Mosaic tile kitchen apron

I want to make the walls near the work surface practical and beautiful, because it is on them that the eye most often falls when we work at the table top. One of the interesting options is to lay the mosaic tiles for the kitchen on the apron. What are the nuances of the choice of materials and the installation process itself, we will analyze further.

Advantages and disadvantages

The mosaic for the kitchen always looks impressive. Previously, it was laid out of small pieces; it was a very complex, lengthy and laborious process. Now they sell ready-made blanks of a convenient size. Most often these are squares with a side of 30 cm. Laying such a mosaic is no more difficult than a regular tile. At the same time, in appearance, it wins a lot. You can create unique ornaments, pictures of fruits, landscapes, city views, which will immediately bring uniqueness to the interior.

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Advantages of mosaics in the kitchen:

• Interesting design.
• Long service life.
• Resistance of materials to water, ultraviolet light (does not fade over time), chemical and mechanical damage.
• Doesn't require perfect leveling the wall surface before installation.

The disadvantages are:

• Do not use abrasive products for maintenance.
• It is difficult to perform the seams with high quality yourself. If you use cheap tools, the entire mosaic will be vulnerable to moisture.
• Smooth surfaces, especially mirrored metal surfaces, require frequent splash wiping.

Dimensions and shape of kitchen mosaic

For a mosaic on a kitchen apron, small elements are held together on the basis of a polyurethane mesh. This is how matrices with side sizes from 10 to 40 cm are obtained. The mosaic elements themselves are from 2 to 5 cm. The smaller the tile size, the greater the effect of expanding the space. Large tiles are more suitable for large rooms, combined rooms.

Mosaic tiles for the kitchen can be square, rectangular, irregular, with imitation of natural stone, even oval and round. Matrices are mostly square, rectangular. When imitating seashells, stones, the edges are made uneven so that the joints come out invisible.

Colour

For mosaics in the interior of the kitchen, they choose pastel, gray, black, brown colors. Bright mosaics work well with white or other neutral furnishings. Multi-colored tiles should overlap with the color of the floor, headset or walls.

The atmosphere of the Mediterranean is well recreated by the kitchen with a mosaic of blue, blue colors. It is also used by lovers of the Provence style.

How to determine the expense

A mosaic kitchen apron is laid out from square-shaped blanks. Measure the length and width of the wall between the cupboards and the table, add 10 - 15%. Spare tiles will come in handy for repairs in the event of material damage. The resulting area is divided by the area of ​​one tile - you get the number of tiles.

The form

The most common form of elements for an apron in the kitchen from a mosaic is square, a little less often they use rectangular tiles. To obtain the effect of a stone wall, fragments are made to resemble a stone of various shapes (six and octagons, rhombuses).

The backsplash mosaic can be made up of fancy elements or with rounded edges.

Material

The appearance, maintenance, durability of the mosaic wall panel depend on the choice of material. A mosaic kitchen apron is made of glass, tiles, porcelain stoneware, natural stone, elements with mother-of-pearl, metal. They also combine different materials with each other, most often stone and glass. Or they lay out an apron made of tiles, and in several places they make mosaic accents.

In stores, they sell ready-made tiles that have a pattern that imitates a mosaic. It is easier to fit and has significantly fewer seams.

Glass

Glass mosaics in the kitchen are inexpensive. The material is durable, lightweight, up to 5 mm thick. Glass is sold transparent and frosted, convex and even, in different colors. It is homogeneous in structure, or sparkles, stone chips are added to its composition. Smalt is often used to obtain complex patterns - colored glass of increased strength. During manufacture, it lends itself to high temperatures.

Tile

Kitchen backsplash mosaic tiles are often made from ceramics. The material is made of clay, on top - a protective glaze coating. The tile is resistant to steam, water, extreme temperatures. Its thickness is greater than that of glass and can be up to 1 cm.

In the form of a mosaic, the tile looks much more interesting in comparison with the classic tile. But this is a rather fragile material and can crack with pinpoint impacts.

