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Safety advisory : wear safety goggles and wear a mask when manipulating grout or thinset mortar.
[TIP: start the slideshow - photos will open in a new window and you can follow along using the photo numbers indicated below!]
1. Tools and materials
In addition to mosaic tiles, you will require:
Weldbond glue, paintbrush, mastic, thinset mortar, grout, scissors, utility knife, palette knife, mosaic nippers, wheeled nippers, non-permanent marker, gloves, mask/safety goggles, sponge, strong plastic adhesive film (like MacTac), stir sticks, masking tape, float
Many of these supplies (except wheeled nippers and maybe stir sticks) should be available at your local hardware store or home center.
You can create your own designs, or if you prefer, you can use designs that you find in mosaic pattern books, coloring books, or in clipart collections (enlarge printed designs on a photocopier as necessary).
2. Adhesives
There are many types of adhesives available on the market. We recommend that you read all package warnings and instructions carefully. Choose the adhesive that's appropriate for the tesserae and backing you're using, as well as one that can withstand the intended surrounding conditions (interior or exterior).
- Weldbond white glue: excellent for glass, vitreous glass, and porcelain. Non toxic, odorless, and weather-resitant, Weldbond is a very durable adhesive. You can apply it directly to small areas of your support base and place a few tiles at a time, or you can apply it to the back of the tesserae and glue them one by one. Weldbond dries clear. A 24-hour curing time is generally sufficient, however, the longer it dries before you grout, the stronger the bond. When diluted with water, this product can also be used as a sealer.
- Tile mastic: paste-like adhesive you apply with a stir stick or palette knife. Mastic is for interior use only.
- Thinset mortar: cement-based adhesive that you mix with either water or a latex additive. This product is generally only available in 25-pound bags. Mix the powder with your chosen liquid until you get a mixture that is the same consistency as cake batter. This adhesive dries very quickly, however when using the direct method, you can increase the open time by covering the mixture. Avoid discarding thinset down the sink since this adhesive can clog your drain! Can be used on inside and outdoor projects.
3. Backing
Plywood and MDF are recommended for their strength and resistance to warping. However, MDF should not be used where the piece will be exposed to water, since it will blister when wet.
Scratch the front surface of your backing with a utility knife (this improves the bond with the tesserae).
PICTURE 1
Cover the wood surface with a mixture of 1 part Weldbond to 4 parts water. Apply this coating to all surfaces of the backing.
4. Cutting tiles
Tesserae are the elements that your mosaic is composed of. The cube is a classic mosaic form.
It takes a little practice to cut tiles into the tessera shapes you want. Regular mosaic nippers are the basic tool: you can use them to cut just about any ordinary mosaic material (including marble, but excluding very hard marbles). At MosaicBoutique we only offer soft marble materials. On the other hand, wheeled nippers are your best bet for cutting vitreous glass and glass in general. This is my favorite tool!
PICTURE 2 (top)
: Vitreous glass
Using wheeled nippers (recommended), hold the piece firmly between your thumb and index finger. Position the nipper blades in the middle of the tile (not the edge), and cut with a rapid snapping action. Do it like you mean business!
Using regular mosaic nippers, hold the piece firmly between your thumb and index finger. Position the nipper blades at the edge of the tile (not in the middle), and cut with a rapid snapping action.
To cut a circle, cut the four corners and nibble away at the tessera until you get the shape you want.
PICTURE 2 (bottom)
: Porcelain and marble
Hold the tile firmly between your thumb and index finger.
Position the blade of your mosaic nippers a little further from the edge than you would for vitreous glass, and cut with a snapping action.
To cut a triangle shape, hold the nipper blades diagonally on the tile and cut. You may have to nibble the cut to get a perfect diagonal line. Cut each triangle yet again to get two additional triangles.
5. Assembly technique 1, the DIRECT method
Using this technique, the tiles are affixed directly to the backing.
Use a small paintbrush or palette knife to apply the adhesive little by little as you work your way across the surface. You don't want the glue to dry out before you've had time to position your tiles.
