How to properly lay mosaics on walls and floors: a guide to installing tiles, tips and rules. Cladding a cast iron bathtub with mosaics - how to do it How to make a mosaic for a bathtub with your own hands

Finishing a bathroom with mosaic tiles gives it the look ancient bathhouse, it was in this way that the rooms for taking bathing procedures were finished in ancient Greece. True, in those days there were no ready-made mosaic tiles; the patterns were made with individual natural stones by hand, which was a difficult and time-consuming task. All mosaic tiles existing today are classified according to several criteria.

Material for making tiles and brief characteristics

Material of manufacture	Brief characteristics
	The most common option, universal use. It has sufficient strength and is impervious to moisture. The most expensive cheap tiles. Depending on the thickness of the mosaic, it can be installed on the walls or floor of the bathroom.
	A more expensive version of tiles that imitates ceramics. Has many color options. Advantages - the color does not change throughout the entire period of operation, when exposed to direct sun rays surfaces “play”.
	Mineral dyes are added to the composition, mainly used for finishing floors. It is rarely used for walls due to difficult maintenance. Microcracks form on surfaces over time, in which various microorganisms multiply. It is very difficult to remove them from there.
	The artistic appearance of the ceramics is original and beautiful, but the cost does not correspond to the properties. It is made from waste from ceramic production; from an objective point of view, the increase in price is unreasonable.

Depending on the method of fixing individual mosaic tiles to the canvas, there can be two types.

The individual plates are fixed on paper. The paper is pasted on the front side. This is an outdated technology for making mosaic tiles. Laying technology is complicated for several reasons. Firstly, it is more difficult to monitor the gaps at the joints of individual sheets. Secondly, the paper needs to be wetted and removed, which is an additional waste of time and effort.
The plates are fixed on the reinforcing mesh on the reverse side. Such tiles are easier to work with, the front surface is visible during installation, it is easier to correct mistakes, the pattern and distance between the seams are immediately visible. After installation is completed, it is much easier and faster to rub the seams.

You can use any ceramic tiles for bathrooms; the choice depends on your financial capabilities and preferences. My only wish is to not use tiles with uneven front surfaces, they are very difficult to clean. And in the bathroom you need to wash surfaces often; a lot of dirt and residues from dried water accumulate on them.

It is much more difficult to work with than with a regular one. Why? For ordinary tiles, a surface with a height difference of up to 4 mm is suitable; experienced tilers can level the base with tile adhesive without any problems. During laying, do not use a notched trowel, but an ordinary one; put a lot of glue in the corners and in the center of the tile. Then with the lungs by tapping and constantly checking the position with a level, the height is leveled to the same level. This, of course, is a violation of generally accepted theoretical technology, but in practice, professionals often use such a simplified method. The quality of tile laying is almost not affected, and the speed of work is significantly increased. We do not recommend using this method for beginners; their risk of making mistakes due to inexperience is too great.

The base for mosaic tiles must be perfectly flat, differences in height are prohibited. The small size of individual mosaics will never level them out; elevations or depressions will remain noticeable on the wall.

In addition, for ordinary tiles you can use various types glue, this factor has almost no effect on the adhesion density. If it has come out, the excess can be easily removed from the seams, and the final color of the grout does not change. It is also not necessary to make a primer; the tiles have a large area and there will always be an area with sufficient adhesion. With a mosaic, such actions are unacceptable. The glue should only be white, it is almost impossible to remove excess gray from the gaps.

Another problem is that mosaic tiles can only be laid using a comb. It ensures the adhesion of each tile. If this is not adhered to, they will fall out (for mosaics glued to paper) or will wobble (for mosaics glued to reinforcing mesh).

mosaic tiles for bathroom

Preparing the base for mosaic tiles

We have already mentioned that the tiles lie on a perfectly flat surface. Often walls are leveled with plasterboard - quickly, evenly and cheaply. We strongly do not recommend using drywall to level bathroom walls. Its main drawback is low physical strength. Under medium loads, for example, while washing you lean on the wall, it will bend. As a result, the tile will fall off. Drywall is used construction companies, thus they significantly increase the speed of work and, accordingly, their profits. As always, the customer pays for everything.

If you are finishing the bathroom with your own hands, then do not be too lazy to plaster the walls with cement-sand mortar. Step by step instructions We will provide instructions on laying ceramic tiles specifically for this option.

Step 1: Check the condition of the wall. In most cases, after ordinary plaster it will have to be leveled. Check with a straight, long staff or level, apply it in different places and at different angles. Look at the gaps. It is much easier to detect irregularities with a light bulb. Place it on the floor, the light rays will indicate unevenness.

How to make a surface suitable for laying mosaic tiles?

Prepare the putty solution and primer. Choose high-quality material, do not try to save money.
Carefully coat the surface with primer. The fact is that putty that is thin in thickness will fall off if there is insufficient adhesion. Prime twice in transverse directions. Use a primer deep penetration, it will serve as additional protection against moisture.
Deep penetrating primer CERESIT CT 17

Dilute the primer in the proportions indicated on the canister. If there are concerns about its quality, then reduce the amount of water by about 15%. But in no case is it recommended to increase the percentage of water; even minor violations of the material preparation technology significantly reduce its effectiveness.

The diluted primer mixture adheres better and sets faster. However, the deeply penetrating product performs better when undiluted.

It is better to prime with a brush rather than a roller. A brush can thoroughly rub the liquid into the surface, but a roller will only wet it. In addition, all hard to reach places what not to do with a roller.
While the primer dries, prepare the plaster. First, water is poured into the container, and then the dry mixture is added in portions. To stir, it is better to use a mixer; if you don’t have one, you will have to stir by hand. Let the solution sit for about five minutes, after this time, stir it again.
You need to plaster with a large flat spatula, rub the solution into the plaster with maximum force. Go through each place several times. Do not pay attention if you still have traces from the spatula, over time you will gain experience and the surfaces will be smooth.
In extreme cases, after drying, the marks can be removed with sandpaper. It is better to fix it on a flat board or trowel, sand it in a circular motion, do not press it too hard.

