Help!: Fired Earth paper fronted mosaics

[spooner68]

Ok so after about 6000 square metres of all sorts of tiles I find myself with a conundrum. Paper fronted mosaics. Only once have I had to deal with these and it was a bit of a mare. Do any of you have experience of fixing these tiles. My client tells me they have a brown paper type cover on the face and no mesh. Ok so fixing is easy enough but how about getting the paper off afterwards without leaving loads of bits stuck on and adhesive pushed through the joints.

Any advice and foolproof tips gratefully accepted.

Oh and before you ask the guy at Fired Earth is NOT very helpful.

[milan11]

Very simple and easy.
Wet the paper with sponge and loads of water, let the moisture work for few minutes, then wet paper again and after that - you can pull the whole sheet of paper in one go.

Paper itself is strong enough so it doesn't tear apart when you pull it off.

[whitebeam]

With the fired earth mosaics I done was once the tiles are on just damp the paper slightly then continue tiling then damp again, not to much moisture otherwise you could thin the adhesive down. Try removing the paper, if it still sticks damp the paper again until it can be removed then you can adjust any mosaic that need it. I would'nt use a rapid set addy other wise you may not have time to adjust the mosaic when the paper is removed.

[milan11]

I would'nt use a rapid set addy other wise you may not have time to adjust the mosaic when the paper is removed.

Hm, you don't have to adjust the mosaic after removing the paper.

Paper itself doesn't go exactly right to the edge of the mosaic. it actually finishes around 10 mm inside from the side of the mosaic, so you can clearly see all line and joints.

not to much moisture otherwise you could thin the adhesive down.

The best time for removing paper is when addy is set and dry completly, otherwise you'd be pulling out also pieces of mosaics with the paper.

[doug boardley]

make sure your trowel notches aren't too big either, you don't won't to find a load of set addy oozing through the joints when you've soaked the paper off

[whitebeam]

Hm, you don't have to adjust the mosaic after removing the paper.

Paper itself doesn't go exactly right to the edge of the mosaic. it actually finishes around 10 mm inside from the side of the mosaic, so you can clearly see all line and joints.

So what happens when you need make adjustments to the mosaic thru the paper, if anything like some of the glass ones I did they were all over the place




The best time for removing paper is when addy is set and dry completly, otherwise you'd be pulling out also pieces of mosaics with the paper.

If you do the wetting right you should'nt have any problem, if one pops off then just place it back on as Bissaza

[faithhealer]

remembered an old thread about 'pre grouting', never done any myself so can't comment.
Paper faced mosaics - pre grouting method

[Dave]

Most fired earth designs are not meant to be all straight and uniform....

I'm with milan...leave to set and then wet down paper to remove and if the correct trowel was used then no adhesive should squirt through...

[timeless john]

Spooner - I did work for Fired Earth for years in the North East and IMO found the staff really good.

Timeless John.

[whitebeam]

It was fired earth that reccomended that the paper came off before the tiles had set

[spooner68]

Most fired earth designs are not meant to be all straight and uniform....

I'm with milan...leave to set and then wet down paper to remove and if the correct trowel was used then no adhesive should squirt through...

I always use a small notch trowel for mosaics, just worried you cant see anything under the paper and want to save a bit of time later. Cant hurry £30 a sheet mosaics anyway.

[smurf21]

Im using fired earth burnt glass mosaics at the moment with the paper front put them on let the addy set then wet the paper and remove comes of easily...

[spooner68]

Im using fired earth burnt glass mosaics at the moment with the paper front put them on let the addy set then wet the paper and remove comes of easily...

Yep, thats the one's my client has bought. Are they easy enough to cut with the paper on or is it better to separate some of them before cutting?

[smurf21]

I allways seperate and cut individually its so much easier