Mosaic Installation Guide

A handcut mural is a permanent fixture, and the installation decides how long it lasts. This is the guidance we issue with every piece — substrate, adhesive, sequence and finishing, zone by zone.

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Substrate: what the mosaic is happy to be fixed to

Substrate	Preparation
New plaster or render	Fully cured, sound, flat to within 3 mm over 2 m, dust-free, primed
Painted plaster	Score or key the surface, remove loose or flaking paint, apply a bonding primer
Existing ceramic tile	Degrease, abrade gloss tiles, use a modified adhesive rated for tiling onto tile
Plasterboard / drywall	Only in dry areas; in wet areas use a tile backer board or tanking membrane
Concrete	Fully cured, level, free of release agents and laitance
Pool shell	Structurally sound, watertight, correct curing; epoxy or pool-grade cementitious system

Adhesive and grout\n
For dry interior walls, a polymer-modified cementitious mosaic adhesive is normally correct. For wet rooms, exterior work and pools, we specify epoxy bedding and epoxy grout. Both are supplied to a specification issued with your mural, because the wrong adhesive is the most common cause of a mosaic failing.
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Grout colour is a design decision as much as a technical one. A grout matched to the surrounding tesserae closes the design up and makes it read as a continuous surface. A contrasting grout emphasises the grid. Tell us which effect you want and we will specify accordingly.
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Installation sequence for a sectioned mural

Unpack and check. Lay out the numbered sections and verify against the setting-out drawing before anything is fixed.
Set out. Establish the centreline and datum from the drawing. For a design with a dominant horizontal — a horizon, a waterline — the datum line is critical; get it right first.
Start from the centre or the datum. Work outward. This keeps any accumulated error at the edges where it can be trimmed, rather than in the middle of the design.
Bed the sections. Apply adhesive to the wall, press the section in, and check level and alignment continuously.
Remove the carrier. For face-mounted work, the paper or film is removed once the adhesive has set, following the method statement — usually a controlled soaking or a peel after a set interval.
Clean carefully. Remove adhesive residue from the face before it cures. Do not use acidic cleaners on glass or gold leaf.
Grout and finish. Grout after the tesserae have set, clean down, and seal cementitious grout where specified.

Handling and storage before installation

Store sections flat, indoors, out of the sun. Face-mounted paper should not be wetted before installation. Do not stack heavy items on the sections. If the mural will sit on site for more than a few weeks, keep it dry and check it for movement before installation.

FAQ

Installation questions

Can my own tiler install the mosaic?

Yes, and most of our clients do exactly that. A competent tiler who follows the method statement and the setting-out drawing will achieve a good result. For very large or complex schemes we can advise on installation or help you select a specialist mosaic installer.

How long does installation take?

A single-section panel takes a few hours. A large multi-section mural is usually one to three days for two installers, plus curing time before grouting and any sealing.

Do you provide the adhesive and grout?

We supply the specification, and can supply the materials if you prefer — particularly the epoxy systems, which are harder to source locally in some markets.

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