How to choose glue for a mosaic and to stick it at home?

Are you going to make an apron from the mosaic in the kitchen or lay out the walls in the bathroom with it? Then you probably already thought about how to find the right glue for the mosaic and at the same time save. If your head has already ripened a plan to replace the special composition with ordinary cheap tile glue, we are in a hurry to tell you why it is better not to do this and which glue you still need to choose.

Why is it better to choose a special glue?

Sometimes it seems that all these special compounds are nothing more than an attempt to tear off a lot of money from the buyer. There is cement tile glue, so why can not you put mosaic tiles on it?

• The main problem is that the mosaic is often made of glass - ceramic look more massive, and the choice for it falls less often. Accordingly, gray glue will be visible through a transparent or translucent tile, distorting its color.
• Conventional tile adhesives contain rather large particles of sand, which can affect adhesion - adhesion of the adhesive to the mosaic. It is not for nothing that plasticizers are additionally added to special mosaic glue for better adhesion!
• Also, because of the sand, it will be difficult for you to follow the laying technology, because the comb in our case needs to be taken very small, and working with it on such a granular composition will be inconvenient. Plus, with such an adhesive it will be more difficult to achieve the desired thickness, which should not exceed several millimeters.

By the way

If the glass is cloudy and almost opaque, a gray substrate will simply make the color a little duller and darker. If this is not critical for you, you can try to save a little.

If you want to go around the system and glue the mosaic onto white compositions like Teplon, you should know that they are of course white and fine-grained, but they are gypsum plaster and not glue, so that the mosaic tiles will be kept with the door until the first cotton.

What about liquid nails and silicone? Experience shows that mosaics are not so bad on them, but it makes sense to use them only if you use a mosaic element as a decor on a wall with a finished finish. If the repair has just begun, choose a special glue: this way the coating will come out more evenly and will hold on tightly.

That is, by and large, the mosaic can theoretically hold on different glues, but why go to such tricks when the ideal version has already been invented? With other compounds, the end result may not please you, and the process will be much more time-consuming. In addition, no one can guarantee long-lasting adhesion, and it is much more difficult to remake a site with a mosaic than to re-glue a wallpaper.

What to glue the mosaic on?

You already understood that it is better not to replace mosaic glue with anything, but what composition to buy? In fact, there are many brands, but they all produce similar mixtures, the difference in the work with which you will notice only if you work with each of them. If you are not listed in the construction team, and you hope to lay tiles for the first and last time in your apartment - this is what you should pay attention to.

• The best glue for the mosaic is white, especially if it is glass. Many companies have such an adhesive in powder format: MAPEI, Lugato, Index, Ceresit, Knauf, Litokol and others. If this is not specific work such as laying tiles in the pool, it is enough to find out what is available from the consultant and make a choice in favor of the option with the right price.
• Operating conditions also matter: the higher the load on the site, the more elastic the adhesive should be and the more plasticizer should be added.True, this is usually not so critical for home repairs.
• Think about whether it is enough to dilute the powder with water or if you need a special latex plasticizer. Now such emulsions are even added to ordinary tile glue, if a guarantee of enhanced adhesion, water resistance and elasticity is needed.

By the way

The plasticizer can be added to the glue with water in different proportions, it is not always necessary to knead the powder completely on it.

• Check the expiration date of products: mosaic adhesives have not been stored for centuries. The shelf life of the powders is usually from 6 to 12 months, and no one guarantees that the mosaic will hold well on expired glue.
• The choice of adhesive may vary depending on the surface of the base: for concrete and plaster, the elasticity of the adhesive may be less than for waterproofing or old tiles.
• In addition to the price, you should focus on the volume of the mixture: white mosaic glue is often sold in large packages of 20-25 kg, but if you need to stick a couple of sheets on a grid, it may be more convenient to buy a smaller volume, even if calculated in 1 kg will cost more.

Tip

In many large construction stores, you can buy already diluted glue by weight, however, in this case, you need to start work as soon as possible.

How to glue mosaic tiles?

We figured out the adhesive composition, but how to glue the mosaic to the base? In fact, the process is only slightly different from the installation of tiles, and the differences depend on what type of mosaic you choose.

In general, the mosaic process looks like this.

1. The surface is leveled to the maximum, since the fine tile will take the bends of any irregularities, and it will not work to level them with a thin layer of glue.
2. Dust and dirt must be removed from the base, and it must also be primed for better adhesion.
3. The adhesive is applied after the primer dries in a thin layer: only 2.5-4 mm, depending on the thickness of the tile. Then it is leveled with a fine comb or notched trowel by 2-4 mm. In this case, the glue is applied to the laying area of ​​2-3 sheets, otherwise it will dry out ahead of time.
4. The tile is applied to the glue and leveled with a rubber grater or something flat and even with sweeping movements.
5. The glue sets for about a day, but during the first hours it is better to keep an eye on whether the canvas has slipped: within 2-3 hours, imperfections can usually be corrected depending on the glue.

And a little about the differences.

• If the mosaic is on the grid, then you can clean the glue from the grout joints after several hours, until the glue has completely set, only gently.
• If the mosaic is on a paper basis, then remove the paper and grout the seams after the glue has completely dried. The process of cleaning out completely hardened glue is not easy, therefore, if it is possible to glue directly on epoxy grout, you can consider this option.
• How to glue a mosaic without a base in the form of a grid or paper? Also, only glue should be applied to a small area, because the speed of work is much lower.

In fact, sticking a mosaic tile at home is not so difficult if you follow the instructions and take responsibility for the choice of glue.