How To Install Ceramic Mosaic Tile Backsplash

How to install a glass mosaic tile backsplash illustration by gregory nemec.

How to install ceramic mosaic tile backsplash.

Wait for the thinset to cure for a full 48 hours. Remove the plastic spacers. Mark the wall at the top of the tile. A straight edge or level can help you keep the tile even.

Hold a tile at this spot accounting for a 1 8 inch expansion gap. Start by installing full sheets of cement board then cut pieces to fit the remaining spaces. Place the tile across the wall and mark your starting and end points. Do not touch or clean the tiles during this time.

After every two or three installed sheets tap them into the mastic with a board and rubber mallet photo 3. Prep the wall apply the thinset and install the tile. Cover the countertop with plastic sheeting held in place with masking tape. Stand back look at the tiles and straighten any crooked ones.

This line serves as your cutting guide to fit tile along the counter. Work your way outward and upward from there. Clean the tile grout the joints and caulk the perimeter. To install a mosaic tile backsplash in a kitchen.

To see where the tile will end at the top of the installation make a jury stick. Lay out the location of the backsplash on the wall. Wipe down the tile with a barely wet sponge to make sure there is no dust on them before you grout. Tap the tile into the mastic with a wood scrap and a rubber mallet.

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. Apply thin set adhesive to the wall using a notched trowel. You may need to cut tiles to properly fill your backsplash area. Apply grout with a rubber float working diagonally across the tile.

Joint between sheets of tile you don t need spacers.