Tips for Installing Mosaic Tile Sheets Mounted on Film

Feb 05 , 2025

Randall Stallworth

While most of our products we offer on MosaicTile.com are now back-mounted on mesh, we do still have a few products that come face-mounted on our Mosaic Tape.  If you (or your installer) are not familiar with film faced sheets, here are some tips for installation:

Overview:  The film does not "breathe", meaning air does not get through it, so the mortar beneath it has trouble setting up. Every point below is to get air behind the film so that the mortar dries and the film can be removed without pulling the tiles up.  

1) Before setting the tile, perforate the film by poking holes in the grout joints.  Do not make slits as this could affect the spacing of the joints.  We do not recommend back-buttering; grout everything once the tape has been removed.

 
2) After setting the sheets, make sure the room has adequate ventilation; turn the fans on.
 
3) When removing the film, start with the corners and peel the film back against itself, pushing the tiles down as you peel.  If the tiles start coming up, push them back down into the mortar and leave the film pulled back as far as you have gotten.  Go to the next corner, after all four corners are peeled back some, go to the next sheet.  It is a process, slow at first but the more the film is pulled back the faster the tile will set up.  Do not use heat guns to help release the tape as this melts the adhesive onto the tile causing a mess that is hard to clean up. 

 

If you or your installer have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to email or call us.  We want your installation to be as simple and successful as it can be.