I'm in the process of using some mosaic tiles in a bathroom on a bath
surround.
These are the small mosaics on net backing that you snip into the sizes
you want etc.

At first I tried the usual method of creating waves in the adhesive
before fixing them, but as soon as you press them in it oozes out
everywhere and makes a right mess. Duh.

So I realised that a smooth adhesive layer is better. They fixed down
nicely and all set in the right place, but I still have some adhesive
that has "risen" up between some tiles.
It is not proud of the top surface but I am concerned that there's not
enough depth for the grout to key into nicely.
Is it worth me running the corner of a sharp knife (or similar) into
the gaps to rake out a gap for the grout to go into?

Cheers
Marc

marc_ely wrote:
I'm in the process of using some mosaic tiles in a bathroom on a bath
surround.
These are the small mosaics on net backing that you snip into the sizes
you want etc.

At first I tried the usual method of creating waves in the adhesive
before fixing them, but as soon as you press them in it oozes out
everywhere and makes a right mess. Duh.

So I realised that a smooth adhesive layer is better. They fixed down
nicely and all set in the right place, but I still have some adhesive
that has "risen" up between some tiles.
It is not proud of the top surface but I am concerned that there's not
enough depth for the grout to key into nicely.
Is it worth me running the corner of a sharp knife (or similar) into
the gaps to rake out a gap for the grout to go into?

Cheers
Marc

I let the adhesive ooze a bit, since it grips the mosaics better, which
is useful if they are those glassy ones that are harder to stick. I
made a stick the size of the gap and ran it up and down the rows to
scrape out excess adhesive. It took quite a long time !
In other words, the answer to your question is: YES.
Simon.

should
be ok if adhesive is water proof (as it should be) dont forget to use water resistant grout. You can buy plastic floats with a smaller serrated edge which are ideal for adhesive spreading, they leave smaller peaks and troughs in the adhesive, perfect for mosaic tiles

davemo wrote:
marc_ely Wrote:
I'm in the process of using some mosaic tiles in a bathroom on a bath
surround.
These are the small mosaics on net backing that you snip into the
sizes
you want etc.

At first I tried the usual method of creating waves in the adhesive
before fixing them, but as soon as you press them in it oozes out
everywhere and makes a right mess. Duh.

So I realised that a smooth adhesive layer is better. They fixed down
nicely and all set in the right place, but I still have some adhesive
that has "risen" up between some tiles.
It is not proud of the top surface but I am concerned that there's not
enough depth for the grout to key into nicely.
Is it worth me running the corner of a sharp knife (or similar) into
the gaps to rake out a gap for the grout to go into?

Cheers
Marcshould
be ok if adhesive is water proof (as it should be) dont forget to use
water resistant grout. You can buy plastic floats with a smaller
serrated edge which are ideal for adhesive spreading, they leave
smaller peaks and troughs in the adhesive, perfect for mosaic tiles



I've done a lot of this recently. After a while you get good at gauging
the right amount of adhesive, but even so some always squidges up.
My technique is simple and is the same for any tile job.

After laying run a screwdriver or whatever down any suspect slots, and
then take a bucket of clean water, and a sponge, and using a squeezed
out sponge wipe ONCE across the tiles, rinse and repeat till all surplus
muckite is gone. Replace water frequently.

Perfectly clean rtiles resady for grouting will be the result.
You need to do the same again when grouting ESPECIALLY if its a natural
stone or a heavily texture tile, as grout once dry is a bugger to get
off. Brick acid will do it, but it the tiles are marble, they dissolve
as well..DAMHIKT ;-)