The laying and finishing of cement concrete marble mosaic flooring tiles in floors, wall, staircases, etc. is discussed here.
Materials required for mosaic tile flooring:
Cement, sand, terrazzo tiles shall conform to the specifications detailed in the relevant standard code. Mixing of mortar is done as per the specification for grade of mortar to be used.
Laying of mosaic tile flooring:
Subgrade concrete or the RCC slab on which tiles are to be laid is cleaned, wetted and mopped. The bedding of the tiles generally used is cement mortar 1:5 or as specified. The average thickness of mortar used is 30mm and thickness at any place not less than 10mm. Lime mortar bedding is spread, tamped and corrected to proper levels and allowed to harden for a day before the tiles are laid. Over this bedding, neat grey cement slurry of honey like consistency is spread at the rate of 4.4 kg/sq.mt over such an area that would accommodate 20 tiles.
Before laying, the tiles are soaked in water for at least 20 minutes and then allowed to dry for about 10 minutes. It is necessary to have tiles damp but not wet when they are laid. Tiles should be fixed by gently
tapping with a wooden mallet till they are properly bedded and in level with the adjoining tile. The joints is kept as thin as possible not exceeding 1.5 mm. Where full-size tiles cannot be fixed, tiles are cut to the required size and their edges rubbed to ensure a straight and true joint. Tiles which are fixed in the floor adjoining the wall should enter not less than 12mm under the plaster, skirting or dado. After the tiles have been laid, excess cement coming out through the joints upto the surface is immediately wiped clean.
Curing, Polishing and finishing of mosaic tiles:
The day after the tiles are laid all joints are cleaned of the grey cement with a wire brush. The joints shall after 24 hours be filled with matching cement paste and allowed to set. The same cement slurry is applied to the entire surface of the tiles in a thin coat with a view to protect the surface from abrasive damage and fill the pin holes that may exist on the surface.
The floor is then kept wet and protected for a minimum period of seven days before starting the polishing. No one should be allowed to walk on the floor during the first 24 hours immediately after the tiles are laid.
The surface thereafter is grounded evenly with machine fitted coarse grade grit block. Water is used profusely during grinding. It is then covered with a thin coat of cement mixed with colouring pigment to match the topping of the wearing surface of the tile sand second grinding is then carried out with machine fitted with fine grade grit blocks. The final grinding with machine fitted with the finest grade grit blocks is carried out after 24 hours of completion of second grinding or before handing over the floor. The entire surface is finally washed with weak solution of soft soap in warm water.
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