The area of application of a glass mosaic has practically no restrictions. These are facades and interiors of houses, pool bowls, walls, bathroom floors and other rooms with high humidity, chimneys of furnaces and fireplaces.
Photo: Dune.
Miniature mosaic elements - the perfect finishing material for registration not only even, but also curvilinear surfaces
High technical characteristics, democratic prices and a huge colors palette - thanks to all these qualities, the glass mosaic does not lose popularity. Surprisingly, the material is so unsafe for the human body, like glass facing in a plurality of small tester (from 1 × 1 to 5 × 5 cm), becomes perfect trim for shower, bathrooms, pools and other rooms with high humidity. It is hygienic, wear-resistant and immune to domestic chemicals. And the set of seams between the elements ensures very useful in this case anti-slip properties.
Zero water absorption and, therefore, high frost resistance makes it possible to use glass elements on open balconies and house facades. The heat resistance of the mosaic turns out to be quite by the way when finishing fireplaces, furnaces, chimneys, as well as kitchen aprons near slabs or cooking surfaces.
For facing the outer surfaces and constantly in contact with water (bathrooms, pools), it is better to use a mosaic with a paper base pasted on the front side, which is then removed by a sponge.
Photo: Knauf.
A mixture of "Knauf marble" is designed for cladding inside and outside buildings (including base) walls of marble, granite, glass beam, glass and transparent tiles, ceramic tiles weighing up to 60 kg / m², as well as sex with these materials without limiting size and weight Tile
Glass elements of the most common 4 mm thickness are usually used to finish vertical surfaces. For the guards of the hallways, corridors, kitchens and other zones with intensive motion, it is possible to prefer to the vessels with a thickness of 6.5 mm and more (up to 13 mm). Plots where sand and street dirt can scratch the glass surface, it is better to make a mosaic from the smalt. This opaque variety of glass is made from its small particles and the oxides of various metals, which is melting at high temperatures for a long time (up to day). As a result, the material exceeds the strength characteristics of ordinary glass.
Cement glue for mosaic
A universal option for laying a glass mosaic is cement glue. And manufacturers offer for this special compositions - white. Translucent elements of a tender pastel palette and bright colors, folded in original patterns and ornaments, will look more attractive on a white background. Then the gray adhesive layer levels the colorful effect and make a picture more dull.
Photo: Onix.
Glass mosaic excelion is hygienic: microbes do not multiply on it
But this is not the only distinctive feature of the glue for a glass tesser. In addition to white, they must have high adhesion (from 1 MPa) to securely fix absolutely non-porous material on the basis. For the facing of vertical surfaces, high thixotropy is important - grazing resistance to glue mass, especially when installing the installation from top to bottom. This quality will not allow separate elements and mosaic modules to change their position. In the mosaic finish of the floor, which is subjected to the most intensive loads or equipped with heating systems, not only high adhesion, but also the elasticity of glue is necessary. Then the likelihood of a separate tester will be minimal. By the way, another common cause of elements falling is not enough. The layer of a miniature tesser quite accurately reproduces the unevenness of the floor, and when walking on it, shoes can be cling to the protrusions.
Nuances laying mosaics on the street
When placing a mosaic of open terraces, entrance groups must be fully or partially covered by these spaces from rain, strong wind, bright sun. After that, to carry out work on the preparation of the base (align; in the case of a cement or concrete screed waiting for its drying; apply soil).During the installation of mosaic elements, the ambient temperature for glue must be taken into account. Without forgetting that at temperatures below 10 ° C, the glue is grasped slower and the time until the completion of the cladding to the workload increases. In the hot summer days, the mosaic is placed in the clock of the smallest sun exposure (in the morning or evening), shading place in the watches of the scorching sun, to prevent possible dehydration of glue. No less important when facing facades, take into account the impact of a strong wind, which creates the drying effect.
Characteristics of cement glue
Cement adhesives are usually produced in the form of dry mixtures that are bred before use. Each composition has certain characteristics. First of all, this is the viability of the solution, or the lifetime (use) during which it retains the optimal viscosity to perform work and can be applied to the surface of the layer of necessary thickness. The countdown of time begins when the dry mixture was created with water, left for 5-10 minutes, so that the modifying additives dissolved, and mixed again. This range ranges from 2 to 8 hours. Than it is more, the more convenient to work with glue. In this case, the finished solution should be in the containers closed with a lid or polyethylene, and not subjected to dehydration. Otherwise, the film may form on the surface, and the next portion will not give the calculated strength.
Air temperature and base during mosaic mounting: not lower than 5 ° C and not higher than 25 ° C, heat and drafts reduce the opening layer time of the glue.
Open work hours, or the open layer time, is a period during which the glue, applied to the surface, retains adhesive ability, until the film or a thin crust is founding on it, significantly reduced adhesion. On average, the interval ranges from 20 to 30 minutes.
Another important characteristic is a permissible adjustment time during which the position of the tile can be corrected on the base before the solution is captured. The fact is that the non-uniformity of the seams is not always noticeable. Setting several mosaic modules, the master usually moves to a certain distance, assesses the quality of installation and, if necessary, aligns inaccuracies. This time range is from 10 to 45 minutes. Any movement of the mosaic after the time the adjustment expires, leads to a decrease in the strength of the connection.
So, comparing the characteristics of the glue for a glass mosaic, it is easy to estimate how convenient will work with one or another, and make the optimal choice.
To make a glass mosaic balconies, terraces, facades and other places where the facing is experiencing temperature differences, only frost-resistant glue should be chosen. Forms for internal work are not suitable. The fact is that in the micropores of the adhesive layer is usually there water. Freezing, it creates a huge tension that works on a gap of mosaic. Only the frost-resistant composition will reliably hold the facing at a negative temperature and when hesitations from a minus to the plus. The degree of frost resistance is determined by the number of alternate freezing and extinguishing cycles of the cycles of alternate freezing and thawing. Choosing a frost-resistant glue, it is important to take into account the character of the climatic zone and even the fact that the mosaic cladding on the southern and on the northern sides of the facade passes a different number of cycles.
Andrei Vernikov
Head of Product Management Department, Moscow Sales Directorate "Knauf Gypsum"
Glass mosaic installation process
Glue are applied to the base with a smooth spatula
Profile combat structure - gear
Mosaic modules are applied with a mesh inside, not too impressive so that the glue does not speak from the seams. Periodically check flat surface
After hardening glue rubs the seams
The tools used are washed with water immediately after the completion of work to hardening glue and grout, otherwise it can be cleaned only mechanically
Glass mosaic adhesives
| Mark. | "Marble" | Ceresit cm 115. | Litoplus K55 | "Maximplips AC17 W" | BELFICS | Mosaik. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Knauff | Henkel | Litokol | "Best" | Unis | Bergauf. |
| Adhesion to concrete, MPa | one | 1,1 | one | 1.5 | one | 1,2 |
| Tile adjustment time, min. | 10 | 25. | 40. | fifteen | fifteen | twenty |
| Optimal layer thickness, mm | 2-6 | — | 1-5 | 1-6 | To 10 | 3-10. |
| Frost resistance, cycles | 75. | 100 | fifty | fifty | 100 | fifty |
| Packaging, kg. | 25. | 25. | 25. | 25. | 25. | 25. |
| price, rub. | 490. | 867. | 774. | 628. | 535. | 671. |