How to tile laundry splashback?

[sper]

Hi community,

I have a small space in laundry to tile and would like to know the appropriate tools and stuff I need to buy to complete the project successfully.

so far, we have selected following tiles we want to use for this project:

Decor8 Tiles 284 x 324 x 6mm Black Gloss Hexagon Ceramic Mosaic Tile

i am looking at the following tile cutter but not sure if it can do the perfect cut:

 

For grout I am looking at this:

 for tile adhesive:

Davco 5kg Ceramacrete Cement Base Tile Adhesive

please suggest if I need to change any or all of the above things except the tiles:)

particulalry the cutter.

 Thanks 

[MitchellMc]

Hi @sper,

That tile cutter will do a reasonable job, but you might consider hiring a much higher quality unit for this one job. It comes fitted with an angle guide for any tricky cuts. I'm sure you'll find it completes much better cuts and is easier to use. Please remember that cutting sheets of mosaic tiles is not an exceptionally easy task, and you might be better off using an angle grinder with a continuous diamond blade.

The adhesive you've selected is fantastic over a rigid surface like brickwork. If the tiles are going over a board product like plaster or cement sheeting, you'd be better off with something like Davoc SMP Evo.

I trust you find this step-by-step guide useful: How to lay mosaic tiles.

Please let me know if you have further questions.

Mitchell

[Brad]

Add a Stanley Knife for cutting the backing.

Tile nippers for any cut outs especialy curves.

My grand father and father were in the box of matches double as spacers and put under scribed lines to break tiles old school people. Steel rule and a glass cutter for them rather than a dedicated tile cutter.

Using a scribe and snap tile cutter on small hex tiles is going to be clunky by either machine or hand cutting.

[sper]

Thank you Mitchell for the help and advice, I ll grab the angle grinder for cutting. Is the grout I picked ok for my work?

 Thanks 

[sper]

Hey Brad, are you saying I should try tile snap cutter? Thanks 

[Brad]

The machine uses a wheel to scribe a line, then you lift it up and use the handle to break the tile on the line. The small tiles on a sheet when the youtube experts cut them have the tiles move around. It does a great job on single larger tiles.

Cutting by hand using a wheel to scribe the line with the rule putting pressure on the tile should hold it in place better, just like the machine it snaps with pressure applied downwards with support under the cut line. If I wanted to be accurate this is how I would do it.

My grandfather would of used nippers lined up by eye backed by years of practice.

Hex tiles normaly need to have the interlocking edges cut when finishing the outside edges. You will be well practised in tile cutting once you are finished.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @sper,

That grout you've selected will be perfect for the job.

Mitchell

[Vis-á-vis]

Make sure your walls are absolutely flat. Mosaics will show every small dip or hump.

You'll need either a wet saw or a manual wheel to cut mosaics. An angle grinder will work also.

You can get twin wheel manual cutters for mosaics from specialty tile shops and they are not expensive, also a pair of tile nips and you'll be good. You'll get a much cleaner cut than with the angle grinder.

Consider some mosaic backer sheets to make life easier.

A 4mm notched trowel for mosaics. you don't want adhesive squeezing out between the tiles.

A cheap mixing paddle is a very valuable tool to have.

Clean all adhesive residue between each tile before it dries as it is very painful to clean once dry.

[sper]

Hi community,

I have completed the splash back project and wanted to share a picture of it. Me and my family loves the laundry now:)

 

[EricL]

Hello @sper

Your laundry splash back tiles look fantastic. Thank you very much for sharing your tiling project. I'm sure @MitchellMc, @Brad, and @Vis-á-vis will be happy to hear that you've completed your project. Did you have a hard time cutting the hex tiles? How long did it take to tile the entire wall? Any other information you can share about your tiling project would be much appreciated.

Again, thank you for sharing your laundry splash back tiling project.

Eric