"Launched in 2005, Home-Dzine was created to realise a dream; to express my love of home DIY and decor and share with other South Africans. As a non-commercial website I am free to express my own opinions and pass on valuable information to readers.
I feel that more people can benefit by being able to DIY home improvement and home repairs. And we're not talking about major DIY home repairs, but those that anyone with a bit of DIY savvy can do themselves."
Transform a kitchen with mosaic tile
Using mosaic tile for a kitchen backsplash is an easy project.
The hardest part is removing existing tiles, but with a bit of savvy you can easily overcome some of the hard work involved once the tiles have been removed.
It's a bit of a cheat that allows you to apply new tiles without having to replaster walls. Probably frowned upon by many in the industry, but definitely a timesaver, is to apply cement fibre board over the mess left by removing tiles.
Tiling onto cement fibre board alleviates the necessity of having to plaster over any damage that is left when old tiles are removed.
The cement fibre board is screwed to the wall with fischer wall plugs and screws. Countersink the holes to ensure that screw heads are flush with the board.
DIY Tip
DO use an electronic detector before drilling into walls to check for live wires and pipes.
Use a notched trowel to apply ready-mixed tile adhesive over the cement fibre board, spreading evenly across the surface.
You need to apply a 4-5mm thick layer of adhesive to ensure that the mosaic tiles are nicely stuck on.
Position the mosaic tiles onto the adhesive, pressing gently to bed the tiles into the adhesive.
Leave to dry and then peel off the protective layer.
All that's left is to use a float to apply grout over the entire surface; leave for approximately 30 minutes and wipe off any excess with a slightly damp sponge.
When completely dry, use a soft cloth to remove any powder left behind on the surface, to polish your new mosaic tile backsplash.
You will find a dazzling selection of mosaic tiles at your local Builders Warehouse or Tile Warehouse.
diy -town reno - janice anderssen