a lot more glue. Yes, and it will not dry evenly, so it will not be able to glue tiles or stone with high quality. So, before you start facing, you need to carefully align the walls.
If the surface on which the cladding is made strongly absorbs water, then it must be primed. The primer does not pass moisture and serves as an additional fastener. In particular, it is recommended to prime gypsum materials - drywall, gypsum fiber boards, plasterboard.
After priming and leveling the surface, you need to do it for waterproofing. This is especially important for rooms where the humidity is high. Also, thanks to waterproofing, cracks will not penetrate from the base to the tile or stone.
Waterproofing takes place in two stages. First of all, you need to stick the tape at the junction of the floor and walls or walls. This is to maintain the connection if the walls move a little. After that, you can cover with a waterproofing layer. It is a mixture of various polymeric substances. After finishing work, you can start finishing the walls or floor.
To make glue, you need to spend only about 5-10 minutes. They can only be used for as long as it does not begin to freeze. If the glue has hardened, it can no longer be diluted with water, because. it is only suitable for disposable. The shelf life of the glue is usually about 4-6 hours. But there are glues of "short life", they can be used up to 1-1.5 hours.
When choosing a cuisine, Moscow opens up a huge number of possibilities for you. Elegant and fundamental kitchen sets made of eco-friendly materials will decorate your home and become reliable assistants in preparing your favorite dishes.
The bathroom is the face of the whole house, guests inevitably get there. Therefore, it should look presentable. There are no trifles in this matter: the floor, ceiling, walls should be covered not only with practical, but also with beautiful material, easy to maintain and maintain. As an option, along with large-sized ceramic tiles, builders began to use mosaic tiles.
Traditionally, mosaic is considered a high-class material, and earlier not many people could afford to use it for repairs. The main difficulty was laying many small tiles, but now this problem has been solved. Mosaic on a grid that combines individual particles into easy-to-install blocks allows you to fasten the material quickly and without much effort. But before you go to the store, you should learn more about the varieties of mosaic tiles, their purpose and the nuances of laying.
Mosaic tiles in the interior
Features of the material and its varieties
Mosaic is a small (1x1 cm) fragments of finishing materials, located at regular intervals and forming a single picture. In the case under consideration, these elements are fixed on a flexible metal mesh. Such material can be used for floor and wall cladding, as a coating for kitchen furniture, and even for decorating facades and garden paths.
According to the type of surface, the mosaic is glossy and matte. Gloss is easier to maintain and more often used for walls in rooms with high humidity (bathroom, kitchen), while matte tiles with anti-slip properties are more suitable for flooring.
Another criterion that affects the appearance, specifications and the cost of the mosaic - the material of manufacture. On sale is a mosaic of:
What should be the tiled base?
Unlike ordinary tiles, the mosaic is placed not just on a flat, but on a perfectly smooth surface, otherwise, due to the flexible mesh base that repeats any irregularities, the pattern will be spoiled and the edges will not converge. Therefore, the technology of laying mosaic tiles involves careful preparation of the base.
Puttying small irregularities on the walls First, the walls or floor are cleaned of old coatings and dust. Then they are checked by level for the presence of height differences. To make it easier to eliminate irregularities, use the following technique - thickly rub an even rail of a suitable size with chalk and, pressing it well, run it along the walls or floor. In places where there is no chalk left, there are depressions that need to be filled with plaster or concrete mix (if mosaic is being laid on the floor). In case of serious flaws and cracks, it is more rational and easier to level the walls with drywall, while not forgetting to wipe the joints and caps of self-tapping screws.
The prepared surface is dedusted and treated with a deep penetration primer. This will improve adhesion, providing better bonding of materials. After the composition has dried, you can proceed to the installation of the mosaic.
How to choose the right adhesive for mosaic tiles?
Glue Some types of mosaics are very capricious to adhesives, so you need to choose an adhesive based on the specific material with which you plan to work. Laying the mosaic on the grid is carried out using the following compositions:
- Glue is standard. It consists of sand, Portland cement and modifying additives. Suitable for laying opaque tiles on standard surfaces.