If there is no sanding paper and the marks are small, then you can smooth them out with a metal smoothing iron.

Press it firmly against the wall surface at an angle and move it across the surface several times in different directions. In most cases, this alignment is sufficient.
Clean the surface from dust, preferably using a vacuum cleaner.

Step 2. Measure the area of the walls, purchase the appropriate amount of glue and tiles.

The reserve for tiles can be kept small, 5% is enough. The fact is that it is easily cut to the required sizes at the seams, waste minimum quantity. These common tiles can cause chips or uneven edges and increase waste.

Step 3: Apply primer very carefully twice. Do not miss this operation, we have already mentioned that mosaic tiles do not tolerate deviations from technology.

Step 4. Consider the placement of the tiles. If you plan to make a decorative mosaic border, then decide on its height and cladding material.

Step 5. Draw lines for laying borders and tiles on the wall. If you have little experience, then draw lines every three rows of tiles, this will make it possible to constantly monitor its position. The fact is that the sheets of glued mosaic are large in size, and what larger size units of material, the more difficult it is to eliminate defects when the gap between them is violated.

Step 6. Prepare the glue. The technology is indicated on the packaging; follow the manufacturer's advice. Are there any concerns about its quality? Add a little primer to the diluting water, approximately 10-20% of the total amount. You will have the primer left over from previous operations.

Important. The consistency of the glue requires very careful attention. For ordinary tiles this is not so important; they are laid from the bottom up, a cross is inserted into each seam to maintain a gap. The same cross prevents individual tiles from slowly falling down over time. It is useless to use for a mosaic cross; they will not keep it from lowering. This means that the glue should be thick, but not so thick as to impair the adhesion coefficient to the wall and tiles.

Step 7. Start working from the bottom row and far corner. The glue should be applied twice. First with a flat spatula, and then with a comb. The height of the ridges is within 3–5 mm, choose the appropriate spatula and give it the proper slope. The better the glue rubs in, the more securely each individual tile will stick. This is especially true for tiles on paper. The reinforced mesh increases the reliability of fastening; it is deeply immersed in the glue.

Practical advice. We have already said that maintaining the distance between the tiles will have to be done by eye; this is very difficult for inexperienced builders. To make inevitable flaws less noticeable, lay it in a checkerboard pattern. Using a construction knife, cut one whole sheet into two parts, start the first row with half, and the next with a full sheet.

Step 8. Carefully place the first sheet horizontally. If you need to trim it a little, then slowly move it with the palms of both hands. With significant or incorrectly directed efforts, the mosaic tiles will fold like an accordion. To ensure a tight fit of all tiles, use a trowel; the larger it is, the better. Every 3–4 sheets, check their position in various directions long rod or level. If you have laser level- Great. Its lines are not covered with glue, so you can work faster. Do not allow gaps; it is very difficult to correct them later.

It is important to know that it is not recommended to completely remove the glued sheet; you can only correct the position on the wall. The removed sheet is difficult to prepare for reuse, especially if it is on paper based, the paper may become wet and tear during removal.

Video - Laying mosaics

Practical advice. Pay great attention to the exit points of pipelines. Here it is better to put more glue than less. The leftovers will be removed, no problem.

Continue working in the same way over the entire surface of the bathroom wall.

Step 9. If your sheets of mosaic tiles were paper, then they should be removed. You need to start removing only after the glue has completely hardened; the time is indicated on its packaging, in most cases it is 24 hours. Wet the paper with a damp sponge; there should be enough water. Do not leave dry areas so that it can be easily removed; the entire area should be well wet. The paper must be removed entirely and at once, otherwise the remains will be difficult to remove. Wetting time is approximately 2-3 minutes, there are missing places - do not tear off the paper, but repeat soaking again. If everything is done correctly, the ceramic tiles will easily release from the top paper.

For tiles on a reinforcing mesh, this operation is not necessary, which greatly simplifies the work process.

Step 10. Grouting the joints.

As you might guess, mosaic tiles have a lot of seams. Practice shows that grouting takes no less time than installation. Moreover, it is rarely possible to do everything efficiently the first time; you have to repeat the operation. For grouting, use bactericidal plastic materials. They are not cheap, but then redoing the wall cladding will cost even more. If the surface of all the tiles is smooth, then it is easier to work. Using a large rubber spatula, rub the mixture into the seams, apply considerable force, and do not allow any gaps.

We wipe the surfaces

The surface has dried - check the quality of work. Any gaps found must be refilled with mass and then cleaned.

Some apartment owners in order to improve appearance bathrooms, certain sections of the walls in the bathroom are covered with decorative mosaic tiles with rough edges or tiles of unequal height. There is a lot of fuss with them; you will have to grout and then clean each tile separately. It is impossible to predict how long this will take.

How to lay mosaic tiles on curved surfaces

The algorithm for working on such surfaces has its own characteristics. When the tile is pressed against curved planes, the glue is completely absent in the center of the ceramic tiles, and its thickness increases at the edges. Due to this redistribution of the glue, the center of the tiles does not stick at all, and the sides take a long time to dry. To minimize the negative effect, it is recommended to cover such surfaces with mosaic tiles with minimum sizes elements.

Technology for laying mosaic tiles on the bathroom floor

For these purposes you need to buy thick tiles. The algorithm of actions differs in several ways.

The floor must have waterproofing. Use various impregnations for these purposes; they have excellent adhesion to both concrete base, and with tile adhesive. In addition, they have good waterproof properties.
Tile adhesive must be of high quality. Small sizes significantly increase the likelihood of individual pieces of the mosaic being undermined by various household appliances. The biggest danger is an old washing machine. When drying clothes, it vibrates strongly and can “ride” along the floor. At this time, the legs catch on the protruding edges of the tile and tear it off the floor.
Grouting of joints is carried out only quality materials and very carefully. The presence of voids is completely prohibited. There are cases when such air pockets are invisible at the top. To eliminate problem areas rub the grout with great force and several times in one place.
Keep in mind that a floor with mosaic tiles does not have slopes to drain water; it is useless to create them. A small angle will not have an effect, and you cannot increase the inclination. In this regard, the need to carefully carry out all construction measures to seal the floor increases significantly.

