Floor mosaic, the design of its modules, types of materials for production, the choice and technology of laying the coating. Mosaic laying is a creative process of creating various ornaments and patterns from small fragments of any material. In construction, it has found itself used for finishing hard surfaces as a practical and beautiful decor. You will learn how to lay a mosaic on the floor in this article.
Mosaic modules device
Today the term "mosaic" refers to a finishing material that has recently become popular and in demand. It is manufactured in various sizes, ranging from 10x10 to 100x100 mm. Mosaic modules of two types are on sale, which are mounted on nylon mesh or sheets of paper 30x30 cm.
The advantage of the mesh fastening of the mosaic from its seamy side is the ability to easily adjust individual square elements of the module when mounted on the base. In addition, the mesh is easy to bend, which allows you to effortlessly finish the curved surfaces and corners.
The paper technology of fixing the mosaic is less convenient to use, but cheaper. Its principle is to apply a layer of special paper to the front side of the decorative material. After fixing the mosaic to the surface, the paper is washed off with water. It is believed that this method provides greater durability of the coating due to the absence of nylon mesh as an intermediate link between the surface and the mosaic. Unlike the previous method of fastening the elements of the module, here the discrepancies of the seams are excluded when designing the curved sections of the surface.
Types of floor mosaics
The artistic expressiveness of the mosaic flooring is achieved by the quality of the pattern and the variety of materials from which it is composed. Depending on the last criterion, several types of floor mosaics are distinguished.
Glass mosaic
The main material for its production is Venetian glass, which has a vibrant color, durability and resistance to shock loads. In addition, it is waterproof, withstands temperature fluctuations in the air, sunlight and exposure to chemical compounds.
The range of colors of glass mosaic is quite extensive and depends on the type of dyes used in its manufacture. They can be completely different, ranging from cadmium, boron, selenium and ending with semiprecious minerals such as mother of pearl or quartzite.
Glass mosaic can be glossy, matte, mirrored, transparent, and also have a variety of decorative inclusions. The smaller the module size of such products, the more accurate rendering and high detailing of images can be achieved.
Mirror mosaic is considered a special type of this material, as it has some distinctive advantages. It visually increases the volume of rooms, filling them with light, and looks great even on uneven surfaces, hiding the flaws of the interior. For the floor, mirror mosaic is decorative and is used in the form of inserts.
Another type of glass mosaic is smalt. It is distinguished by the presence in its composition of potassium salts and many other natural compounds that give color to the material. Dyes are added during the repeated heat treatment of ground glass mosaic into powder. Smalt is frost-resistant, has good impact and abrasion resistance. Its distinctive feature is a very rich and varied color of each element of the module. Modern technologies make it possible to obtain up to 10,000 shades of this material.
The surface of smalt is glossy and matte, it is smooth, pleasant to the touch and washes well. Such a mosaic, although not transparent, creates an interesting glow effect from the inside. The production of smalt is rather laborious and has a long cycle. Therefore, it costs much more than ordinary glass mosaics.
Ceramic mosaic
It is an environmentally friendly facing material, since such a mosaic is obtained from natural raw materials by sintering clay with various additives: quartz flour, flux and chamotte, which act as catalysts for this process.
There are two ways to make ceramic floor mosaics. One of them is similar to the production method of ordinary ceramic tiles, but in smaller sizes. Another is to cut porcelain stoneware into small pieces. Typically, such a mosaic is used in decor with alternating glossy and matte surfaces.
Elements of ceramic mosaic modules have a wide variety of shapes and have a rich color range that allows you to create any patterns.
The glazed surface of the material can be smooth and matte. In addition, it often has various special effects: cracks, contrasting blotches, stains, or makes up some kind of relief. Ceramic mosaic has an attractive appearance and abrasion resistance, it is much stronger than glass.
The cladding does not burn and does not emit toxins when heated. The water resistance of the ceramic mosaic allows it to be used in humid rooms and in constant contact with an aqueous medium. The material does not fade from exposure to sunlight, is resistant to chemicals and is excellently combined with other decorative floor materials.
Stone mosaic
It is made from a variety of natural minerals: tuff, lapis lazuli, jasper, onyx, amethyst, malachite, slate and other stones. The color of any of them is unique, each structure is unusual, for this reason the floor pattern made of stone mosaic can easily become unique. The material can be "aged" or made polished, as well as give its edges different shapes.
The natural origin of the stone, its beauty and durability allow it to be widely used not only for interior decoration, but also for landscaping. Stone mosaics are used to decorate playgrounds, paths, curbs and benches in the garden. For these purposes, lake, river or sea pebbles are often used.
Stone mosaic is relatively soft, therefore, when caring for it, it is not recommended to use products containing an abrasive filler, which can scratch the veneer. In addition, you should avoid contact with vinegar, wine and other liquids that contain acids. Most stone coatings are rubbed with compounds containing wax to protect them. Quartzite agglomerates are an exception.
Wood mosaic
The people's desire for natural materials has made wood mosaic quite popular. Among its types are found, along with laconic forms of models, products with bizarre ornaments and the addition of carving.
Making wooden mosaic on the floor is a rather costly and complicated process, since it is a difficult task to assemble small elements in one canvas with high quality and for centuries. However, this does not at all scare true fans of the tree. Thanks to them, wooden mosaic began to be used not only for flooring, but also for walls, as well as terraces and loggias.
Its varieties include coconut and bamboo mosaics. The raw material for coconut products is the shell of the nut of the same name. It is a durable material that does not burn and is not afraid of moisture. It is used for floor cladding in residential premises.
