I need advice please

[emm77]

Hi, I'm new to this and this is my first post! So hello!!

I bought some lovely glass mosaic tiles for my kitchen splash back. They are not clear glass, the colour is all the way through the tiles if you know what I mean!

Anyway as my partner passed away recently I'm having to do some DIY jobs myself, to save money as I want to sell my house, as quickly and cheaply as possible..

My splash back now is ceramic tiles which were already painted when we moved in some years ago, it is now stained and looks unsightly. I have bought unibond wall tile multi purpose all in one adhesive and grout in ice white, and also the same make and colour grout.

The paint on the tiles is not peeling off anywhere so could i tile over this? Any other advice would be appreciated.

Thank you :smilewinkgrin:

 

[AMtek]

Tile on tile is not a good idea especially if they are painted. I would rip them off and start again but bare in mind that the plaster or plasterboard behind could be shot and need attention. Have the tiles got a backing on them or are they just coloured glass without a backing? if they have no backing you will need to skim the back of each tile with adhesive to make sure that they all look the same colour when finished. In all honest the adhesive and grout is not the best but will probably do the job for a splashback as long as it is suitable for glass tiles. How will you be cutting them as glass can chip badly

 

[emm77]

They are mosaic sheets and have a white mesh on the back, I wasn't planning on cutting any of the tiles, just the mesh! As the tiles are small and I was going to start at the bottom and in the middle and if they are any gaps at the sides I was going to get some tile trim. Can I ask what would happen if I did tile over the top? As I only really want it to look fresher for potential buyers! The tiles didn't cost a lot and I'm sure who ever buys my house would want to install a new kitchen anyway!

 

[cam_low]

Hi Emm,

Sorry to hear of your loss.

With regards to your job, tiling mosaics isn't really a DIY job.
If you just want to freshen it up cheaply by doing it yourself I would possibly go down the route of using the metro tiles that are fairly popular (and cheap) these days. A tile which is much more of a diyers thing, as they are a soft ceramic tile that can be cut very easily by a cheap dry cutter, and a also a cheap wet wheel cutter for around sockets.

However by the time you have bought the affiliated tools tiles adhesive and grout needed, you may as well have got the tiler in.

Any more infor just fire away !

 

[AliGage]

Just to add, and i haven't looked it up but i'm 100% certain that the adhesive you have purchased will not be suitable for glass. And i agree with AMtek, not advisable to tile on tile, with or without them being painted.

Cam makes a good point about the metros. If your just doing up to sell why put your nice glass up. White metros are literally pennies from most high street suppliers. But if you want a bit of colour then try these: Bevelled Edge Brick 10x20cm - Metro Tiles, Tile Adhesive, Tile Grout, Brick Tiles, Ceramic Tiles,

I'm putting the lime, yellow and white in a kitchen i'm fitting currently. At £13.50 psm they're a bargain! I haven't finished the kitchen yet, but there are some images on my FB page. Check my signature below for the link.

 

[emm77]

I bought the tiles at £1 a sheet and a friend recommended mosaic tiles to be easier to fix, not having to cut the tiles ect. The adhesive says that it suitable for glass, ceramic, mosaic and large tiles on the tub. Its why I bought it! Thanks for your advice.

 

[beanz]

Agree with above. Tile on tile is a bad idea, at best, even if the tiles stay on, it will look terrible on any exposed edges! You can use tile trim, but how do you make it cover the old and new layer of tiles!?! No way to really finish it imho. You'd be better off re-painting the existing tiles, and leaving it at that, than slapping mosaics on top.

 

[cam_low]

In all honesty if the kitchen is looking like it will need replaced then the last thing buyers will be bothered about is the tiles.

Things that sell houses are kitchens, bathrooms, gardens and parking. If you have a kitchen that needs replaced buyers will know this instantly, just make it look as bright and spacious as possible. Same goes for the bathroom.

Paint the rest of the house neutral.

 

[AliGage]

I bought the tiles at £1 a sheet and a friend recommended mosaic tiles to be easier to fix, not having to cut the tiles ect. The adhesive says that it suitable for glass, ceramic, mosaic and large tiles on the tub. Its why I bought it! Thanks for your advice.