Answers to frequently asked questions

Can mosaic tiles be cut?

No, you can't. The only option is that you are a professional and have a special diamond cutter. And then in that case, a tile with dimensions of individual elements of at least 2x2 cm and made on a reinforcing mesh will be cut. It won't work on paper. The fact is that the diamond wheel of a professional cutter is water-cooled, the paper will get wet, and the mosaic sheet will fall apart into separate pieces.

What to do if the gap in the corner of the room is larger than the width of the tile fragment?

The optimal solution is to accurately calculate the position of the plates and slightly increase the gap between them. But this method can be used if the increase in the gap does not exceed 2 mm, otherwise the appearance of the wall will deteriorate. To eliminate such problems, it is better to purchase special plastic corner corners. They are installed in exactly the same way as under ordinary tiles. With the help of corner elements, a gap of up to five millimeters is eliminated.

How to carefully make a round hole?

When laying mosaic tiles, use a carpenter's knife to cut a square hole to fit the diameter of the pipe. Next, detach the mosaic elements from the cut piece; you will need four pieces. There are two ways to remove sharp corners of squares.

First. Hold one corner of the tile with pliers, and gradually break off the second corner in small pieces with sharp nippers.
Second. Take the tile with pliers and grind the desired corner with a grinder and a diamond blade.

Important. There are two types of diamond blades: for cutting concrete and tiles. They have significant differences and cannot be used for other purposes. The concrete disc has long radial slots to remove large amounts of dust from thick concrete. These slots create vibration, which will cause the tile to crack. Discs for tiling works They do not have slots; they have shallow short grooves along the side planes.

Is it possible to restore original appearance mosaic tiles?

This can only be done if you have a supply of plates. It is impossible to pick up exactly the same mosaic in a store after a long time. Each batch of goods has its own differences, this is explained by the peculiarities of the technological process.

If you follow all the recommendations, treat your work responsibly and carefully, then the quality of your own cladding will not be much different from the work of professionals. Take your time and pay attention to each operation. Start laying tiles from the most inconspicuous corner of the bathroom. Even if small errors are made at first, no one will notice them. And during this time you will be able to gain a little practical experience in performing such complex facing work; there will be no more defects.

Mosaic finishing is becoming increasingly popular in modern bathrooms. The main materials used in this case are ceramics and glass. They are practical, presentable and have a wide selection of colors and design design. Using mosaics, you can decorate not only part of the bathroom, but also the entire room with high humidity from floor to ceiling.

Decorating a bathroom with mosaics yourself will require a lot of time and patience, as this work is painstaking. If you try, you can create very original design registration for enough short time. The main thing is to take into account several important points during installation.

Mosaic tiles for the bathroom: pros and cons

This type of material for interior cladding of house walls has a large number of advantages. Among them, it is especially important to highlight the following:

large selection of materials;
strength;
possibility of registration different surfaces, and even uneven ones, as well as their curved and concave parts;
color resistance to fading;
creating a variety of patterns and designs;
the ability to glue it to different types of surfaces, for example, wood, metal, concrete, and even firmly position it on plaster-covered walls.

The only disadvantages of this type of finishing are the too high cost of the material itself and the painstaking work of its installation. But these disadvantages cover the fact that mosaic tiles are practically durable, so such finishing does not require frequent subsequent repairs.

Mosaic for the bathroom: requirements

The bathroom is characterized by constant humidity and temperature changes; in addition, almost all walls are easily exposed to mechanical damage. In such a room it is very important to constantly monitor cleanliness, so the selected materials for decorating the bathroom with mosaics should:

endure mechanical damage;
withstand frequent exposure to chemicals;
do not require additional care conditions;
withstand the effects of constant humidity;
withstand temperature changes.

Style features of mosaics in the bathroom

Mosaic bathroom design

When decorating a bathroom with mosaics, you can use different styles. Let's look at the most popular of them with examples of using color mosaic solutions.

For bathroom design in classic style It is recommended to select tiles light colors. The use of marble texture and panels is allowed here.
To decorate a room in an ethnic style, you can use stone or wooden tiles natural shades.
A minimalist style bathroom is best finished with glass, steel or plastic mosaics. Here, a basic, discreet background may predominate, for example, white or metal, interspersed with bright spots.
For small room Art Nouveau style is best suited. In combination with sand-colored tiles, you can use different types of lighting and mirrors.
Provence style involves decoration in pastel shades, decorated with floral patterns.
High-tech design will create a relaxing atmosphere in the bathroom. Here, a predominantly rough contrast of light and dark colors is used, for example, black and white or dark brown and milky, and textural inclusions also predominate.

Bathroom design: mosaic color options

Color has a fairly large impact on a person's well-being. It is very important to choose the right color scheme for the bathroom, since in this place it is important to create an atmosphere for relaxation.
Warm shades will energize a person, while cold shades, on the contrary, will calm him down. In the first case, you can choose yellow or orange color, and in the second - blue or green.
It is recommended to make color combinations from shades of the same tone so that one clearly dominates the area.
It is not recommended to use many spots of mosaic tiles in bath design different colors, it's better to make one bright accent and complement the solution with small inclusions of this shade in the rest of the mosaic patterns.
The chosen color and pattern of the mosaic should create an atmosphere in which a person will feel comfortable to be. When you enter the bathroom, you should feel calm, private and comfortable. Using large quantities bright elements will spoil the atmosphere of comfort, and instead of relaxation, a person will feel tension.

