Mosaic spacing question

[Gromit1]

Hello all - my very first post. I am having tiling done - 60 x 60 porcelain grey tiles with a strip of same tile 30 x 30 mosaics running down the shower area from floor to ceiling. The mosaics are on a flexible background and have gaps between them of both 3mm and 4mm. Basicallly they are not all the same which surprises me but is apparently quite usual.

My tiler has started the job at 2mm spacing which he says looks smarter than 3mm spacing and that as the mosaic gaps are both 3 and 4mm that the grouting spaces between tiles can be different. He isn't making excuses because he did ask about spacing before the job started but the more I think about it the more I wonder if it shouldn't have been 3mm in an attempt to match the spaces between the mosaics.

What do you think? I know that this seems a little crazy but how about taking the mosaics off the mesh backing and laying them individually. Time consuming but accurate.

[doug boardley]

Hi Gromit, are your mosaics on 30 x 30 sheets?

[doug boardley]

is your tiler trying to marry up the mosaic joints with the field tile (60 x 60's) joints?

[Gromit1]

Hi and thanks for replying. Yes they are 30 x 30 sheets. The main tiles are 60 x 60 and the tiler reckons 2mm joints are best. But the gaps between the mosiac strips are 3 and some 4mm so I wondered if 2mm joints would look good. And yes the mosiacs will line up with the 60 x 60 tiles.

[doug boardley]

it's best to keep them on the sheet rather than fix them individually, what size spacer has your tiler used on the 60 x 60's?/

[Gromit1]

2mm. I thought that they should have been 3mm to match the spacing of the mosaics on the shheets but he said that as the spacing on the sheets is uneven (some 3mm and some 4mm) that it doesn't matter and that all that matters is that the joint lines all line up.

[jay]

pics might help and welcome Gromit 1

[doug boardley]

hmm, 3 and 4mm joints seem wide for mosaics, but it would look odd with 2mm joints to marry up to field tiles. How far has your tiler got with the field (60 x60) tiles?

[Gromit1]

he's got far. too late to take down. Given the uneven spacing of the mosaics I'm thinking take the tiles off the backing strip. Laborious but I'll get even lines.

[doug boardley]

can you not swap your mosaics for some that are more evenly spaced with 2mm joints?

[deanotile]

i would not match the mosaic to the field tile if you mis bond them it will save a lot of hassle and look just as good.

[doug boardley]

I agree Dean.

[Gromit1]

sorry Dean- I misunderstand?

[doug boardley]

forego trying to match up the mosaic joints with the field tiles David.

[jolly fix]

i agree with Deanotile,