Well i had a look here: Wall Tile Adhesive & Grout: Triple Protection Anti-Mould - UniBond

As it's not something i have used or would ever use. But it only mentions about ceramic tiles (pourous) not glass (non-pourous)
It also mentions absorbant surfaces. A glazed ceramic tile is not.

If advice is what you're after, i'd take it back.

Bargain mosaics though at a quid a sheet!!!

 

[emm77]

Thank you, I am a total novice. I would like to try and put these up, if anything it will give me practice for my new home! how easy is it to remove tiles and can i just use a chisel and hammer? will i then have to do anything with the wall?

 

[AMtek]

If you really want to have a go i would remove all the old tiles, like you say with a hammer and chisel, but try getting something like a scraper in behind and popping them off, this might work if the original adhesive is pants. Doing it like that might save your wall. If there is adhesive left on the wall try and scrape it off, if it won't scrape off then sand it off. If some plaster comes off with the tiles then use a pound coin and tap the wall, if the plaster sounds hollow and drummy it is shot and will need to come off. If the rest of the plaster is sound then fill the holes with one coat plaster then sand it very flat. When you have done this mark 2 lines on your wall, one running vertically down the middle of the wall and one horizontally across the middle of the wall. First hold a tile against the horizontal and vertical lines so the edge of the tile is touching both use a pencil and mark where the bottom of the tile is then move the tile down so the top of the tile is against the pencil line and repeat until you are down as far as you can go with full tiles then offer the tile to the gap to see how close you are to being ale to use full strips to complete the top and bottom. Do the same to the left or right and you will be able to see what sort of gaps you are going to be left with. If the gaps arent too bad the mosaic sheets can be spaced slightly further apart than the gaps between the mosaics and that will take up some of the gap.

After you have set the wall out use a 3mm square notched trowel to apply the adhesive directly to the wall, lightly press the mosaic sheet into the right lace and then use a rubber grout float and pat the face of the sheet evenly all over to bed the mosaics into the adhesive. once you have finished let the adhesive dry then you can grout. silicone should be used where tiles meet anything else (corners, kitchen units, worktops etc.)

Don't start tiling directly off the worktop because if it isn't level neither will your tiles and you will be able to tell.

If your walls are not perfectly flat the mosaic sheets will follow the hollows and high points and will not look very good at all.

Hope that helps

 

[AMtek]

Also check on your adhesive tub and see what it says regarding priming. Most ready mixed adhesives dont require the alls to be primed. If you do have to prime the wall use SBR and not PVA

 

[emm77]

I've found some suitable adhesive, I think?

BAL mosaic fix adhesive from topps tiles

I have 27 32.7x32.7 tiles. Will the 5kg bag be enough it says it covers 2sm?

 

[Ian]

27 sheets is 3 m2, give or take so, you might need more than 5kg.

 

[AliGage]

I've found some suitable adhesive, I think?

BAL mosaic fix adhesive from topps tiles

I have 27 32.7x32.7 tiles. Will the 5kg bag be enough it says it covers 2sm?

But choice is perfect!

 

[Martyn Leeds]

Just to re-cap,
is it agreed that you are removing the existing tiles, making good the walls, and re-tiling with your mosaics??

If so,
and I don't want to sound too negative,
but I think it sounds like a bit of a recipe for disaster.

Patching up your walls and getting a good finish with the mosaics will probably be harder than we/you're hoping for.

There's plenty of threads on here with pictures of so called 'pro-tilers' who have been employed and struggled with mosaics. Its not as easy as it looks - especially for a 1st timer.

Realistically, I think you might get a better result by tidying up the existing tiles with another lick of paint. Or as someone suggested, perhaps an easier ceramic tile to start with.

No doubt I'll get some good & bad responses, but Good Luck with whichever path you choose!

 

[Time's Ran Out]

You could be highlighting a feature area that may put someone off altogether! Bad workmanship could suggest other areas in the house that have been bodged up. Just a kind thought!