Mosaic in the bathroom: types

Mosaic is made from various materials, the most popular tiles are from:

glass;
metal;
ceramics;
smalts;
stone

Mosaics made from any of the above types of materials are excellent for finishing a bathroom. It looks beautiful to combine several of its types at the same time. For example, you can put glass or ceramic mosaics on the walls, and finish the floor with such stone tiles.
There are also plastic mosaic tiles for bathroom. Plates for original and cheap bathroom design are made even from such light material. But since it itself is not an environmentally friendly product and is extremely fragile, very few people use this type of this material. In addition, mosaic design itself requires a special design, time and certain investments in the design of the room, so saving is inappropriate here.
Laying mosaic sheets from broken tiles should begin with creating a sketch. It will take a lot of patience to do everything the way it needs to be done. Each element of the pattern must be selected in accordance with the texture and color tone. First, the mosaic must be applied to the template. Only after this can it be transferred to the walls or floor.
This type of tile has several advantages:

it is much cheaper;
no special skills are required to install it;
The resulting drawings always look very original.

Features of the mosaic

Due to the variety of materials, each type of such tile has its own nuances both in operation and in installation.

Metal mosaics are used quite rarely compared to others. But this view does a great job of emphasizing some individual details against the background of the overall picture.
From glass mosaic The result is extremely elegant panels. Today you can find a wide variety of mosaics in color, shape and texture. The glass used to make it is also different. There are options from transparent, matte and translucent material.
Most often, mosaic pieces are designed in the form of gems or sea pebbles. These types of designs in the bathroom look beautiful and unobtrusive. They also use special building color additives, which make the shades even richer, create shimmer and many other interesting effects. They also include gradient fills, color transitions and stains.
Smalt mosaic is an extremely durable material. Its unique feature is the glow from within. A bathroom decorated from this material looks quite warm and lively, and the drawings created using this technology, against the backdrop of soffit light in the bathroom, add magic to the design.
Ceramic mosaic is the most common in modern design bathroom It is usually used for finishing floors and walls. Very often it is used for laying out swimming pools, bathtubs, showers and washbasins.
Stone mosaic looks the most rich and attractive. Many manufacturers produce artificial tiles that naturally convey many of the features of stone. Natural colors, transitions from one color to another and texture - everything looks real. Particularly valuable is the mosaic made of semi-precious stones. Finishing of this type is expensive and looks luxurious.
Please note that it is very important to think about how the room will be lit. The beauty of the design of the bathroom walls and the manifestation of some of the properties of the materials used will depend on the direction of the light.

Bathroom decorated with mosaic tiles

In the era of the development of the Internet, it is not difficult to find many photos of bathroom designs decorated with mosaic tiles. However, the question of technology and the ability to repeat the design you like arises. Because a lot depends on what type of material was used, what the layout of the room was and the skill of the specialists.

Let's consider the main stages of the process of decorating a bathroom with mosaics, and these are:

preparation of the working surface;
marking on work surfaces;
direct gluing using special glue;
removing the protective layer of paper;
removing seams between slabs.

Surface preparation

There are also several ways to simply glue a mosaic onto a prepared surface. The use of one method or another depends on what type of mosaic panel was chosen. The main thing before gluing the mosaic is to prepare all the walls for this process. To do this you need:

treat all surfaces with a special composition against the occurrence of fungus and mold;
create layers of waterproofing on the floor and walls adjacent to the bathroom;
carefully level the work surface;
make a primer, but only from light materials; such a primer is especially important when choosing a transparent mosaic for design.

How to glue a mosaic

After preparing the walls, you can begin gluing the mosaic itself. Let's consider the standard sequence of this stage of bathroom design.

Purchase of blanks for mosaics. They usually have dimensions of 100x100 mm, 200x200 mm or 300x300 mm. Small pieces are much easier to glue. If the composition is complex, then it is impossible to do without first creating a stencil and cutting out the necessary shapes. You can use special nippers for this. It is very important not to harm the mosaic during the preparatory process.
When combining mosaics with ceramic tiles, the tiles are laid first, taking into account that there should be room left to create the composition.
The mosaic pieces must be checked to ensure they are the right size for their location before you begin to attach them.
All blanks are placed on smooth surfaces. Using a spatula with teeth, glue is applied to the working side. The thickness of its layer should be about 1 cm.
When placing pieces on a wall or floor, they need to be pressed with a rubber spatula.
The glue must harden completely. This will take at least 2 days, so keep this in mind when planning your repair.
After the mosaic image is fixed, remove the mounting paper, which we previously moistened with water.
Then we rub the tile joints using a rubber float.
The glued tiles are wiped with a foam sponge.

Please note that you can use the bathroom only after 20 days have passed after grouting.

Rules for applying glue

When installing mosaics, the adhesive is applied in 2 stages.

It must first be applied as a base. This layer should dry within 24 hours.
The second layer is applied to the tile itself when it is laid on the surface of the walls or floor. Keep in mind that once you have applied the second layer to a mosaic piece, it must be immediately glued to its destination. Within 15 minutes, the adhesive will begin to dry out and if left too long, the mosaic will no longer adhere properly.
Do not remove glue residues using metal spatulas. They can scratch the tile surface. Therefore, this process is carried out through mounting paper.

Mosaic grout

Grouting can be done no earlier than 24 hours after installation.
Before applying the solution, you need to clean the mosaic from any remaining glue. A foam sponge will help with this.
Then the grout is distributed over the entire surface of the tile using a spatula, and unnecessary excess is removed with a trowel.
The applied composition will dry in no more than 20 minutes. As soon as time will pass, the solution will darken.
After this, use a rag to polish the surface of the entire mosaic.

To create an original and unique design, it is important to take note of a few design tips.

