Decorating a bathroom with mosaics: choice of material and installation technique

Decorating a bathroom with mosaics is the best option for those who want all the rooms in their apartment to be truly beautiful and unique. This finishing material allows you to create unique masterpieces, for example paintings, which would be extremely problematic to lay out using any other material.

How to choose the right material

What's on sale

Manufacturers offer a fairly wide range, designed for different groups of buyers. Available for purchase:

• Glass mosaic, similar in composition to rock glass and standing out favorably against the background of other types. The absence of pores in the structure of the material makes it absolutely waterproof, which is very important for all materials used in bathroom decoration. It is able to maintain its original appearance for a long time, provided that it does not come into contact with citric acid. Resistance to acids and chemicals does not create problems when choosing detergents for caring for walls.

• Smalt mosaic is close to glass, but due to a special manufacturing technology it is more durable. A distinctive feature is the internal glow effect, thanks to which the mosaic panel looks different in different lighting, especially if the mosaic in the bathroom was installed according to all the rules.
• Ceramic mosaic is highly resistant to moisture and frost due to the presence of a special glaze on its surface. The material can be polished to provide the required shine. The presence of special cracks, stains, and irregularities on the surface will give the formed pattern a characteristic relief texture. Walls finished with this material can withstand abrasive exposure.

• Stone mosaic, for the production of which not only inexpensive stones are used, but semi-precious ones. It allows you to make the interior truly solid and luxurious. This is facilitated by the uniqueness of the natural material, especially if the surface of the material has been polished or aged using a special technology.
• Metal mosaic can withstand mechanical stress, but not all detergents. The presence of a rubber backing makes it impossible to use it in rooms with large temperature fluctuations.
• Plastic mosaic, which has not found wide application in bathroom decoration.

[note]Ceramic mosaics can be combined with regular tiles. This allows you to reduce the cost of finishing work. [/note]

The material can be loose or in the form of mosaic tiles. If you are going to install the mosaic in the bathroom yourself, it is better to give preference to the second type. It is better to entrust the installation of complex ornaments to professionals.

All the difficulties of choice

When choosing the best option for a bathroom, you must first of all be guided by the number of people living in the house and their age. If there are few people living in the apartment, you can choose glass mosaic for finishing the floor. If a lot of people live in the house, and the area of ​​​​the room is very small, it is better to give preference to ceramic ones. However, in terms of cost, glass mosaic will be slightly cheaper than ceramic. Although the latter option is suitable for the floor in a public institution.

[note]If you want to update fairly old plumbing fixtures, you can use mosaics to decorate the outside of a cast-iron bathtub, giving it a special, unique appearance. High-quality mosaic lining of the bathtub will make it truly unique. [/note]

Having decided on the type of mosaic, all that remains is to give preference to the material of a suitable color and tone. For the floor, most people try to purchase dark or medium-light material. There are no restrictions for walls.

All the subtleties of installation on your own

What you need

Even before starting work, in addition to the finishing material itself, you must purchase the following:

• A primer (concrete contact), which will improve the adhesion of the glue and the base.
• Special dry adhesive composition.
• Grout for joints to match the mosaic or, conversely, in a contrasting color.

Also, those who are renovating a bathroom with mosaics need to purchase or borrow the following tools:

• Spatulas are rubber and serrated.
• Mallet.
• A construction mixer that will be used to mix the glue.
• Wire cutters or metal tongs used to cut mosaic chips.
• A construction knife necessary for cutting mosaic fabric.
• Pencil.
• Roulette.
• Level.
• Brush or roller for applying primer.

Carrying out work

Having decided to do everything on your own, you must first learn in detail how to lay mosaics in the bathroom. Compliance with technological requirements is an important condition for the glued mosaic to remain on the wall for a long time. All work must be done in the following sequence:

1. Alignment of walls. If you have not had to carry out work with plaster mortar before, it is worth leveling the walls by securing cement-bonded particle boards to them. This material is environmentally friendly and quite durable. To install it, the slabs must be cut to size and secured to a wooden sheathing.
2. Applying primer composition to prepared surfaces.
3. Gluing finishing material.

The last stage can only be started if the previous layer (primer material) has already completely dried. In this case, the thickness of the applied adhesive composition should not be more than 10 mm. It must be evenly distributed over the surface using a spatula. After this, the mosaic tile is pressed against the surface and, if necessary, pressed in with a mallet. Excess solution is removed with a rubber spatula.

The final result will largely depend on how the first row is laid. You can check its evenness using a level. After laying each row, you need to wait about 20 minutes. During this time the glue will set. After this, having moistened the protective paper layer, you need to remove it from the surface of the mosaic. Now you can start gluing the next layer.

Laying features

In order for a mosaic bathroom to be decorated very beautifully with your own hands, you need to decide on the option for laying the material. For the floor you can give preference:

• one-piece coating with a checkerboard pattern;
• narrow frieze;
• rug in the central part of the room.

The following can be laid on mosaic walls:

• panel;
• friezes;
• aprons located near washbasins and bathtubs;
• niches and built-in shelves;
• frames and frames.

When choosing the optimal option, you must proceed from the stylistic features of a particular room, as well as the desired result. A variety of mosaic types and installation methods will definitely allow you to achieve the desired result.