One of the most ancient ways to decorate housing is mosaic. It was used in ancient Egypt, India and China for 3 thousand years before the Nativity of Christ. This art originated in the Sumerian peoples and since then it has been much more transformed, the masters of each era added their versions of the equipment and offered the original materials for creating drawings. To date, Mosaic is very relevant and successfully used to decorate housing.
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Main varieties of mosaic
The basic mosaic technique involves creating drawings from various materials of different color, form and invoices, in practice apply:
- stone
- glass
- tile
- clay
- combined.
Stone mosaic appeared very first. For its creation, small multicolored pebbles were collected from which portraits of kings or landscapes of the terrain. This option is the most durable, as the stone does not lose color, is not subject to any effects and practically does not destroy. However, beautiful drawing will look only if you look at it from afar. Near the seams and all sorts of irregularities will be visible. Use it either for outdoor work, or in rooms with an area of \u200b\u200bmore than 100 square meters. m.
Glass mosaic originated in Christian temples, when priests began to decorate the windows with stained glass churches. This type of decoration is quite painstaking and invested efforts often do not justify the result. Therefore, it is urgent rarely and mainly as additional elements.
With the advent of the tile, a new stage began in the history of the development of mosaic. The tile made it possible to create the most beautiful and practically seamless panels, which only a little inferior on the operational characteristics of the stone. Today, this is the most popular way.
Clay shards served as a cheaper analogue of the tile. An ordinary burned clay was painted and collected paintings by analogy with tiles. The main disadvantage was that the paint quickly began to lose color, and the material itself crack. This option was abandoned completely.
Combined mosaic arose in India. The first paintings were a combination of ordinary and precious stones. Surprised by the luxury Europeans began to create similar panels in their homeland, but instead of rubies, emeralds and sapphires used colored glass or crystal. From a visual point of view, the differences from the jewelry is minimal.
Ceramic tile Mosaica
Since this option is the most popular and practical, let's talk about its features. The building materials market offers the following types of tiles:
- billet with dimensions of 10x10 or 15x15 cm,
- separate elements with dimensions 2x2 cm or 3x3 cm,
- full paintings, with blanks of different sizes.
Most often on racks of construction stores there are blanks for a mosaic. They consist of the base and upper coating, which is made in the form of small multi-colored tiles. In fact, this material is not suitable for creating a real mosaic, so most often applied in the pools. The walls are obtained rather beautiful and unusual, in addition, there are some types of tiles, allowing you to create patterns, but no more.
Discarded variety of such blanks - glass mosaic tile. Combined options are found when tiles are combined with glass and fully glass products. With their help decorated tile compositions. Use only this material is very expensive. Most often used to decorate walls in the bathroom.
Real tile mosaic consists of small individual tiles. They are presented in a very wide range of colors and allow you to create real masterpieces of painting. The smaller the tile size, the higher the quality of the drawing itself. It is worth noting that the work is extremely painstaking and will take not one week (on average one square meter takes 2-3 hours of time).
As in the previous case, there are separate glass tiles on sale. Special tempered, shockproof glass, thanks to which, it is not afraid of mechanical damage.
An easier option is ready-made paintings. They combine the speed of installation of blanks and the beauty of individual elements. In the domestic market, the direction is new, so the distribution is bad. On the other hand, some private companies provide tiled mosaics services to order. This will allow you to choose exactly the image you want to see at home.
Mosaic from tile do it yourself
These species have their own specifies of installation, so it should be carefully stopped at each of them. In addition, the selection of tile glue primarily depends on what conditions a mosaic will be operated.
Technology of installation of blanks is the simplest, so let's start with it. First of all, you need to make a plan:
- determine where the mosaic will be located,
- select an execution option
- calculate the surface area
- calculate the amount of glue
- calculate the amount of grouting
- prepare the necessary tool.
Such a mosaic is suitable for the design of the walls of the bathroom, the workshop of the apron in the kitchen or cup of pools. In addition, the pallet is made for the street soul.
Performance options may be several:
- pattern,
- multicolored mosaic,
- mosaic with deco elements.
In order for the pattern to be visible, the area is needed at least 2 square meters. m, so the patterned mosaic is used most often for pools. In the bathroom, the use is possible, but only in a large room, since otherwise the pattern will be difficult to dock.
Multicolored mosaic is the perfect solution for the kitchen apron. It is easy to wash, does not collect dirt in the seams and looks quite impressive. On the scale of the whole wall, such a decision will look poorly and will not make a proper impression, this explains the limited use of this type of mosaic.
For the bathroom, everything is most often used mosaic with deco elements (glass inserts). They look at the wall winning and emphasize the unique style of the room. The only drawback, as well as in any glass product, is accumulated on the surface of salt sediments from steam and water. However, it is fairly easy to clean standard chemical. means.
The calculation of the area is made according to the standard formula: the height is multiplied by length. At the same time, 0.5-1 square meters in the resulting result is plus. m. It is done in order to fail to do not bother in the event of a breakdown or damage, besides, if you have to do under cutting, the flow rate increases significantly.
