The substrates need to be clean, compact, perfectly flat and free of dirt and cracks. Nylon or wire brush can’t be used in cleaning the residues on the surface. If the brush cannot remove the entire residue use bead blasting sand. Fix all the uneven areas of the surface; levelling compound might be needed to make the perfectly flat. Small cracks because this might cause problems in the future. Make sure enough time is given the substrate to settle (as per manufacturer’s recommendation). Do not install the mosaic tiles directly over drywall.

Before starting the installation inspect all mosaic tiles and make sure that the material is in good condition or defects. Indentify the starting point where to start guidelines that will help the layout to be straight and symmetrical while installing. The size of the trowel depends on the thickness of the mosaic tiles.

Once the starting grid has been marked, using the flat side of the v-notched trowel apply a layer of thin-set and use the notched side to go over the thin set to make uniform depth. Make sure to apply only adhesive to those areas where you can lay tile within 15 minutes because it dries very quick.

Once the adhesive is spread over the surface start laying down the mosaic tiles.

Using grout float press the mosaic tiles against the surface to guarantee perfect adhesion. Using the same tool correct any alignment errors by lightly tapping the sides of the tiles. If the tile starts to slide down, place few finish nails on the last grout line on the top to keep it in place and move on the next tile.

After one section is done use damp sponge to clean up any residues of the thinset that squeezed up between tiles. Thinsets usually require at least 24 hours for curing, for more time check the manufacturer’s recommendation.

Before applying grouts make sure that the adhesive is set and firm and the tiles are clean. A non-sanded grout is the recommend grout to use for mosaic tiles due to small grout joints. Never use sanded grout on polished glass mosaics this will scratch the material. Never use epoxy grouts for the glass mosaic tiles unless specified by the manufacturer.

Using grout float apply the grout on the tiles. Use vertical and horizontal strokes to spread the grout. Apply a little pressure to make sure that all the joints are well filled.

While the grout is still fresh, stroke diagonally the long edge of the grout float to remove excess grout and then wipe it with it with a wet sponge to clean.

Once the grout is set and dry and still if there is any residue use a nylon brush to clean and then apply grout sealer according to manufacturers instructions.

When cutting mosaic on a wet saw, put a tile or piece of hard plastic down on the cutting tray. This is necessary to keep the mosaic from faling in the wide opening on the blade chanel tray to be able to make a good straight cut.