Surface prep for Mosaic wall tile


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Old 05-20-17, 10:19 AM
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Surface prep for Mosaic wall tile

I'm putting glass/stone mosaic tile on an accent wall in a half bath. Not a wet area. Currently, the wall has a slight texture and is painted with an eggshell paint.

What kind of surface prep do I need to do to the wall before adhesive and tile? See picture below for texture.

Thank you in advance.


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Old 05-20-17, 02:05 PM
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what is the size of the area that will receive tile
 
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Old 05-20-17, 04:39 PM
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It is from counter-top to the ceiling. Approximately 6ft 8in high by 3ft 4in wide.

Thanks for the reply!
 
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Old 05-20-17, 04:57 PM
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Personally, I would skim coat with joint compound to smooth out the surface, then light sand, knock down any high spots, prime and then put up your mosaic.
 
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Old 05-20-17, 07:02 PM
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On some glass mosaic tile, white thin set is recommend. The thin set will be visible through the glass.

It doesn't take much prep. I tear out a lot of full splashes and most of the time the tile will not come off the wall without severe drywall damage, requiring cut out and replace.
The tile is going nowhere, trust me.
Just a joke but tile guys are my enemies
 
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Old 05-21-17, 06:59 AM
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So, are you saying pretty much no prep is necessary? Leave the texture and paint as is? Maybe just clean the walls off before the white thin set is applied?
 
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Old 05-21-17, 12:06 PM
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I would sand quickly/roughly with a heavy grit or scratch the walls, then clean.

I think anybody can attest the thin set sticks very well.
 
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Old 05-21-17, 03:24 PM
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Again, given the small size of many tile/glass mosaics, a flat surface is needed. Skim coat the wall to smooth, sand to flat, prime and then install your tile. Otherwise, the only real grab the mosaic will have on the wall will be at the raised portion of the texture. You need solid coverage and contact. It will also prevent you from having to "float" small tiles and try to keep level as you install. Mosaics usually require you to go back and make sure every tile is set into the thinset. You literally push down on every piece of mosaic. If you push on a low spot you will end up with an uneven tile. Skim it to a smooth surface and paint for ease of installation.
 
 

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