Porcelain stoneware

Porcelain stoneware imitates natural stone, but costs less. It is easy to take care of it, since its porosity is much less, and its density is higher. Thanks to this, the material does not tend to absorb odors. Ceramic mosaic in the kitchen retains its original appearance well, does not deteriorate. It can be wiped clean using detergents.

The only limitation is only natural colors: from beige to brown. Therefore, bright drawings and ornaments from porcelain stoneware will not work.

Stone

A stone apron looks noble, but it is also quite expensive. Use thin slabs of marble, travertine, limestone, onyx. There are polished ones. not sanded and polished surfaces. The stone requires special care, as it can absorb an unpleasant odor, change color from contact with dyes. They protect the surface already at the time of installation, covering it with special waterproof compounds.

The stone skillfully creates the atmosphere of medieval times. However, it is often more profitable to replace it with a high-quality imitation. The species does not suffer from this, and care is much easier.

Nacre

Sparks of color, apparent fragility and lightness, subtle glow - all this is obtained when using mother-of-pearl materials. The most incredible overflows and stains are made in a single copy, they are created by nature itself, and not stamped by a machine.

The basis of this mosaic is natural stone. There is a special grout with a mother-of-pearl effect. Pearlescent powder can be added to a regular grout. In kitchens with a mother-of-pearl apron, there is more light and warmth, because the shades are mostly milky, creamy.

Metal

Mosaic tile can have a thin layer of metal (up to 0.6 mm) of stainless steel on its outer surface. When laid, a metal wall is obtained. You can make an apron for silver, gold, bronze, steel. It looks original, but it fits only a few modern styles - loft, industrial, modern, art deco. Most often, metal fragments are included in finished mosaics from several materials. Maintenance is required constant, since any defects are clearly visible on the metal surface.

Choosing grout and glue

The backsplash tile in the kitchen should have high-quality seams. There are more of them with a mosaic than with a wall with large tiles. The most reliable joints are made with epoxy grout. You need to do the work quickly, because the material quickly hardens. But in the future, it protects the joints well from the penetration of water, chemicals, oil particles.

If in doubt whether you can cope with this task, it is better to consult a specialist. There are self-adhesive tiles. An adhesive composition has already been applied to its inner surface. It remains only to attach to the wall, carefully aligning the mosaic element and press down. You also need to prepare the wall and make it flat. Tiles adhere well to plastic, glass, but not to plaster.

The adhesive must firmly hold the tile so that it does not fall off the wall during use. Steam and moisture have a negative effect on the properties of the adhesive. It is better to choose a waterproof product.

What to consider when choosing

When buying glue and grout, you need to understand that the tile will not have large mechanical loads, and contact with water will be periodic, unlike bathrooms. Under these conditions, cementitious glue is best at keeping the tiles on the wall.

If we glue a transparent glass tile, we need to take white glue. Since the material is transparent, the adhesive base will shine through it.

The degree of adhesion of glue and grout should be at least 20 kg / cm2. Then the tile will hold well in its place and will not fall off.

Grout gray - universal for bright types of mosaics. The seams do not attract attention, the dirt is not so conspicuous.

For stone mosaics, it is better to take cement-based glue. It dries quickly, will not leave marks on natural materials.

Laying the mosaic on the apron in stages

It is quite possible to lay a mosaic kitchen apron with your own hands. To do this, you need to have the following materials and tools:

• comb (6 mm);
• pressure roller;
• tile;
• mosaic glue (it contains white sand);
• bucket;
• rags, sponge.

Preparing the base of the apron

So that the angle between the walls is exactly 90 degrees, the surfaces are leveled with gypsum plaster along the beacons. Most materials do not require careful surface leveling. The exception is stone mosaic. It is necessary to smooth out large irregularities and repair cracks for any material. This stage is carried out with a putty.

Considering that the apron is exposed to temperature loads and humidity, the base is treated with an antifungal and antiseptic agent. This will protect the mosaic from the development of pathogenic microbes under it. If the wall is flat, it is simply treated with concrete contact for better adhesion to the tiles.

