Glass mosaic tiles are growing in popularity due to its durability and endless design possibilities. This highly versatile material is suitable for both interior and exterior use for: floors, walls, facades, pools, chimneys, stairs, spashbacks, countertops, tables, shelves, bars, etc.
Hisbalit mosaic tiles offer an extremely durable product that is resistant to sun, rain, extreme temperatures and sudden temperature changes. The following is a step by step guide to install mosaic tiles correctly with the HT-K system, ensuring the best results both aesthetically and functionally.
| Tools Required |
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- Narrow notched trowel: 3 mm notch - NB! One of the most common errors when installing mosaic tile is using a trowel with thick notches.
- Sponge trowel
- Rubber or wooden block
- Sponge
- Squeegee
- Tile nippers - Recommended for cutting small pieces of tile or for finishes requiring irregular or curved forms.
- Radial tile cutter or grinder - Recommended for straight cuts longer than 1 cm. This is the ideal tool for cutting pieces of mosaic tile joining other materials along straight lines. This should be a small-size, medium powered tool with speed control. Cuts should be made at moderate or even low speed, using a 115 mm glass cutting disk.
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How to install mosaic tiles with the HT-K system
The HT-K System is a revolutionary fixing system that uses an exclusive thermo-polymer bead to join all the pieces of the tile sheet. Using this system ensures a quick installation. Easily trim sheets with a cutter and store outdoors.
By combining the proper adhesive and jointing material, HT-K is the only system that prevents tesserae from becoming detached over time, guaranteeing inalterable results. This method results in a ductile and highly durable tile sheet that adapts perfectly to surfaces which helps reduce costs in time and money in the long run.
Steps
- Spread a 2-3 cm thick layer of adhesive cement onto the surface using a notche trowl.
- Place the mosaic tiles on the adhesive cement, ensure to align carefully so create a distance of 2 mm between each tile for all joints to be the same.
- Tap with a wood or rubber trowel in order to penetrate the layer of adhesive cement with the tiles.
- Once the adhesive cement is dry, fill the joints with the special mortar for joints using a special trowel.
- Use a rubber squeegee to remove any remaing adhesive.
- Clean with a damp sponge
- Finish off by wiping the mosaic off with a dry cloth.
Mistakes to look out for
- Not preparing the surface properly. The surface must be level, stable, clean and dry. The ideal surface is a thin layer of water-repellent mortar.
- Using a trowel with notches that are too thick. No more than 3 mm!
- Using too much adhesive cement.
- Not having the correct spacing between the sheets. Unmatched lines of tile can give an irregular and unsightly finish.
- Not cleaning excess grout from the joints.