If the drawing is laid out from individual parts and fragments, the composition will look more impressive. But for this it is very important to have a rich imagination, drawing ability and the ability to combine colors correctly.
Creating a sketch of the composition of the original size allows you to calculate required quantity mosaics in general and each of them the right colors separately. This will avoid problems with insufficient material and make a small supply.
The sketch on the walls must be drawn very accurately, taking into account all the details. You can even use a stencil.
Each piece of the mosaic should be well lubricated with glue and pressed tightly.
You need to start laying out the composition from the top and move down. The gaps between the fragments should not be too large; for this you need to select elements that will fit together as tightly as possible.
Larger parts need to be surrounded by smaller ones. This will make it easier to select the next fragments.

How much do mosaic tiles cost for a bathroom?

The cost of mosaics depends on color design the tile itself and the material from which it is made.
The richer the color range, the higher the price. The most expensive mosaic is floor mosaic. Often it is used to create complex designs, which is why the price of purchasing it is higher.
The size of one slab also has an important influence on the price. The larger it is, the more expensive the price.

Working with mosaics is quite difficult, but this method of finishing always looks beautiful and original. Of course, it is much easier to turn to specialists for help in this matter, but making an original mosaic with your own hands is much more pleasant and interesting.

12043 0

It is difficult to imagine finishing rooms with high humidity or direct contact with water without the use of ceramic tiles. Both of these factors are present in the bathroom, so decorating it with mosaics, as a type of ceramics, is quite justified, and the artistic diversity, affordability of many types and the possibility of laying mosaic cladding with your own hands make this material popular.

The mosaic impresses with its decorativeness and original appearance

Let's consider what mosaic is, the varieties of this material and the features of mosaic finishing technologies for a bathroom, depending on the types of chips (mosaic elements, mosaic modules).

What is mosaic

A drawing, pattern or ornament made from small colored pieces of any material fixed on a plane is called a mosaic. The same name is used to designate the technology for performing such work, the very finishing material and its individual elements (chips, mosaic modules).

Of the many varieties of mosaic technologies, block (matrix) mosaics and mosaic finishing made from cut or broken multi-colored tiles, which can be done by hand, have become widespread.

Let's take a look at these two technologies.

Mosaic for the bathroom comes from different materials, a wide variety of textures and color palette

The finishing of bases with block mosaics is carried out by laying matrices measuring 327x327 or 200x200 mm on the walls or floor, which are pieces of mesh or paper on which mosaic chips of similar colors are fixed in an orderly manner. If necessary, the matrix can be cut using ordinary scissors on mesh or paper to give it a different format. Mosaic tiles can be cut or pricked with special nippers. The chip format is square with a side of 10, 15 or 20 mm.

Types of matrix mosaics by material

Based on the material used, mosaic tiles are divided into the following types:

glass;
smalt;
ceramic;
porcelain stoneware;
stone.

In addition to those listed, there are also metal, mirror and even gold mosaics; such installation of mosaics in the bathroom requires professional skill, and the cost of the material is several times higher than the price of the usual varieties of mosaic cladding.

In matrix panels, the mosaic is laid out in straight rows; it is the most economical in cost

Mosaic material made from self-cut ceramic chips

This method of finishing, although it cannot compete on equal terms with the technology of cladding with mosaic blocks in terms of aesthetics, is perfect for renovating a bathroom or a bathroom in a country house. The material for such cladding is made by hand - chips the right size and the shapes are cut with a tile cutter from ceramics remaining after repairs or substandard tiles purchased at a reasonable price. The modest costs for this type of finishing make laying such mosaics popular among craftsmen, and if you have a sufficient assortment of homemade chips and skills in performing this work, the result can even exceed expectations.

Matrix mosaic cladding

Let's consider the laying technology used for do-it-yourself cladding of surfaces with popular types of mosaics, taking into account the characteristics of the tile material.

Preparation of the base for mosaics does not depend on the tile material and consists of leveling and priming the surfaces to be tiled.

Preparing the base for laying the mosaic plays an important role in how the mosaic will subsequently look

Preparatory work on the walls

You can level the base for the mosaic decoration of the bathroom walls with your own hands using any of known methods, even with sheets of drywall (gypsum plasterboard), since the chips do not require high bearing capacity. But when choosing this method, it is necessary to take into account that even moisture resistant drywall(GKLV) does not tolerate direct contact with water and therefore requires enhanced waterproofing of both sides and ends of the material. Therefore, if it is possible to perform leveling by plastering, then preference should be given to this reliable method.

The walls can also be primed with your own hands using a moisture-resistant primer in two layers. As a primer, it is advisable to use an aqueous solution of latex prepared in a ratio of 1:3.

Preparing the floor for laying mosaics

The surface of the bathroom floor is leveled with your own hands using a screed made of cement-sand mortar, prepared in a ratio of 1:3. The screed is made with a slope device in the direction opposite front door, or (if available) in the direction of the ladder. The slope should be 5%. The finished screed is covered with a layer of cellophane for a week to avoid premature evaporation of moisture from the solution, after which the film is removed and the base is allowed to dry until the surface acquires a uniform light gray color.

If there are only sinks on a flat floor, then its leveling can be limited only by filling the cracks with tile adhesive.

The floor is also primed with two layers of moisture-resistant primer.

Increased demands are placed on the quality of leveling the base for mosaics, since laying matrices will not be able to hide the unevenness of the base, and the mosaic will only repeat all the defects in the surface of the walls or floor. The differences in height of the base prepared for laying under the mosaic should not exceed 2 mm per 1 m of linear length.

Adhesive compositions for mosaic blocks

When laying matrices on bathroom walls, the choice of adhesive depends on the material of the chips and the characteristics of the base.

Adhesives for glass and smalt mosaics

When covering bases with glass or smalt mosaics, the adhesive must be white, since laying transparent and translucent mosaic chips on dark or colored adhesive is fraught with a change in color and loss of brightness of the finishing modules.

Examples of white cement-based adhesives for glass and smalt chips are Litoplus K55, CERESIT CM 115 or Mapei Adesilex P10 adhesives. You can also use white polyurethane adhesives Mapei Keralastic T, SuperFlex Eco or Litokol Litoacryl Plus.

