Step By Step Instructions Of Installing Mosaic Tile Sheets
Mosaics are considered as one of the best tiles that mostly ascertain the size, amount, or degree by 2 inches or less. Mosaic tiles are available in a huge range of materials, shapes as well as colors and are generally sold by the sheet in order to make its installation process much easier. Two of the most popular types of mosaic sheets include: mesh-mounted mosaics & face-mounted mosaics. Mesh-mounted mosaics comprises of a layer of fiberglass or paper mesh on their backs, whereas face-mounted mosaics comprises of brown craft paper or contact paper protecting their fronts. Both the types of mosaics have the similar method of installation process with the extra step of having to get rid of the paper from the fronts of face-mounted mosaics. Go through the below-mentioned steps carefully in order to install mosaic tile sheets on the floor:
- Examine Your Mosaic Sheets: Start the process by examining your mosaic sheets. For face-mounted mosaics, it is not possible to see the appearance of the mosaics, due to the reason that the only visible parts will be the back. Now, inspect thoroughly the top of the sheets at the very edges, a thin line of the tiles are visible all over the perimeter of the sheet, which is extremely important as it will help you ascertain or establish exactly how far apart to install the sheets from each other.
- Lay Out The Mosaic Tiles Sheets: Now, place the mosaic tile sheets right on the installation area, or if in case your are installing them on the walls, place mosaic sheets in an area of equal size and shape. Try to set the sheets together in order to make sure that the space betwixt the sheets is similar to the spacing betwixt the tiles. If in case the mosaics form a pattern, you need to be very comfortable while putting down the sheets in the correct order so that you can complete the pattern.
- Trim The Tiles To Fit: Now, it is time to trim the mesh or paper taking hold of the mosaics together to cut the sheets in order to adjust it to the edges of the installation. For cutting individual tiles, then you need to use tile nippers that are particularly designed for the type of mosaic you are installing. Trim the tiles one at a time to fit.
- Stack The Sheets: Next, put the sheets together in order of how you want to install them. Some of the sheets comprises of numbers with arrows so that you can more easily complete the pattern. In this case, you need to make sure to stack the sheets in the correct order having its directions easily visible.
- Lay Out Thin Set Mortar: Lay out a small amount of thin set mortar onto the surface where you are going to install the mosaic sheets. Pull the notches of the trowel forcefully along the mortar as long as it is a uniform depth. Flatten out the grooves this leaves behind with the help of a flat edge of the trowel. Grooves in the mortar can both happen betwixt the mosaics and be seen along clear & crystalline materials, like glass or onyx. Flattening them out will remove these problems.
- Press The Sheets: Squeeze or press the mosaic sheets into the mortar, and flatten them from bottom to top with the help of your hand. Put in a flat piece of wood over the mosaics, and knock it with the help of a rubber mallet in order to help drive the mosaics uniformly into the mortar.
- Straighten The Sheets: Now, align & adjust any of the sheets by putting the flat edge of the trowel betwixt the mosaic rows and pushing them into place gently.
- Allow Mortar To Dry: Now, it is time to dry the mortar for at least one hour, before eliminating the paper-face material from face-mounted mosaics. Wet a sponge in water and then apply to the paper protecting the mosaics. The water will help disappear the glue grasping the mosaics in place. After sometime, remove the outer covering of the paper. If any tiles come loose, propel them back into place with the help of your fingertips. Align & adjust any rows of tiles with the edge of the trowel if in case they have shifted. Allow the mortar dry for nearly 24 hours.
- Grout The Mosaics: Next, grout the mosaic by laying out grout over the complete installation with a grout float. Grasp the float at a 45-degree angle to the mosaics in order to direct the grout. Run the float over the same area from numerous directions in order to make sure that many grout joints adjoining the mosaics get adequate amount of coverage. Allow the grout set up for at least 10 minutes.
- Wash The Excess Grout: Wash the excess grout off the mosaics with the help of a grout sponge. Dampen the sponge, and move it in circles over the mosaics, cleaning it regularly as long as the mosaics are clean. Allow the grout to completely dry for at least 24 hours.