Mosaics can be a truly stunning part of your interior decor of house… not only that, but the careful placement of tiles and working to a plan is amazingly therapeutic. However, even the best of mosaic tile ideas will come out poorly if you select the wrong adhesive for your type of project. Today we check out the 9 types of adhesives that are used with mosaic tiles, and the strengths, weaknesses and unique purposes of each.

Craft glue: Most of us have craft glue lying around the house. However, it is trully only suitable for mosaics where you’re using very small tile pieces, that will be lying flat and not bearing any weight. You’ll also need a strong grout formulation, and perhaps more grout than usual.

Two-part epoxy: From the weakest to the strongest – two part epoxy is about as far as you can get from craft glue, for mosaic tiles! If you’re using river stones or pebbles in a mosaic, rather than mosaic tiles, two-part epoxy may be your only adhesive select. However, you’ll need some skill at mixing it correctly and using it, and epoxy is also more expensive than most adhesives.

Water-soluble glue: Can be used either diluted, for making gummed paper (see below), or for gluing mosaic tiles directly onto wood. Do remember that if you live in a humid climate, your tesserae will probably end up shifting, especially if they are vertically placed or bear any load.

Gummed paper: A great mosaic tile adhesive, but only for temporary applications. You can make it up yourself with brown paper and water-soluble glue, which has been diluted. It may take a bit of experimentation to find the right proportions, though.

Sealant: Not quite an adhesive, sealant can help your mosaic tiles to stick down somewhat, and also protect them from humidity, smoke, rain and heat. It is recommend in conjunction with a glue and a grout, or an adhesive/grout in one mixture for all mosaics.

Ready mixed cement: This fairly standard mosaic tile adhesive can be used for both the indirect and direct methods of making mosaics. You can use many ready mixed cements as a glue and grout in one, and they are fairly easy to color – just mix in a powder colorant with the dry powder before you add the water.

Cement: Strong, cheap and flexible – you can also mix cement yourself, and get all the benefits of ready mixed cement at a lower price.

Epoxy-adhesive grout: The favorite method of experienced mosaic makers who know what they want, know how to get it, and are willing to input the cash to ensure that their mosaic is strong and long-lasting.

Ready mixed grout:You’ll need to use this in combination with epoxy adhesive for the actual mosaic tiles, or with craft glue or cement, to stick the tesserae down properly. Some ready mixed mortar can actually be colorized with acrylic or hobby paints, so you can get very specific background colors for your mosaic tile works.

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