Basic Tools Used for Mosaic Projects

Video Transcript

"Hi, I’m Faith and I’m here at Flat Fork Studio and I’m here to show you some basic tools that you want to have on hand when preparing to do your mosaic tile project. First we have a caulk gun, Liquid Nails adhesive. This is one type of glue you can use for adhering your tiles onto your finished product. We also have a thinset- the hardware store carries a premixed thinset mortar, which is also used for adhering. It’s the first coat that you put down before you place your tiles onto your finished piece. You’ll need a little trowel- you use this to actually- this is your scoop and your trowel- this is what you use to put your glue down with, your thinset mortar. You’ll also need some type of ruler, straightedge. If you’re doing a straight line or borders, you want to make sure that your lines are straight. You also need tile nippers. These are to cut off small pieces of the tile to make your tiles fit into whatever pattern that you choose. Also, you have a tile cutter. This is also if you have larger tiles you want to cut into smaller pieces, this is the tool you use. And you’ve got different various size of putty knives. These are for scooping and spreading your material around. When you’re finished, you will use a sanded tile grout. This is what I prefer. This is used for grouting your finished pieces, and you use it when you have an eighth of an inch gap to a half inch gap. I like using this the best over the non-sanded tile grout. After you’ve grouted your piece, you’re going to want a smooth trowel, and you use this basically to trowel off the excess grout. And you have a sponge with plenty of water that you use to clean your surface off with after you’ve grouted. And of course, plenty of paper towels or towels to buff off the residue after you’ve finished grouting. These are the basic tools that you will need for mosaic tile. "