Adhesives: Litoplus K55, Mapei Keralastic T, SuperFlex Eco and Litokol Litoacryl Plus

To install matrices with opaque ceramic chips, use tile adhesive of any color. Selection of glue in in this case carried out depending on the characteristics of the bathroom foundations. On concrete, cement-sand plaster or plasterboard protected by waterproofing, ceramic mosaic tiles should be properly fixed with elastic tile adhesives, for example, Litoflex K80 Eco, Bergauf Mosaik or Superflex K77. When mosaic finishing with ceramics on complex substrates (plastic, wood), it is better to use adhesives based on reactive resins.

Adhesives for chips made of porcelain stoneware and natural stone

Porcelain tiles and natural stone are similar in characteristics, so the same adhesive compositions are suitable for laying blocks with chips made from these materials. However, one should take into account the variety natural stone, since some types of natural marble can change color with prolonged contact with water.

Mosaics made from such marble are laid on fast-hardening cement-based tile adhesives, for example, Litoston K98 or Litoston K99, since these compositions quickly come into contact with water, preventing the wet alkali of the adhesive from changing the color of the chips. You can also use polyurethane and reactive adhesives, such as LitoElastic, Keralastic T or Elastocol, which do not contain water.

Adhesives: Litoston K98, LitoElastic, Keralastic T and Elastocol

If natural stone chips are resistant to prolonged direct contact with water, then the choice of adhesive material is made only in relation to the type of base.

If the surface of the bathroom walls is even ideally laid out with the same type of mosaic, then the result of such monotony will be disastrous - such an aesthetically pleasing finish will dazzle the eyes. Therefore, the artistic solution for decorating a bathroom with mosaics is thought out in advance.

Elements of artistic design

Wall cladding with mosaics can be diversified by using matrices that differ not only in color, but also in the material of the chips. In addition, when assembling such a finish, you can cut out fragments of any shape from standard-sized blocks with your own hands, trimming, if necessary, not only the base, but also the chips. In this way, you can cover the walls with different matrices in a checkerboard pattern, changing and alternating the color, material and sizes of squares or rectangles.

One of the auxiliary artistic elements, used when decorating a bathroom with ceramics, including mosaic, is a border (frieze) - a horizontal border between tiled surfaces of different colors or materials. The border on the wall can be made of various materials - tiles, mosaics, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) tiles. The adhesive for laying the border is also selected depending on its material of manufacture.

Make sure that the distance between different sheets is equal to the gap between two mosaic chips

The width and configuration of the curb should be in harmony with the dimensions of the room. In this case, the color of the border or the background of its design is selected to contrast with the surfaces that it divides, and aesthetically fits into the interior of the bathroom.

Horizontal laying of the curb is carried out under the control of a bubble level. If the curb is designed at an angle to the horizontal, then preliminary markings are made on the wall.

Matrices with chips are laid on the walls from bottom to top, positioned from each other at a distance equal to the width of the seam between the chips. This arrangement of blocks creates a seamless surface finish.

First you need to mark the wall

The matrices are glued to the walls under the control of a bubble level; the chips in a row from corner to corner should be located without differences in height. In this case, it is advisable to arrange the rows of mosaics bordering the border symmetrically relative to the ceramic elements of the frieze.

Mosaic matrices on a mesh base are laid on glue with the mesh down, since the chips are attached to it with the back side. Matrices on a paper base are placed with the paper facing up, since the chips are glued to the base with the front side.

An adhesive composition is applied to the prepared wall with a flat spatula, which is leveled with a comb spatula with rectangular teeth measuring 6-8 mm. The matrix is applied to the design site, pressed lightly, and then rubber roller Without excessive effort, the mosaic is leveled on the base.

Grouting mosaic joints

The arrangement of the seams of borders and mosaic finishing of the bathroom is done by filling them with your own hands with moisture-resistant grout with antifungal additives, for example, mixtures with the appropriate characteristics from the manufacturers Litokol, Ceresit or Atlas.

The grout for the mosaic can be chosen to match the tile or contrast with it, it depends on the artistic solution. In addition, the color of the grout on surfaces finished with different mosaics and the border tiles may differ from each other.

If the grouting is not done well enough, the appearance of the mosaic can be ruined.

The grout is laid out on the mosaic and spread over the surface with a rubber spatula, “puttying” the seams. After half an hour, excess glue that has set but not hardened is removed with a damp rag or foam rubber. A day later, the mosaic is polished with dry soft flannel.

Conclusion

Despite the elegance, effectiveness and apparent complexity of mosaic finishing, this type of cladding, taking into account the modern matrix design of chips and the availability of technology, is quite within the power of even novice home craftsmen, who have every finished piece with their own hands. square meter surface, the quality of the mosaic increases.

Undoubtedly, all residents of city apartments enter the bathroom more than once a day, therefore, when decorating this room, they ultimately want to obtain maximum comfort and coziness. After all, it is with a visit to the bathroom that the morning begins and a difficult day ends. Therefore, to decorate this room you should choose the most modern facing materials, among which mosaic is the leader. In this article we will tell you how to make a mosaic in the bathroom with your own hands, and show photo and video instructions.

Mosaic consists of small tiles, different in their color scheme and texture. Mosaic is divided into several types, based on the material used in production. This determines the quality indicators of each variety.

It is quite possible to install mosaics on your own, without turning to professionals for help. For self-installation It is worth making your choice in favor of ceramic mosaic, which is durable and at the same time produced on a substrate in the form of a mesh. The substrate allows you to lay the mosaic in whole fragments. However, to do this you will need to buy glue designed specifically for this finishing material.

Before you begin installation, you must be especially careful in preparing the walls or floor. The mosaic is installed on a perfectly flat surface, which can be achieved using a cement solution and a level. In addition, the surface should be primed so that the color of the mosaic remains original. All these procedures will ensure even installation and strong adhesion of the material to the wall.

