I’ve gutted and changed a bathroom and now the HO wants a ceramic floor instead of laminate. My question is, the mosaic inlay in the center, it comes 6×12 on a screen, or mesh, I was told by the Tile guy at Lowes that you place it as it is, screen and all. When we left it was a wonderful looking piece of work, no grout yet. Later on,after work, the HO called and said the guy at Lowes told them to peel the tile off the screen to lay it. The problem lies here. The screen way, the tiles are .075 to .125 in grout width. The 6×6’s around the mosaic rectangle are .250 to .300. even though in the big picture, the lines, line up all around, but, there are two definite sized grout lines. I’m thinking, as an after thought, you could do it both ways, but why wouldn’t you just buy the 2×2’s separately?? Is pulling the 2×2’s off the screen a normal practice?? The Tile guy I hired to do the floor said he has never taken them off the screen before. The bottom line is this, we will redo the mosaic because the HO wants them separated… Could you let me know if, or which is the right way to do the mosaic’s on a screen… Thanks
GB
Replies
GB:
I am assumiing this is a standard tile floor and the homeowner wants some type of tile "inlay" or design done in the center of the floor. Fairly common application.
Short answer is that I leave them on the mesh. This assumes that the homeowner has selected a stock design that is readily available at my supplier and that the homeowner can wait the 6 weeks it generally takes to have the manufacturer make the design.
Quite frankly, if the design is fairly small,like a few square feet, I think I would be tempted just to pull individual tiles off the mesh and make it myself. As long as you snap some very accurate lines, it isn't all that dificult to custom make any design. Time consuming yes, but this isn't rocket science. The key here is getting the design centered in the room and very accurate lines within the design to assist you in layout. I use chalk lines for squaring up the room and seal them with hairspray or spray lacquer, and for the smaller layout lines I use an large folding "A" square, a framing square some straight edges and some Sharpies.
Good Luck.
Regards,
Boris
"Sir, I may be drunk, but you're crazy, and I'll be sober tomorrow" -- WC Fields, "Its a Gift" 1934
Hi Boris, thanks for the info. I'm getting ready to undo the wrong in the world this morning, well, at least with that tile!! The mosaic area is 72" x 18". I have to get the cross hairs in my glasses calibrated, hey, that's not a bad idea GRID GLASSES!! I'm sure someone would buy 'em, then put lasers on the frames... Hmmm, Thanks again.
GB
GB-
Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
Funny how stuff can happen, ain't it."Live Free, not Die"
I'm struck by the fact that everyone is getting installation information from "the tile guy at Lowes" ...
the guy at Lowes has no clue.
If he did ... he be "the tile guy at the tile store" ....
Usually the moasic comes on a one sheet and is set as one sheet.
There are mosiacs with paper glued to the face that is set then washed away ...
and I do know of one imported moasic that was glued to a mesh backing with water based glue which presented a problem as the wash of glue that was applied "glazed" the backs of the tiles and didn't allow the thinset to bond ....
But I doubt Lowes and HD are selling anything that unusual.
I have defered to customers demands to make all the grout line look the same ... which in the end usually screw up the spacing somewhere else ...
But the maunfacturers usually intend for the sheets to be laid as one.
Me ... I'd go and find the manufacturers number ... call them for the truth ...
then use that info to let the customers decide is as/is is good ... or they want to pay more for the demo and re-lay.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
Yeah, I thought I'd try to figure which way would be right. Boris has it on the money in this thread that either way is acceptable, only one of 50 times might you need to pull them off the sheet, I got 49 'free' ones coming!! We just finished the mosaic inlay at 11 hours after we tore up the original layout. 19 hours all together, We're grouting the tile tomorrow. The thing I keep going back to is that the customer's always right. That stuff was a PAIN to get up and then chisel the floor. I know my next one will have a specific clause about laying the tile, and if the HO wants it different, then would be the time for discussion... Thanks for the advice on going to the manufacture, I'll do that, but later. I'm going to post a picture of my 23 hour tile floor when I get the film developed!!
GB
just remember ...
the customer is always right ..
as long as they wanna pay for the privilege.
Jeff Buck Construction
Artistry in Carpentry
Pgh, PA
Good point
GB