OK all you helpful tile experts out there.
I'm new to this, but not so new to tiling.
But, having made mistakes in the past, I'm not keen to repeat them.

I'm tiling a new shower.

Tiles are ceramic mosaics (20mm approx)
Walls are either plaster, or stud partitions with no board on them yet. I was thinking of putting cement-based boards on.

The shower will be moderately powerful, but not of the drowning variety, and only a single head - so no nozzles squirting in all directions.

Here's the rub...

I work on my own, and struggle to mix powdered adhesive, and get the correct consistency. And, somehow, mixing adhisive makes me really miserable, and my wife doesn't like that.
So I'm really keen to use pre-mixed adhesive.

But the tile shop tells me I must use a cement-based powdered adhesive, but won't really tell me why.

I'm a very capable DIY (except for mixing tile adhesive) - and I'm perfectly capable of understanding technical principles, and taking advice.

Can you guys advise me on this?

Personally i would use a mosaic trowel and powdered adhesive,the walls must be as flat as possible with mosaics.Try mixing the adhesive in smaller batches and use a drill and paddle for mixing...i recommend Mapei keraflex maxi adhesive,this is good stuff and doesnt go off as quick as some other powdered adhesive.If you decide to use plasterboard then i would recommend that you tank the shower area before tiling.

You might also want to try BAL mosaic fix,this would be good for this job also.

Bal White Star ??

Hi Tileotorment

Welcome to the forum, and may I please nominate you for the prize for the best username

Would you recommend this over and above BAL Mosaic?

Originally Posted by cornish_crofter

Would you recommend this over and above BAL Mosaic?

In this situation yes cc, the customers requirements are met, mosaicfix would be overkill....Gaz

Thanks Gaz, I was actually thinking of my own bathroom

We got glass mosaics via e bay at around £1.40 a sheet (300x300) so we can afford not to cut corners with the adhesive and grout.

Originally Posted by cornish_crofter

Thanks Gaz, I was actually thinking of my own bathroom

We got glass mosaics via e bay at around £1.40 a sheet (300x300) so we can afford not to cut corners with the adhesive and grout.

LOL...you have glass...has to be mosaicfix..

My reason for suggesting Bal White Star is that there is no mixing. Bal Mosaic Fix is great too, my favourite Bal addy.

Originally Posted by cornish_crofter

Thanks Gaz, I was actually thinking of my own bathroom

We got glass mosaics via e bay at around £1.40 a sheet (300x300) so we can afford not to cut corners with the adhesive and grout.

sods law eh...lol

Although Mosaicfix was formulated for glass mosaic, after finishing with it the formula made it suitable for any type of tile and size onto mostly all surfaces.....Gaz

Originally Posted by GazTech

Although Mosaicfix was formulated for glass mosaic, after finishing with it the formula made it suitable for any type of tile and size onto mostly all surfaces.....Gaz

Which is pretty much what i do....i seem to have bags of the stuff in my garage

Thanks for this info.

Exactly the sort of discussion I was hoping for.

I've done marble mosaics on fairly large areas before, but under easier circumstances.
I'd already worked out that flat wall is good, bumpy is bad, so I was going to ensure the surfaces are immaculate. This won't be difficult.


I have a question about using the mosaic trowel.

I read somewhere, solid bed of adhesive in wet areas.

In the past, when laying the bathroom floor tiles, I think I used too much adhesive in a solid bed - and had problems keeping adjacent tiles level with each other. They ended up floating on a sea of adhesive, with no scope for pushing them down. It worked in the end, but there was some astonishingly bad language along the way. This is the origin of the username 'Tiletorment'.

I can see that a notched bed would allow for easier bedding-in of the tiles.
When using the notched trowel, should I be scraping back to the wall - leaving 3mm ridges of adhesive with gaps in-between?

Originally Posted by tiletorment

Thanks for this info.

Exactly the sort of discussion I was hoping for.

I've done marble mosaics on fairly large areas before, but under easier circumstances.
I'd already worked out that flat wall is good, bumpy is bad, so I was going to ensure the surfaces are immaculate. This won't be difficult.


I have a question about using the mosaic trowel.

I read somewhere, solid bed of adhesive in wet areas.

In the past, when laying the bathroom floor tiles, I think I used too much adhesive in a solid bed - and had problems keeping adjacent tiles level with each other. They ended up floating on a sea of adhesive, with no scope for pushing them down. It worked in the end, but there was some astonishingly bad language along the way. This is the origin of the username 'Tiletorment'.

I can see that a notched bed would allow for easier bedding-in of the tiles.
When using the notched trowel, should I be scraping back to the wall - leaving 3mm ridges of adhesive with gaps in-between?

Yep spot on, when you compress the tile into it the air escapes to give a solid bed....

are the mixing ratios not on the bag? if you follow these surely you'll get the right consistency? Having said that I know what 2.5 litres of liquid looks like(glug glug!) but not sure I could correctly guage 10 kg of powder if part mixing a bag!

Tiletorment dont forget as brian c said previously remember to tank it or do some other waterproofing

Originally Posted by GazTech

LOL...you have glass...has to be mosaicfix..

Mosaic fix it is then

Good point.
I'll have to work out how to do that.

I'm guessing that putting aquapanel or similar, with taped seams, will work on the partition walls.
And I should put a membrane on the plaster walls. Not something I've done before.

it's pretty straight forward tiletorment. 4mm trowel and apply membrane and use flat edge off trowel to fix membrane. Speak to wetdecs for the membrane,nice and cheap and easy to use.

Originally Posted by Sir Ramic

Which is pretty much what i do....i seem to have bags of the stuff in my garage

Me too, usually.