After leveling the surface, you need to determine the area for laying the material. Will the entire surface be covered with mosaic, or will the mosaic only become an addition in the form of patterns to ceramic tiles. If your choice is made in favor of a pattern, you need to draw it on a sheet of paper to make it easier to project the image onto the surface.

The desired mosaic pattern must be laid out on a clean surface, the tiles must be adjusted to size and, if necessary, cut off. To create a border for framing, you need to separate tiles that match the color and also lay them on a clean surface, preferably on the floor.

In order to cut a mosaic into the required sizes, you will need a great investment of effort, time and angelic patience; moreover, it is unlikely that you will be able to do this without the appropriate skills.

If you are laying the mosaic yourself, you need to approach it with special care and scrupulousness. preparatory work, since this is what will affect how the wall will look.

Rows of tiles are laid on the floor, after which horizontal and vertical marks are made on the wall. These lines will then become marks for initial stage work and execution of the image in fragments.

After this, you need to take one sheet and attach it to the wall in certain place and make sure again correct location. Having removed the sheet from the wall, the reverse side must be covered with glue, which is applied using a toothed trowel. The glue should be spread using the flat side of the trowel and smoothed using a serrated tool. The thickness of the applied glue should not exceed 1 cm. Next, the sheet must be leaned against the wall surface, gently pressing and tapping it with a rubber spatula. All mosaic fragments are fixed in a similar way. They need to be adjusted and the sheets adjusted until the glue sets.

At this point, the main stage of installing the mosaic in the bathroom is completed; now it must be left for 48 hours until completely dry, and only after that can the paper be removed from the front side. To safely remove paper without harming the appearance of the material, it is advisable to use a foam sponge. The sponge should be thoroughly wetted clean water and rub the mosaic with it until the paper gets wet, after which it will be easy to remove.

The final step in the installation work will be grouting the joints. The grout can be either classic colors or to match the material itself. For mosaics and ceramics, the best option is to grout epoxy based, which is moisture-resistant and resistant to mechanical impact and aggressive cleaning agents. The grout is applied using a rubber float using light movements. If the grout goes beyond the edges during the process, it must be removed with a soft cloth or sponge.

After the mosaic in the bathroom is completely installed, it must be left for 30 days before use. By completing this process yourself without involving specialists, you can be proud of the result obtained for a long time, feeling a sense of pride and satisfaction. Moreover, now you have something to brag about to your friends. And with proper care, you can enjoy this beauty until you want to update the interior.

Photo

Video

This video shows the process of laying mosaics on a substrate.

Mosaic finishing is becoming increasingly popular in modern bathrooms. The main materials used in this case are ceramics and glass. They are practical, presentable and have a wide selection of colors and designs. Using mosaics, you can decorate not only part of the bathroom, but also the entire room with high humidity from floor to ceiling.

Bathroom tiles: mosaic

Decorating a bathroom with mosaics yourself will require a lot of time and patience, as this work is painstaking. If you try, you can create a very original design in a fairly short time. The main thing is to take into account several important points during installation.

Mosaic tiles for the bathroom: pros and cons

This type of material for interior cladding of house walls has a large number of advantages. Among them, it is especially important to highlight the following:

Large selection of materials;

Strength;

Possibility of designing different surfaces, even uneven ones, as well as their curved and concave parts;

Color resistance to fading;

Creation of a variety of patterns and designs;

The ability to stick it on different types of surfaces, for example, wood, metal, concrete, and even firmly position it on plaster-covered walls.

Mosaic for the bathroom: requirements

Tolerate mechanical damage;

Withstand frequent exposure to chemicals;

Do not require additional care conditions;

Tolerate exposure to constant humidity;

Resistant to temperature changes.

Style features of mosaic in the bathroom

Mosaic bathroom design

When decorating a bathroom with mosaics, you can use different styles. Let's look at the most popular of them with examples of using color mosaic solutions.

1. For a classic-style bathroom design, it is recommended to select light-colored tiles. The use of marble texture and panels is allowed here.

2. To decorate a room in an ethnic style, you can use stone or wooden tiles in natural shades.

3. It is best to decorate a minimalist bathroom with glass, steel or plastic mosaics. Here, a basic, discreet background may predominate, for example, white or metal, interspersed with bright spots.

4.For a small room, decoration in the Art Nouveau style is most suitable. In combination with sand-colored tiles, you can use different types of lighting and mirrors.

5. Provence style involves design in pastel shades, decorated with floral patterns.

6.High-tech design will create a relaxing atmosphere in the bathroom. Here, a predominantly rough contrast of light and dark colors is used, for example, black and white or dark brown and milky, and textural inclusions also predominate.

Bathroom design: mosaic color options

1.Color has a fairly large impact on a person’s well-being. It is very important to choose the right color scheme for the bathroom, as it is important to create an atmosphere for relaxation in this place.

2. Warm shades will energize a person, while cold shades, on the contrary, will calm him down. In the first case, you can choose yellow or orange, and in the second, blue or green.

5.The chosen color and pattern of the mosaic should create an atmosphere in which a person will feel comfortable to be. When you enter the bathroom, you should feel calm, private and comfortable. Using a large number of bright elements will spoil the atmosphere of comfort, and instead of relaxation, a person will feel tension.

Mosaic in the bathroom: types

Mosaics are made from various materials, the most popular being tiles from:

Metal;

Ceramics;

Smalts;

2.Mosaic made from any of the above types of material is excellent for decorating a bathroom. It looks beautiful to combine several of its types at the same time. For example, you can put glass or ceramic mosaics on the walls, and finish the floor with such stone tiles.

3.There are also plastic mosaic tiles for bathroom. Plates for original and cheap bathroom design are made even from such light material. But since it itself is not an environmentally friendly product and is extremely fragile, very few people use this type of this material. In addition, mosaic design itself requires a special design, time and certain investments in the design of the room, so saving is inappropriate here.

