Installation Guide

Glass Tile Installation Guide

Tools

• Diamond disc for cutting mosaics

• 1/16 - 3/16 V Notch Trowel

• Grout Float

• Level Finish Nails

• Sponge

• Bucket

• Non-Sanded grout

Step 1: Substrate Preparation: The substrates need to be clean, compact, perfectly flat and free of dirt

and cracks. Nylon or wire brush can be used in cleaning the residues on the surface. If the brush cannot

remove the entire residue use bead blasting or sand blasting. Fix all the uneven area of the surface;

leveling compound might be needed to make the surface perfectly flat. Small cracks can be fixed using

crack suppression membrane or patch. Consult an engineer for an assessment of large cracks because

this might cause problem in the future. Make sure enough time is given to let the substrate settle (as per

manufacturers recommendation). Do not install the mosaic tiles directly over plywood or drywall.

Step 2: Laying Mosaic: Before starting the installation inspect all mosaic sheets and make sure that

material is in good condition and no defects. Identify the starting point where to start guidelines that

will help the lay out to be straight and symmetrical while installing. The size of the trowel depends on

the thickness of the mosaic tiles, thinner the material the smaller the trowel. The mosaic, unless

otherwise specified by the customer, is usually laid on white mastic or thinset to avoid altering its color

White thinset is usually recommended to use for the glass and other light or transparent product to

avoid discoloration of the background.

Once the starting grid has been marked, using the flat side of the v-notched trowel apply a layer of

thinset and use the notched side to go over the thinset to make uniform depth. Make sure to apply only

enough adhesive to area that you can tile within 15 mins because it dries very quick.

Once the adhesive is spread over the surface start laying down the mosaic sheets.

Using grout float press the mosaic sheet against the surface to guarantee perfect adhesion. Using the

same tool correct any alignment errors by lightly tapping the sides of the sheet. If the sheet starts to

slide down, place few finish nails on the last grout line on the top to keep it in place and move on the

next tile.

After one section is done, use damp sponge to clean up any residues of the thinset that squeezed up

between tiles. Thinsets usually require at least 24 hours for curing, for more time check the

manufacturers recommendation.

PAGE 1
Glass Tile Installation Guide Tools • • • • • • • Diamond disc for cutting mosaics 1/16 - 3/16 V Notch Trowel Grout Float Level Finish Nails Sponge Bucket Non-Sanded grout Step 1: Substrate Preparation: The substrates need to be clean, compact, perfectly flat and free of dirt and cracks. Nylon or wire brush can be used in cleaning the residues on the surface. If the brush cannot remove the entire residue use bead blasting or sand blasting.
PAGE 2
Step 3: Grouting and Final Cleaning: Before applying grouts make sure that the adhesive is set and firm and the tiles are clean. Non-sanded grout is the recommend grout to use for mosaic sheets due to small grout joints. Never use sanded grout on polished glass mosaics this will scratch the material. Never use Epoxy grouts for the glass mosaic tiles, unless specified by the manufacturer. Using grout float apply the grout on the tiles. Use vertical and horizontal stroke to spread the grout.