How to Make a Mosaic Inlay for a Foyer

Designing the Mosaic

• 1

  Use colored pencils to design your mosaic pattern on a sheet of graph paper. Imagine that each block on the graph paper represents one square of tile. Draw the shape or pattern that you would like to apply to your foyer floor.

  For example, if you're designing a maze-patterned Roman mosaic, shade in one center square with a light color, such as cream or peach. Shade an adjacent square in the same color and three adjacent squares in a darker color, such as blue. Continue to shade in squares that are surrounding the center of the maze, creating a spiral pattern around the center of the maze.

• 2

  Gather one colored tile to match each coordinating square on the graph paper. For example, if you've colored 12 blue squares and 30 red squares, gather 12 blue tiles and 30 red tiles.

• 3

  Near the area where you will be installing the final inlay, lay out your tiles in the desired pattern. Match each colored tile to its corresponding colored block in the graph paper pattern that you created in step 1. If you are creating a large mosaic inlay, break the project up into smaller squares and lay only one section at a time.

Preparing the Floor

• 4

  Prepare the subfloor by filling the holes and low spots with a gypsum-leveling compound to create a level surface for laying your tiles. This will reduce the likelihood that your mosaic inlay will later buckle or crack.

• 5

  Cut the cement backerboard to the appropriate size by using a circular saw. The cement backerboard should cover the entire area where you are laying tiles.

• 6

  Screw down the cement backerboard by using a drill to drive corrosion-resistant screws through the plywood subfloor and into the joists underneath. Finish the joints of the cement backboard by covering the joints with tape.

Laying the Mosaic

• 7

  Apply one coat of thinset adhesive to the cement backerboard. Use a thinset trowel to skim the adhesive across the top of the cement board.

• 8

  Lay the mosaic tiles by applying the tiles to fresh thinset. Press each tile firmly, leaving space between each tile. The amount of space you leave between tiles is up to you. However, you should not lay tiles directly against one another.

• 9

  Spread grout between the tiles by using a rubber grout float. Hold the float at a 45-degree angle to force the grout into the joints. Wipe away any excess grout with a damp sponge.

• 10

  Seal the joints. Refer to the manufacture’s label on your grout to determine what type of sealant is required. The manufacturer’s instructions will tell you how much time is required for the grout and sealant to cure before walking on your mosaic tile inlay.