4. Laying mosaic sheets from broken tiles should begin with creating a sketch. It will take a lot of patience to do everything the way it needs to be done. Each element of the pattern must be selected in accordance with the texture and color shade. First, the mosaic must be applied to the template. Only after this can it be transferred to the walls or floor.

5.This type of tile has several advantages:

It's much cheaper;

No special skills are required to install it;

The resulting drawings always look very original.

Features of the mosaic

Due to the variety of materials, each type of such tile has its own nuances both in operation and in installation.

1. Metal mosaics are used quite rarely compared to others. But this view does a great job of emphasizing some individual details against the background of the overall picture.

2.Glass mosaics make extremely elegant panels. Today you can find a wide variety of mosaics in color, shape and texture. The glass used to make it is also different. There are options from transparent, matte and translucent material.

3. Most often, mosaic pieces are designed in the form of gems or sea pebbles. These types of designs in the bathroom look beautiful and unobtrusive. They also use special building color additives, which make the shades even richer, create shimmer and many other interesting effects. They also include gradient fills, color transitions and stains.

4. Smalt mosaic is an extremely durable material. Its unique feature is the glow from within. A bathroom decorated from this material looks quite warm and lively, and the drawings created using this technology, against the backdrop of soffit light in the bathroom, add magic to the design.

5. Ceramic mosaic is the most common in modern bathroom design. It is usually used for finishing floors and walls. Very often it is used for laying out swimming pools, bathtubs, showers and washbasins.

6. Stone mosaic looks the most rich and attractive. Many manufacturers produce artificial tiles that naturally convey many of the features of stone. Natural colors, transitions from one color to another and texture - everything looks real. Particularly valuable is the mosaic made of semi-precious stones. Finishing of this type is expensive and looks luxurious.

7. Please note that it is very important to think about how the room will be lit. The beauty of the design of the bathroom walls and the manifestation of some of the properties of the materials used will depend on the direction of the light.

Bathroom decorated with mosaic tiles

Let's consider the main stages of the process of decorating a bathroom with mosaics, and these are:

Preparation of the working surface;

Carrying out markings on work surfaces;

Direct pasting using special glue;

Removing the protective layer of paper;

Removing seams between slabs.

Surface preparation

Treat all surfaces with a special composition against the occurrence of fungus and mold;

Create layers of waterproofing on the floor and walls adjacent to the bathroom;

Carefully level the work surface;

Make a primer, but only from light materials; such a primer is especially important when choosing a transparent mosaic for design.

How to glue a mosaic

After preparing the walls, you can begin gluing the mosaic itself. Let's consider the standard sequence of this stage of bathroom design.

1.Purchase of blanks for mosaics. They usually have dimensions of 100x100 mm, 200x200 mm or 300x300 mm. Small pieces are much easier to glue. If the composition is complex, then it is impossible to do without first creating a stencil and cutting out the necessary shapes. You can use special nippers for this. It is very important not to harm the mosaic during the preparatory process.

2.When combining mosaics with ceramic tiles, the tiles are laid first, taking into account that there should be room left to create the composition.

3.Mosaic pieces must be checked to ensure they are the right size for their location before you begin to attach them.

4.All workpieces are placed on flat surfaces. Using a spatula with teeth, glue is applied to the working side. The thickness of its layer should be about 1 cm.

5.When placing pieces on a wall or floor, they must be pressed with a rubber spatula.

6.The glue must harden completely. This will take at least 2 days, so keep this in mind when planning your repair.

7.After the mosaic image is fixed, remove the mounting paper, which we previously moistened with water.

8.Then we rub the joints between the tiles using a rubber float.

9.The glued tile is wiped with a foam sponge.

Please note that you can use the bathroom only after 20 days have passed after grouting.

Rules for applying glue

When installing mosaics, the adhesive is applied in 2 stages.

1.It must be applied as a base first. This layer should dry within 24 hours.

2. The second layer is applied to the tile itself while it is being laid on the surface of the walls or floor. Keep in mind that once you have applied the second layer to a mosaic piece, it must be immediately glued to its destination. Within 15 minutes, the adhesive will begin to dry out and if left too long, the mosaic will no longer adhere properly.

3. You cannot remove glue residues using metal spatulas. They can scratch the tile surface. Therefore, this process is carried out through mounting paper.

Mosaic grout

Grouting can be done no earlier than 24 hours after installation.

1.Before applying the solution, you need to clean the mosaic from any remaining glue. A foam sponge will help with this.

2.Then the grout is distributed over the entire surface of the tile using a spatula, and unnecessary excess is removed with a trowel.

3.The applied composition will dry for no more than 20 minutes. As time passes, the solution will darken.

4.After this, use a rag to polish the surface of the entire mosaic.

Additional recommendations

To create an original and unique design, it is important to take note of a few design tips.

1. If the drawing is laid out from individual parts and fragments, the composition will look more impressive. But for this it is very important to have a rich imagination, drawing ability and the ability to combine colors correctly.

2.Creating a sketch of the composition of the original size will allow you to calculate the required amount of mosaic as a whole and each of the required colors separately. This will avoid problems with insufficient material and make a small supply.

3. The sketch on the walls must be drawn very accurately, taking into account all the details. You can even use a stencil.

4.Each piece of the mosaic should be well lubricated with glue and pressed tightly.

5.You need to start laying out the composition from the top and move down. The gaps between the fragments should not be too large; for this you need to select elements that will fit together as tightly as possible.

6.Larger parts need to be surrounded by smaller ones. This will make it easier to select the next fragments.

How much do mosaic tiles cost for a bathroom?

1. The cost of a mosaic depends on the color design of the tile itself and the material from which it is made.

2.The richer the color range, the higher the price. The most expensive mosaic is floor mosaic. Often it is used to create complex designs, which is why the price of purchasing it is higher.

3. The size of one slab also has an important influence on the price. The larger it is, the more expensive the price.