Marking

After gluing, it will no longer be possible to displace the elements. To avoid distortions and mistakes, markings are applied to the wall, along which the tiles are laid. The edge of the tile should go beyond the level of the working surface by at least 1 cm. Above, the same amount is wound up behind the top row of lockers. A laser level is used to determine the level. The upper and lower borders of the apron are outlined, the guide profile is attached from below.

Dilution of glue

Information on how to use the glue is usually indicated on the product packaging. You can consult the manager when buying. There are peculiarities for different compositions. The glue is diluted in warm water in the desired ratio immediately before work, mixed well. Apply to the wall with a toothed roller alternately - to the lower strip, then to the upper one. The glue is not applied to the entire surface at once, because it dries quickly.

Laying out the mosaic on the apron

The larger the elements, the easier it is to lay mosaics in the kitchen. The easiest way is to glue a large layer. However, it also costs more.

Start laying out from the bottom. The tile is applied, leveled and passed over the surface with a roller, evenly pressing the material. If glue comes out at the joints, the excess is immediately removed with a sponge until it hardens. Excess material that extends beyond the top line of the apron is cut off.

Some masters advise to apply glue not to the wall, but to the back of the tile matrix. This way less glue appears in the seams, the work is cleaner.

There are some peculiarities when laying paper-backed tiles. The paper is applied to the decorative side and holds the pieces together. Glue the workpiece with the other side to the wall (without paper). Epoxy grout can be used as glue. After the apron has dried, the paper layer is soaked and removed.

Grouting

The crucial moment, on the correctness of which the service life of the entire mosaic depends on, is grouting. Whatever spectacular pattern is laid out, if the seams look bad, the whole mosaic will spoil the look of the kitchen rather than decorate. The grout is susceptible to moisture, so it is better not to skimp on the joints, use high-quality epoxy material.

Contrast grouting can drastically change the look of the apron and the entire kitchen. Red, black lines in combination with white tiles make the wall more expressive and noticeable.

Mosaic apron care

In order to maintain the cleanliness of the wall surface near the stove, sink, it must be often wiped with a damp cloth using non-abrasive detergents. Stale and ingrained grease and dirt cannot be removed in this way. Therefore, it is recommended to do cleaning regularly, use a preliminary soak of the surface by spraying a suitable product. You can use glass cleaner, anti-grease.

A mosaic is a lot of small tiles. If it is not a problem to clean the tile material, then the seams will become dirty over time and darken. Already at the stage of laying the mosaic, you need to take care of this and use a high-quality grout, preferably epoxy. Hard brushes and powders can scratch the surface, and dirt will subsequently accumulate in the formed surface cracks.

Mirror surfaces require the most difficult maintenance. Drops and residues of solids, stains are immediately visible on them. Therefore, when choosing a mirror mosaic, you will have to thoroughly clean the surfaces. Can be combined with other less demanding materials close to major sources of pollution.

For ease of maintenance, you can choose a tile that contains glitter. The heterogeneity of the surface will brighten the existing dirt.

How to avoid mistakes, recommendations for style, design

The simplest solution would be to lay out the wall with elements of the same color and size. There are many options where the tiles have a different shade of the same color. Use a beautiful smooth transition from light to dark tones in the form of a gradient or arrange them in random order.

The mirror effect mosaic reflects all objects on the work surface. The space may feel cluttered. It is better to immediately remove all unnecessary items next to the apron.

It is better to combine bright mosaics in the kitchen with the calm colors of the headset and the floor. The variegation of colors can tire the eye. It is also possible that after changing furniture, the mosaic will not look as good with it as with the previous set. The tile lasts 10 - 20 years, one mosaic picture can be quite boring during this time.

The most versatile output is color gradient and mix, as they create many possibilities for combinations.

It is not difficult to lay a mosaic; it copes well with the effects of water, steam, detergents and dyes, mechanical shock. The more imagination you show when decorating a tiled surface for an apron, the more comfortable and unusual the kitchen space becomes.