Mosaic Adhesives, Grouts & Additives

Adhesives

Selecting the right adhesive will have a big impact on your finished mosaic piece. Using the right glue will ensure its life .

We have listed a few glues that we find beneficial to mosaic which we have used. If you have other brands always read the label to make sure it is right for your project.

• PVA (Use for wood, MDF, Plywood, Fibre cement board) Note – PVA can be watered down to make an excellent and inexpensive sealer for sealing wood and terracotta surfaces prior to starting your mosaicing i.e. 3 parts water 1 part glue.
• Cement Based Adhesive (Terracotta Pots, Fibre Cement Board, Pavers)
• Silicone Glue (Suitable for gluing onto glass)
• Weldbond is a good versatile glue which does glue to most surfaces, however i would recommend if using Weldbond on exterior projects preferable on fibre cement sheeting or exterior ply is to ensure you seal your item you are mosaicing and also i would add in a grout additive to protect your grout Weldbond is weatherproof not waterproof so i would avoid this for submerged items eg: bird baths

Grouts and Additives

Grout is a cement based mixture available in a variety of colours, this is basically the cream on the cake this will finish and complement your mosaic.

You can use a grout additive to waterproof your grout, this requires mixing even amounts of additive and water to your grout.

I find this extra great protection for outdoor projects. Davco glass additive is fantastic available at Bunnings. Also if mixed straight with grout and not water it is a fantastic glue for Pots etc.

Choosing the colours is the most daunting process which I can find myself mulling over for hours. I seem to always sway to black for more intense look however white is a starker look and grey is just safe. Do experiment, I find it is good to look through mosaic books and pick out a picture that is similar colours to the piece you are about to grout.

Then see what looks best, otherwise let your imagination run wild … pick a funky colour … Hey you always learn with each piece you do

I would only suggest this wild attitude of colour on a smaller piece until you are comfortable with putting your colours together, this comes with time. The more you mosaic, the more you become freer with your grout choices.