Description
Mosaic Mounting Tape 3 inches x 108 feet is a transparent adhesive film used for face-mounting mosaic tile designs for rapid installation. This clear adhesive film bonds strongly enough to mosaic tile for the sheets to be handled and transported (including shipping), but it releases cleanly without residue. It is also water resistant. Note that the roll is 3 inches wide, but it can be used for 12-inch sheets and larger sheets merely by using multiple strips slightly overlapped. The tape is fully transparent so that patterns divided between multiple sheets can be aligned and grout joints matched. The tape comes in a continuous roll 108 feet long.
Mosaic Mounting Tape 3 inches
- transparent adhesive film in a roll
- 3 inches x 108 feet
- can be overlapped slightly for added width
- total area equivalent: 27 square feet
- water resistant adhesive
- adhesive releases cleanly from all tile materials tested with no sticky residue.
Product Usage
Unlike fiberglass mesh, Mounting Tape sticks to the front FACES of the tile, which leaves the backs fully exposed for bonding with mortar or adhesives, thus increasing the strength and longevity of outdoor and wet mosaics. Mosaic designs can be laid out in a mosaic mounting grid, and then tape is pressed to the faces of the tiles, and the mosaic is lifted out of the grid for mounting.
If you aren’t using a tile mounting grid and are laying out tiles or pieces of tiles on top of a paper pattern, we recommend tacking clear contact paper sticky-side-up over the pattern. This moderate stickiness keeps the tiles from moving around as you lay them out. When you are finished placing the tiles, you press the Mosaic Mounting Tape on top of the mosaic and rub it gently to ensure adequate adhesion. Then you can cut the mosaic into sections (typically 1 ft x 1 ft), but the sections can be irregular in shape if needed, and the cuts can zig zag around tiles.
Clear Contact Paper Method
In the clear contact paper method, you tack or tape the contact paper upside-down over your paper pattern.
First, you use the clear contact paper’s mild stickiness to keep the tiles from moving around as you position them over the pattern.
Then you use the stronger stickiness of Mosaic Mounting Tape to lift the mosaic off the contact paper.
The Mosaic Mounting Tape is pressed onto the mosaic by pressing down gently but firmly NOT by rubbing forcefully a in a direction or spiral that might cause a tile to move in the pattern.
Large taped mosaics can be cut up into working strips or sheets with an ordinary box cutter. The cut lines can zigzag around tiles.
Each mosaic sheet or strip can then be pressed into mortar or glue and aligned.
Reverse Method
Another method for using the Mosaic Mouting Tape is to NOT use contact paper and place the tape itself over the pattern with the sticky side up, and the tiles face down onto the tape. This “reverse method” reverses the pattern from left to right when the taped mosaic is taken off the pattern and flipped over, and so most people avoid it in favor of the Clear Contact Paper Method
Removing Mosaic Mounting Tape
When the sections of the mosaic on tape are pressed into mortar or glue, make sure that the gaps between sheets is the same width as the grout gaps used in the sheets and that the sheets are properly aligned.
After the mortar or glue has hardened, the tape is removed from the mosaic by pulling back at 180 degrees not out at 90 degrees to get it started and then rolling up.
Storage
Like all adhesive tape, the Mounting Tape should be stored indoors in climate controlled air for extended life.
How To Make Mosaics
For more advice on designing your mosaic project or cutting and grouting tile, please see our Mosaic Frequently Asked Questions page or our How To Mosaic blog or our Mosaic Information Guide.
