How to lay Mosaic

Laying mosaic: Vitreo, Brillante, Shining, Lux and Sunshine

Preparation, marking and spreading of the adhesive
The beginning of every laying phase starts with the unpacking of the mosaics. It is always useful to verify the condition of each sheet of mosaic contained in the boxes before beginning to lay, and it is good practice to keep the material to be laid at the same temperature as the surroundings in which the work is being carried out. The starting point is then identified and marked on the wall where the mosaic sheets are to be laid. Mark the guide lines at right angles to each other corresponding to the multiples of the sheets of mosaics previously measured. It is usual practice to mark squares for 3 x 3 sheets. Of course, in the case of tile laying on a wall, the guide lines must be horizontal and vertical.


	Once the reference grid has been marked, the adhesive is spread over the base. First with the smooth part of the notched spreader to ensure that the whole surface is covered. Excess adhesive is then removed with the notched part of the spreader (3 mm square teeth), being careful to keep a steady inclination of the spreader and exerting sufficient pressure so that no more adhesive than necessary remains on the base.

		LAYING MOSAIC Mosaic on film Once the reference grid has been marked and the adhesive spread over the base, the laying begins by applying the mosaic sheet with the plastic film towards the operator and without exerting too much pressure.

		Tap the mosaic with the rubber float to ensure perfect adhesion to the surface. During this operation it is possible to correct any errors that might have been made in the alignment by lightly tapping sideways on the sheets.

The adhesive must not run over the joints. If this should happen, it means that the notches on the spreader are too large; otherwise the base for laying is not perfectly flat and in some points there is excessive adhesive; or again it could be that the notched spreader is not being used correctly.
During the laying some manual intervention on the sheets of mosaics may be necessary. In this particular case the operator intervenes by simply removing a single tile and substituting it with another, being careful to ensure that the adhesive is still workable.


	The plastic film is removed from the mosaic when the adhesive is sufficiently hardened: the suggested time of three hours is approximate. The action should be carried out in a diagonal sense, keeping the film parallel to the tiles themselves. If during the removal of the film the mosaic should move, it is necessary to wait longer.


	GROUTING AND FINAL CLEANING Respect the minimum times for the setting of the adhesive: 24 hours for vertical walls and 48 hours for floors to allow them to be walked on, and then proceed with the filling of the joints.


	Using the rubber float, spread the grouting cement with vertical and horizontal strokes exerting a slight pressure to make sure the joints are well-filled. Pass diagonally to remove most of the excess filling.

	The cleaning of the surface can begin once the grouting cement starts setting, the time varying according to the temperature of the surroundings, but it is somewhere between 30 and 60 minutes. Remove the excess grouting using the special felt and a slightly dampened sponge; at all times be careful not to remove the filling from the joints.

It is very important to carry out this operation before the grouting has completely hardened. Any eventual residue can be removed with a special acid-based product for the removal of residue cements.
It is also very important to rinse everything thoroughly after this operation to avoid leaving traces of acid.
If there are any traces of adhesive on the tesserae at the end of the job, after having stuccoed the mosaic, remove the dry excess with a stell wool.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTION FOR LAYING AND GROUTING THE MOSAIC SIZE: 2,5 x 2,5 · 4,15 x 4,15 · 9,1 x 9,1 · 30 x 30 cm · GLAMOUR
Using a roller, spread the stucco or glue on the back of the sheet.
Ensure that the back of the sheet is filled with glue.
Lay the sheet on the surface which has already been prepared with the 6 x 6 mm toothed spatula.
Beat the sheet with the rubber-coated spatula to achieve perfect adhesion.
Using the rubber-coated spatula, fill the joints on the whole surface and, once the filler has hardened clean the surface with water.
Where greater thickness is used (5 x 5 cm+ 10 x 10 cm + Rhombus), position the mosaic dry in order to calculate the incidence of the thickness. Only after such calculation plot the reference grid then spread the adhesive on the base. To lay 10X10 elements, in this case on a vertical wall, spread the adhesive on both the base and the element at the same time, in order to ensure better adhesion. Place a suitable spacer between the elements to ensure that they are equidistant and secure.

FURTHER INFORMATION TO LAY KARMA
IMPORTANT: to lay the Karma use epoxy adhesives.


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