problem with glass mosaic tiles

becs

I'm looking for some tips on a problem we have with some glass mosaic tiles. We bought some over a year ago but are only now ready to tile. The problem we have is the tiles have come on a plastic backing sheet as most normal mosaics obviously with the intention of placing the sheet onto the adhesive then peeling the backing off. The problem we have is the backing sheet is not sticky enough so as soon as you pick the sheet up the tiles all fall off. Can anyone suggest the easiest way of fixing these tiles given the problem! They are the small mosaics only 1cm square.
Thank you

Alan_M_2

The backing sheets are generally attached with an adhesive that is water soluble.

So you glue the tiles up with the backing outermost, wait for it to set, then soak the sheets and peel them off.

If you've stored the tiles for a year (probably in a garage or shed) then the atmospheric moisture will have broken down the adhesive bond to the glass tile and left you with the problem you have now.

Your answer is either stick them up individually (not a realistic option) or replace....

becs

Thanks for the reply. The tiles have never stuck well to the backing sheet so it's not because of time. When we first got them several fell off as it has hardly any stick to it at all and the tiles are very heavy.
Replacing them is not an option either as they were extremely expensive but because it's only for a smallish area in the downstairs loo we splashed out. I was kind of hoping for some creative thinking suggestions really.

andyhop

Glue stick back plastic to the front of them then set in wall, I would suggest Bal Mosaic fix rather than a tubbed adhesive

dander

OK, never done it myself, but here's my best idea about what might work. Get two oblongs of plywood or mdf or some such and a sheet of the rubber anti-slip matting stuff (hope you know what I mean by that. You can usually buy it in places like Wilkinsons and pound shops.) Slide the sheet of tiles gently out of the box with backing side down onto one oblong of wood. Place the rubber mat and other oblong on top - then carefully flip your sandwich over and replace the backing with sticky back plastic as above. Hopefully the non-stick rubber should hold the tiles in place while you get the plastic on.

I have no guarantee this would work, I'm just having my best shot at it for you. Good luck, it must be really frustrating to have paid a lot for the tiles and have to struggle with them like this.

laurel7172

Are they on a backing sheet (i.e. the backs are stuck to the sheet) or are they stuck face down onto something you peel off once they're fixed?

If the tiles are stuck good face down, then glue back down the ones that have fallen off (with some washable PVA), then buy some fibreglass tiling mesh and the appropriate glue and glue the mesh to their backs to hold them together It's a bit fiddly, but it has to be easier than setting them individually. Google "indirect tiling method" and "mesh" to find an explanation that makes sense to you.

becs

Thanks everyone, that's really helpful.
Dander I know exactly what you mean and thinks this sounds an easy and practical way to try first off. It s hugely frustrating Dander, we bought them from Fired Earth at £195m2 so not at all MSE but it is for a relatively small area and they are stunning tiles! With hindsight we should have taken them straight back to Fired earth. Ironically we bought bigger kitchen mosaics from them in the sale and they had the opposite problem as they were on a mesh with tissue between each layer. The tissue had managed to glue itself onto the fronts of the other sheets so they did go back!
I'll let you know how we get on!

sallyrsm

That seems really expensive compared to where I got mine from.

andyhop

sallyrsm wrote: »

That seems really expensive compared to where I got mine from.

The cheapest range of mosaics from fired earth is £100 per sqm:eek:

becs

Yep I said they were expensive! But they are far more beautiful than anything else we'd seen and decided as it was a small area we would splash out. Hopefully once they're up they'll be there for many years!

sallyrsm

and from http://www.mosaictraderuk.com/acatalog/goldink_metallic.html

I've gone for topaz in the gold flecked ones. They are stunning, like tigerseye, and about £65 a sq m.
They do tons of gold flecked ones and some pearlised irridescent ones, all for about £70 sqm or less.


Looking at the Fired Earth ones seems I got even more of a bargain than I thought!!