Using glass mozaic asa feature with white ceramic tiles

[welland99]

Just had a look at the tiles bought by my wife for our shower room. My heart has just sunk!

The idea is to tile a splash back behind the sink with normal white ceramic tiles at the sides and glass mozaics in the centre. So right behind the sink will be mozaic (area about 50cm wide and 50cm high), white tiles to both sides.

The problem is that the mozaics are much thinner than the tiles and are transparent. The walls are flat plasterboard, previously painted. The mozaics are face mounted on a giant piece of sellotape 30cm x 30cm.

How do I get the mozaics raised to be level with the tiles, and to avoid unsightly patterns showing through?

Should I apply a really thick layer of adhesive without a notched trowel, or is there a better way?

Help!

[Beau Geste]

Sounds like it might be an idea to fix the normal white ceramic tiles at the sides first and let them set. You can then fix the panel of mosaics inside with a thick coat of white cement and use the edges as a guide to get them flush. Then grout the whole lot afterwards. I did a small area of glass mosaics as a splash back but I took my tiles off the sheet so I could get the spacing exactly right.

[royaloakcarpentry]

Use a white cement based mosaic adhesive. Nicobond do one which is also a grout.

Do your border tiles, build up adhesive for the mosaic and let it dry. Now tile the area with the mosaic as per usual, 3mm notched trowel etc.

[jozeffo]

I have seen Mosaics done using contact adhesive instead of tile adhesive. What a way to cheat. No mess, no fuss and no slump. You could stick 4mm hardboard to the wall to then apply the mosaic which should bring you flush with the ceramics.

I thought it was a bit cowboy but I can't really see a problem with it.

Make sure the hardboard is sealed and don't try it in a shower.