•Single colours
• Size: 25mm x 25mm tiles
Mosaics Direct Method
Step 1: Draw your design on paper. Place clear plastic sheeting over your design. Choose the tile selection and arrangement.
Step 2: Place a sheet of fibreglass mesh over the drawing (large murals can be broken up by mosaicing individual parts).
Step 3: Use tile adhesive to butter the back of each tile and press onto the mesh. Wipe off excess adhesive around and on the tile's face.
Step 4: Continue to cover your design, leaving a small clean and even gap between each tile.
Step 5: Leave the mesh to dry for a few days. When dry, the tiled mesh can be adhered directly onto the final surface (wall, concrete pavers, cement sheeting, etc.).
Step 6: Put a layer of the ceramic tile adhesive directly onto the surface to be covered. Lay the tiled mesh onto the wet adhesive.
Step 7: Using a damp cloth remove any excess tile adhesive which has oozed around the piece. Allow to dry for 24 48 hours depending on the weather.
Step 8: Wear disposable gloves to mix grout to a creamy consistency and apply with a rag or rubber squeegee. Be mindful of sharp edges.
Step 9: Make sure that excess grout is removed quickly with a soft cloth as it will dry like concrete and will be difficult to remove when dry.
Step 10: Keep polishing the tiles with the cloth until all grout is removed and the tiles look very shiny.
Direct Method Advantages:
Make large murals with a design that fits together like a jigsaw puzzle. The project will be lighter in weight as individual pieces can be added (a large cement sheeting covered in mosaic can be very heavy).
Outdoor Mosaics:
Apply grout additive to the grout mix and when dry, seal the mosaic piece with the additive. If you use a cement adhesive you can pre-colour the adhesive which will reduce or even eliminate the need for grouting.