The selection of glue depends on the operational features, for baths and pools you need moisture-resistant, the usual is suitable for the kitchen. Consumption of adhesive mixtures depends on many factors. Therefore, it is worth carefully examining the instructions and determine how much bags need. Similarly, things are and grout. When it is elected, it should be remembered that it should be on the tone lighter than the tile. Otherwise, the grout will be very high.
From the tool you will need:
- putty knife,
- dishes for the solution
- cross
- dry rag.
If it does not occur with the rest of the questions, then the rods are used to wipe the tile if a hive accidentally hit her. After drying, remove it without damage the tile will be extremely difficult.
After the preparatory work is completed, go to the installation. Laying mosaic tiles no different from ordinary tile:
- the wall is treated with primer to improve adhesion,
- divided by the instructions for the glue solution,
- apply a mixture on the tile and fasten the lower row,
- after installing two adjacent tiles, the distance between them is adjustable using cross,
- they are installed at the top and bottom,
- after installing each tile, you must check the slope in the level.
Advice: Some experts recommend the first row to install not in width, but height. It will serve as a guide and set an angle relative to the floor. This opinion is erroneous, since the features of the wall and the masonry process do not allow to set a static guideline and require constant correction, in all other cases, the wall will be a curve or relative to the floor or with respect to other walls. Given that glue throughs 16-36 hours, the level check each masonry meter.
Another important moment is the corners. As a rule, special sleeves are used to decorate them. They are two types:
- monolithic
- overhead.
Overhead sleeves are freely inserted into the corners of the adjoints and are fixed using the grout. Monolithic bushings are mounted before the start of the tile laying. Tile is installed on top to a special stubborn plate. This method is more reliable, as the sleeve does not fall, even if the grout falls.
After all rows of tiles are laid, it is given to it (no less than a day, better than 72 hours). The next step is grown. The work is performed according to the following scheme:
- make a mixture in a small dishes (it dries quickly, so you don't need big portions),
- gently with the spatula, apply a mixture in the seams between tiles,
- press your finger in the gap and turn out.
In order not to pack hands use a wet rag.
Advice: The grout dries 5-15 minutes, but the layer of about a millimeter freezes in just a minute, its complete hardening occurs after half an hour, then remove the grout from the tile is extremely problematic. Therefore, after you spend the first portion, clean the tile from the grout. When you finish with one wall, let it stand for 10-20 minutes, then grind well with a dry cloth, and only after that wash the wall to the finish.
All of the foregoing is true for ready-made mosaic paintings. The only thing to add, these compositions are decorative and decorate the walls in the halls or dining rooms, sometimes ceilings. First of all, it is associated with the price. As the central element of the image image, such a mosaic must be additionally allocated. This uses either a bright glass edging or fresco, or a decorative stone.
Installation of individual mosaic tiles
The mosaic tile, the photo of which is presented below, is a very complex technology. It will require diligent work and a lot of time. But the result will exceed all expectations.
The most important thing is the surface. Way down the level on elements with dimensions 2x2 cm is almost impossible, so the work begins with the preparation of the walls. Option two:
- plaster,
- plasterboard.
Classic plaster - the pleasure is expensive, besides, if the wall is not too smooth, then work will have to do in two or even three stages (at times the layer of plaster is allowed to 1 cm).
Plasterboard installed on glue significantly saves time and means. There is no difference in the performance characteristics.
After the wall is aligned, it should be treated with protective primer, with the addition of anti-grib. It is necessary to do this in obligatory, as the real mosaic is very afraid of mold. It is advisable to primitive for one time for three days. Both plaster and plaster, absorb soil unevenly, and in order for the mosaic to serve for a long time, it is necessary to prepare the basis as much as possible.
During this time, it is necessary to think in detail the composition and draw it on paper. In order to calculate the necessary materials. It is most convenient to do all the mathematics through special programs, the simplest option is Microsoft Exsel.
The installation procedure itself is carried out like this:
- in a convenient location, mosaic layout is installed,
- glue is divorced (it is necessary to apply it on the tile as a thin layer as much as possible),
- starting from one of the corners, the first tile is glued.
In contrast to the workpieces, in the case of individual elements of the seams are not allowed, so install the tile is needed as close as possible to each other. In addition, the mosaic is not laid out in the ranks, but in progress, first the first stone, then on the sides of it, then on the sides of the three previous ones, etc. This approach allows you to correct any inaccuracies without global image alterations.
Firms manufacturers of tile mosaic
Since the base of mosaic tile is much thinner than other tiled products, it is quite fragile. However, modern technological innovations allow you to compensate for this flaw. The most qualitative firms that have given technologies should be attributed:
- Architeza,
- Glass Mosaic,
- Piranesi,
- Cerama Marazzi,
- Honey
- B-MOS,
- OCRE PEBBLE,
- Viola MIX.
The first four companies offer VIP quality products (price corresponding). The assortment presents the richest choice of materials and versions. Buying this product you can be confident in its uniqueness and uniqueness, since with all the variety of the model range it is quite limited.
The second four companies specialize in the production of goods for a wide range of consumers. Presented tile in several price formats. Although the quality of the product is not inferior to the Grand, the model solutions are much less interesting and put on the flow.
It should be added that the minimum price for high-quality mosaic is 1000 rubles per square meter. m.
