How to Install Mosaic Tile

By
Lee Wallender
Updated on 08/09/21
Reviewed by
Kelly Bacon

A ceramic tile installation made with sheets of mosaic tile offers a great way to add visual interest to a room.
Whether they are used on floors, walls, countertops, or backsplashes—and whether made from traditional
ceramic tiles, porcelain, or glass tiles—mosaics create an intricate design effect that lends a look of luxury in
any room.

Historically, mosaics were first painstakingly applied as individual tiny tiles to create a unified large surface
with intricate patterns, but modern mosaics consist of convenient sheets of pre-attached tiles that are remarkably
easy to install. With very small tiles or tiles with geometric shapes, mosaic sheets offer advantages over
working with individual ceramic or porcelain tiles.

What Are Mosaic Tiles?

Modern mosaic tile is a product in which smaller ceramic tile squares—generally 2 inches square or smaller—
are glued onto sheets of mesh fiberglass. The tiles are spaced on the sheets so the gaps between tiles are
precisely the proper width for grout seams. This makes mosaic tile much quicker to install than using individual
small tiles.

Mosaic sheets can be composed of tiles of the same color, or they can use tiles of varying colors and different
shapes for design effects. Most mosaic sheets are traditional ceramic tile, but there are also mosaics that use
porcelain tile, glass tile, natural stone, or even unglazed terra cotta tiles. Mosaic sheets are usually made with
small square tiles, but some mosaics consist of sheets of small rectangular tiles or other geometric shapes. They
may even mix shapes within the same sheet. There are also narrow sheets of mosaic tiles that are used for
borders and for other accent applications.

Techniques for installing mosaic tile sheets are nearly identical to those for standard ceramic tile, but cutting
can sometimes be easier since fitting partial sheets can be as simple as snipping the fiberglass backing to create
custom-shaped sheets.

Click Play to Learn How to Easily Install Mosaic Tile

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

 Tape measure
 Framing square
 Pencil
 Utility knife
 Screw gun
 Taping knife
 Level
  Chalk line
 Rubber mallet
 Tile nipper or wet saw
 Clean rags
 Paintbrush or roller

Materials

 Cement board
 Cement board screws
 Fiberglass cement board tape
 Thin-set adhesive
 Mosaic tile sheets
 Notched trowel
 Scrap of 2x4
 Grout (unsanded or sanded, as required)
 Grout haze remover
 Grout sealer
 Latex adhesive (if needed)

Instructions

The Spruce / Michela Buttignol

1. Prepare the Surface

As with any tile installation, the surface for mosaic tile must be perfectly flat and smooth. In modern tile
work, the underlayment is generally cement board applied over a plywood subfloor or directly against
wall studs. Mosaic tile can be laid directly on plywood or wallboard (in non-wet locations), but cement
board offers the best underlayment and is the preferred choice for professionals.

Start by installing full sheets of cement board, then cut pieces to fit the remaining spaces. Cement board
is best cut by scoring it with a sharp utility knife, guided by square, then snapping it along the score
lines. Use cement board screws to secure the panels to the studs, with the rough side of the panels facing
out. Leave a gap of about 1/8 inch between panels.

Cover the seams between cement board panels with 2-inch wide fiberglass cement board tape, then
cover the tape with a thin layer of thin-set adhesive, applied with a taping knife.

Tip

If installing tiles over plywood or drywall, use a latex adhesive in lieu of thin-set, mortar-based
adhesive.

2. Plan the Tile Layout

 A good installation with mosaic tile requires a well-planned layout to ensure that grout seams run
perfectly square. Draw intersecting perpendicular layout lines that bisect the surface top to bottom and
left to right. Most pros begin installation at the very center of the surface, first installing all full sheets of
tile, then doing whatever cutting is necessary at the borders and around obstacles.

3. Attach the First Tile Sheet

Beginning at the center where the layout lines cross, use a notched trowel to apply a layer of thin-set
adhesive to one of the layout quadrants, working in sections about 2 to 3 feet square. Make sure not to
over-apply the adhesive; you should be able to see the cement board at the bottom of the grooves.

Apply the first tile sheet into the corner of the first quadrant, carefully adjusting it with your hands to
ensure that it is perfectly square with the layout lines. Press firmly to embed the tile in the thin-set. Hold
for several seconds, and watch for any sliding as you release hand pressure on the tile.

Tip

Your tile and the thin-set product will specify what size of a notched trowel to use. Some trowels use V-
shaped notches, while others have square notches.