Bamboo mosaics are made from the hardest varieties of bamboo. After careful processing, this material acquires biological protection against fungus and does not deform in a humid environment.
However, it is always recommended to remember that with any processing, even the highest quality mosaic made from valuable wood species is afraid of moisture and may eventually become unusable. Therefore, for rooms with a constant presence of water vapor, the use of wood material must still be limited.
Mosaic Terrazzo
Terrazzo is a type of mosaic floor. The name of such a decor implies the use of a mixture of cement and decorative filler for flooring, which can be granite, marble, basalt chips or pieces of smalt.
This mosaic is highly resistant to wear and shock. In addition, during its manufacture there is always the possibility of correcting the decorative properties of the coating by replacing fillers or their fraction.
After laying, leveling and hardening of the mixture, terrazzo mosaic floors must be sanded and polished using special equipment. Most often, such floor coverings are used in places with heavy traffic: schools, offices, shopping centers and others.
Mosaic "Mix"
It usually consists of two materials, for example, glass and ceramics, marble and porcelain stoneware, glass and stone, porcelain stoneware and smalt, glass and metal. Mosaics, which combine opaque and transparent materials, such as glass and stone, are especially impressive.
Mosaic Mix is very beautiful, its elements of different structures successfully complement each other or, on the contrary, contrast. In any case, it all looks pretty impressive. The product is created not only for aesthetic purposes, but also for practical purposes - by mixing materials, you can reduce the cost of flooring, while its durability and strength will remain unchanged. For example, valuable wood or stone in combination with ceramics, smalt or glass becomes readily available for purchase.
Metal mosaic
Most often it is made from steel and aluminum. There is a metal mosaic in copper, bronze, gold and platinum. Its surface can be absolutely smooth or have various serifs and relief patterns. The shapes of such a product are also different - from the usual squares to polyhedrons.
The strength of the metal mosaic allows it to be used as a floor covering in the hallway, kitchen or bathroom.
Features of the choice of mosaic for the floor
To make the right choice, you need to take into account two main criteria - this is the purpose of the room and the amount of load on its floor.
Ceramic and glass mosaics are suitable for bathroom flooring, as they are unlikely to be subjected to intense mechanical stress. The same material can be laid on the kitchen floor.
The choice of mosaic shower cover should be approached more carefully - it should have almost zero hydrophobicity. Therefore, in such a room, glass mosaic would be the best decor option.
When choosing a material for the hallway, it should be borne in mind that the floor is subjected to the greatest abrasion here. Therefore, the floor covering in such a room must actively resist wear and tear. Hence the conclusion: choose a mosaic made of ceramic granite. Glass in this case is not suitable. Although it is beautiful, it will quickly lose its original appearance in the hallway due to scratches from street dust particles and shoes.
However, despite the fact that the characteristics of the premises and the load on the floor somewhat limit the choice of the type of mosaic covering, no one forbids choosing its color and texture in accordance with the style of the interior. This should be actively used.
The technology of laying mosaic on the floor
Before installing the mosaic floor with your own hands, you must carefully prepare the base. This is especially important, since its modules are flexible and exactly follow the floor relief. Depending on the condition of its surface, a number of the following procedures must be performed for preparation:
- Remove the old coating with any suitable tool.
- Remove construction debris from it and carefully examine it.
- If necessary, remove stains, outlets of reinforcement from the surface, repair cracks and potholes, and knock down concrete flows.
- Treat the floor with a primer and fill it with a self-leveling screed.
- After it dries, the base should be primed again.
For further work, you will need a mosaic, glue for it, a notched and rubber spatula, plastic dividing crosses and a sponge. It is worth buying a mosaic with a margin of 8-10% in case of cutting or damage to the material. The optimal color of the glue is white, in this case the tone of the coating will correspond to the intended one. This is especially true for glass mosaics.
Mosaic is not much different from the installation of tiles on the floor. Before starting the main process, you should also mark the base. To do this, the modules must be measured and laid out on the floor surface. After that, it will become clear how to dock the details of the pattern and trim at the junctions of the floor to the existing structures.
Then the details of the coating must be numbered and two axial lines must be applied to the floor - longitudinal and transverse. They should be guided by when laying the mosaic.
The next steps are as follows:
- It is necessary to prepare the glue for work and apply it to the surface area. It should be small, as the composition thickens rather quickly. Spreading should be done using a notched trowel.
- After that, mosaic modules can be laid on the glue-treated area of the base. Each of them must be carefully adjusted at the joints and check its installation with a building level to comply with a single plane of the coating.
- Pressing the mosaic modules to the surface is performed with a special roller. In this case, the adhesive should not protrude onto the front of the coating. There should be no empty cavities under the cladding, as this can lead to the collapse of the mosaic elements inside the cladding and thereby damage the entire floor covering.
- Grouting should be done after the adhesive has completely polymerized. If the mosaic module has a paper base, it should be removed before grouting. To do this, moisten the paper with warm water and remove it by pulling it around the corner.
- The work is done with a rubber spatula. After its completion, after 30-60 minutes, traces of the mixture must be removed from the mosaic surface with a wet sponge. After that, the clean cladding should be polished with felt.
Epoxy grout does not require additional treatment of the joints, it is quite resistant and waterproof. But if a cement-based grout was used for the mosaic, it is recommended to protect the joints from moisture penetration. This is done with a special silicone-based sealant. It is applied as an additional layer to grout-treated mosaic joints.
How to lay a mosaic on the floor - watch the video:
Self-made mosaic flooring will bring you moral satisfaction, money savings and pride in the result of the work performed. Good luck!