PICTURE 3
Place the tiles on the adhesive one by one. Alternatively, you could also apply the adhesive to the back of each tile. If you plan to grout your piece, remember to leave enough space between the tesserae for the grout to fill.
Let the Weldbond dry for a full 24 hours before you grout. The longer the Weldbond is left to cure, the more solidly fastened your pieces will be. Go to Step 6. Grouting.
6. Assembly technique 2, the DOUBLE INDIRECT method
Using this method, you lay out your mosaic design on a temporary surface and then transfer the finished work to the permanent backing. This method is quite useful in that you are free to modify your design while you create the mosaic. It is also the ideal method to use when you have a flat surface such as a table for example.
Here, we see the design and the self-adhesive sheet taped to the temporary backing. The protective paper is pulled back to reveal the sticky surface upon which we'll place the tesserae. Some black and white porcelain tiles have already been placed in position.
Indirect assembly technique
Using this method, you lay out your mosaic design on a temporary surface and then transfer the finished work to the permanent support. This method is quite useful in that you are free to modify your design while you create the mosaic.
Create a design scaled to the final size you'll want and use masking tape to stick it to your temporary base (made of styrofoam or some other material that's easy to manipulate and store).
Cut a piece of plastic adhesive film that's a little larger than your drawing or design and lay it (sticky side up) on top of the drawing and hold it in place with masking tape.
PICTURE 4
If you remove the entire protective paper sheet (as we've done in this photo!!), the adhesive sheet may lose some of its stickiness due to fingers and fragments of tesserae being repeatedly stuck and unstuck to it. Therefore, you should really only reveal the adhesive sheet little by little as you work your way across the piece.
Cut and place your tesserae, leaving a small space between them, to make room for the grout. Ideally, the spaces between the pieces should be as uniform as possible.
Once you've laid out all of your pieces, cut out another piece of plastic adhesive film that's a little larger than your mosaic.
PICTURE 5
Remove the protective paper...
... and lay it sticky side down, on top of your mosaic.
Using your fingers or a rounded tool, press down on the plastic adhesive film so that it is very well attached to the surface of the mosaic. Your mosaic is now sandwiched between two sheets of plastic adhesive film.
PICTURE 6
Remove the masking tape. Position a temporary sheet of plywood over the front of the mosaic and flip the entire assembly over. Starting from one corner, carefully remove the film that you applied to the back of your mosaic.
Using a stir stick, spatula, or paintbrush, apply your glue to the front of the permanent support.
PICTURE 7
Press the adhesive-covered support down onto the back of the mosaic.
Flip the assembly over again and press down on the mosaic with your float to maximize adhesion of the tesserae, glue, and backing.
PICTURE 8
At this stage, the plastic adhesive film that you applied to the front of your mosaic is still in place. Leave it as-is until the adhesive dries, at least 24 hours!
When the adhesive has completely cured, pull off the sheet of plastic adhesive film that is still attached to the front of your mosaic. You're now ready for the next step, grouting.
7. Grouting
The purpose of grout is to fill in the spaces between the tesserae that make up your mosaic. This adds stability and smoothness. Grout compound is a cement-based powder.
You should wear a mask and gloves while working with the grout powder.
Place some grout powder in a disposable plastic container.
Gradually add water and mix until it takes on the consistency of cake batter. Stir vigorously to eliminate any lumps. Tip: if you stick a popsickle stick upright into the mixture and it does not fall over, the you have achieved the correct consistency.
PICTURE 9
Let the grout mixture stand in its container for 10 minutes, then spread it over the surface of your mosaic using a palette knife or float. In this example, we're masking off sections of the piece so we can apply different colors of grout to different areas.
Using your float, press firmly down on the mosaic to force the grout into the spaces. Make sure that all the gaps are completely filled.
Next, use the float to scrape away any excess grout.
PICTURE 10
Pass a moistened sponge (moistened, but not too wet!) across the front of the mosaic.
Let the grout dry for a half hour (not much more than that, though), then clean up the mosaic with a dry, lint-free cloth. This will remove any film left by the grout mixture.
One final warning: do not pour unused grout down your drain, since it may very well create a serious blockage.
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