- polymer composition. Polymer components provide reliable adhesion, making the adhesive suitable for facing surfaces of complex shapes.
- Glue is white. It includes the same components as the standard one, the only difference is the white color supported by special components. Laying glass mosaics is carried out only on this solution.
- Homemade solution. The necessary ingredients are water, cement and fine, well-sifted sand. All components are mixed to a consistency of medium density with a drill with a special nozzle. The cost of such glue will be low, but it is better to use it for concrete or stone mosaics.
If you have to work with a wooden surface or drywall - the glue must be selected individually. In particular, for wood cladding, it is recommended to add PVA to standard adhesives.
Mosaic laying technology
The question of how to glue mosaic tiles on a grid correctly is of interest to many beginner tilers. You should start by laying out the mosaic fragments in the selected order on a horizontal surface. For the convenience of further work, the tiles should be numbered. However, if your mosaic does not have a specific pattern, this step can be neglected.
Glue distribution Laying mosaic tiles begins with the most noticeable area. This is necessary in order to make it easier to disguise the places where the material is trimmed. It is advisable to think over the laying scheme and the location of the slices in advance. If the pattern and footage of the surface involves trimming only along the seam, you can divide the mesh with ordinary scissors-nippers, and you will have to use a glass cutter to accurately cut the tile itself.
The adhesive is applied to the surface to be coated in small portions, given that it takes about 15 minutes to dry. The solution is distributed with a notched trowel (tooth height 6-8 mm), a tile is applied to it and leveled. The result is checked by level. In order for the mosaic to stand up well, it is impossible to press it with your hands; instead, the laid tiles are rolled with a rubber roller. If you are laying tiles on a kitchen "apron", before starting work, its lower border is outlined by a line and a metal profile is attached to it, on which the material will rest.
The material is gently pressed with a roller Pay attention to the distance between the sheets, it should match the gaps between individual tile fragments. If at the joints of walls or other surfaces after trimming there are noticeable ends of the grid, they can be hidden under a decorative stroke. After finishing laying, fresh glue is used to clean the mosaic coating - remove excess mortar with a damp sponge. Then the surface is wiped dry and left to dry for 2-3 days.
Grouting
Laying mosaic tiles with your own hands is completed by cleaning the seams. To do this, you will need a grout mixture. There are compositions based on cement, latex and epoxy. When choosing, be guided by the operating conditions of the tile, if it will be subjected to thermal stress and chemicals, it is worth taking a grout with the addition of epoxy. But keep in mind that its use will require preliminary protective treatment of the mosaic with wax.
Grouting with white compound Equally important is the color of the grout. It sets off the mosaic pattern and, being unsuccessfully selected, can ruin the whole picture. Compare the grout to a small piece of your tile when purchasing to ensure you get the right color combination.
The selected mixture is diluted with water, referring to the instructions on the package. If you use a grout with a water-repellent effect, then in the process of preparing the solution, you cannot do without a drill with a mixing nozzle. It is recommended to apply the solution with a rubber spatula. The work will go faster if you use a 15-20 cm spatula.
The final touch - cleaning the coating from excess grout The grout mixture dries in 10-15 minutes, after which the excess composition is removed by wiping the surface of the mosaic with a damp sponge in circular motions. Frequent rinsing of the sponge will prevent streaks from appearing on the tiles. The laying of the mosaic is over, it remains only to allow the coating to dry.
is a creative process where attention to detail will never be superfluous. When choosing a wall covering material, consider the conditions under which it will be used, as well as how the tile is combined with the floor, ceiling and other elements. Pay special attention to textiles. It is good if it repeats the color and fragments of the pattern of the selected coating.
Let's summarize. With attention to detail and use necessary tools, the technology of laying mosaics on a grid is not a problem even for a non-professional. So maybe you should show a little diligence and imagination and decorate the interior of your house with a mosaic pattern?
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