4. Fill in the First Quadrant

Install adjoining mosaic sheets in the first quadrant in the same manner, using tile spacers to ensure that
gaps between sheets are exactly the same as the gaps between tiles within the sheets. With mosaic
sheets, the small tiles are staggered so the sheets interlock. Be careful to ensure that the grout seams
remain uniform throughout the tile field.

5. "Set" the Tiles

Mosaic sheets do not behave in quite the same way as single large tiles; they can ripple or form waves
on the surface. To prevent this, after every few sheets are installed, "set" the tiles by using a small piece
of plywood (about 8 inches square) and a rubber mallet to tap down the mosaic sheet into the thin-set.
This flattens the tile area, giving it a nice smooth surface. Pay particular attention to the seams between
sheets, to make sure there is no lippage (where one row of tiles is higher than its neighboring row) or
slippage (where gaps between sheets are wider than the grout gaps within the sheets).

6. Cut the Tile Sheets to Fit

As you approach the edges of the tile area, you will likely need to cut tile sheets down to size. In some
cases, simply cutting the fiberglass mesh will create a partial sheet exactly the right size for your needs,
but in other situations, you may need to trim the individual edge tiles to fit precisely. Avoid this when
you can; you may be able to use cove tiles or other accents, or baseboard moldings, to cover the gaps at
 the edge of a layout. To cut the sheets down to size, simply cut the mesh backing along the grout seams
using a sharp utility knife.

Install the cut sheets of tile in the same fashion as the full sheets.

7. Cut the Individual Tiles

Where individual tiles within the sheet need to be cut, you have several options. Sheets of tile can be fed
through a tile wet saw in the same manner as used with full-size ceramic tiles. This is by far the easiest
way to cut tiles, and it is the best strategy for very large tile installations where lots of cutting is needed.
Wet saws are available for rental at home improvement centers and tool leasing outlets. Simple wet saws
are relatively inexpensive and are a good investment if you do regular tile work.

Another option is a simple hand tool known as a tile nipper, which looks like a pair of modified pliers
and can be used to "nibble" each individual tile square within the sheet. Or, you can use a rail cutter (or
snap tile cutter, as it is sometimes called) to score an entire row of tiles. The tool's pivot lever can then
be used to snap each individual tile within the sheet, one at a time.

Tip

Another option for cutting tiles is a 4-1/2 inch grinder fitted with a diamond wheel.

8. Complete Installation on the Remaining Quadrants

With one quadrant of the tile job done, repeat the preceding steps to complete the other three quadrants,
one at a time. With each quadrant, work from the center point of the layout outward to the edges.

9. Install the Trim Tiles

Conclude the installation by installing whatever trim or accent tiles you are using. This can include
bullnose edging, cove tiles, or baseboard tiles. These are also applied using thin-set adhesive. After all
the tiles are installed, allow the installation to harden a bit before moving on to grouting.

10.Mix the Grout

After the mosaic tiles have thoroughly hardened into the thin-set and are in no danger of shifting, mix up
a batch of grout from dry power (or you can use pre-mixed grout for small jobs). Generally, use
unsanded grout for tiles with grout seams 1/8 inch or smaller, and sanded grout where the seams are
wider.1 Follow the manufacturer's directions for mixing.

11.Apply the Grout

 Load the edge of a rubber grout float with grout, then spread the grout over the top of the tile. Using
multiple passes of the grout float, force the grout into the joints, holding the float at a 45-degree angle to
the surface. The edge of the float is what forces the grout deep into the joints. You will need to alternate
the direction of the grout float to ensure that grout fully fills all joints.

Continue until all joints are filled with grout. With mosaic tiles, this can be a lengthy process since there
are many grout joints. Use the edge of the grout float to scrape off large amounts of excess grout from
the face of the tiles.

12.Clean the Tile Surface

Allow the grout to harden slightly, according to the manufacturer's directions, then wipe the face of the
tiles with a clean cloth to remove dried grout.

After the grout is fully cured (again, according to the manufacturer's direction), use a liquid grout haze
remover to get rid of any remaining grout film.

13.Seal the Grout Lines

Because tile grout is porous, it must be sealed in order to protect the underlayment, as well as the
integrity of the grout. This is particularly important in damp locations, such as showers. Use whatever
type of sealer is recommended by the grout manufacturer, and wait until the grout is completely dry and
cured before applying it.

With mosaic tiles and their many grout lines, the easiest way to apply sealer is by brushing or rolling the
entire surface. As the surface begins to dry, wipe away excess sealer from the surface of the tiles; it will
have already penetrated the grout. Most sealers suggest two applications for initial sealing, then
additional application every one to two years.