Mosaic Tools, Adhesives & Grouts
Leponitt Wheeled Nippers
This excellent quality glass cutting tool cut from the middle and out which gives you great control and you will find that you can cut say diagonals no problem. The wheeled nippers work best with glass and will cut Sicis tiles and vitreous glass very well. They will also cut smalti. As smalti is thicker you will probably find that you will use both kinds of nippers for different types of jobs with the smalti.
The wheeled nippers will also cut ceramic tiles, but as they are tougher and you cut from the middle and out this is hard work for your wrists.
The Leponitt Wheeled Nippers are your No 1 investment for the cutting and trimming of glass for mosaic making and will last you for years and years to come. (0.4 kg)
£24.99
Side Biter Nippers
These side biters are excellent value for money and will serve you well. They are the better choice for the tougher ceramic tiles and other thick tiles and can be used with smalti. Because you apply the pressure to crack the tile from the side inwards you have less control than with the wheeled nippers and it is difficult to cut diagonals. These are fine for vitreous glass but unsuitable for fine glass such as the Sicis ranges. When they are finally blunt they have had it. You will know when your tiles start to scatter more and you have less control than you normally have. (0.4 kg)
£11.99
Glue Pen PLEASE NOTE: NEW SMALLER SIZE!!!
15 ml PVA in a small handy refillable glue pen. PVA is odorless, user-friendly wood glue that provides an excellent bond for indoor use.
Dries clear.
£0.59 each
4 for £1.99
Silicone Glue
50g of Silicone Glue in a handy tube.
Work in a well ventilated place. Excellent bond for indoor and outdoor use. (55g)
£2.49 each
2 for £3.99
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Leponitt replacement blades
After many many many mosaics you may finally have blunted your wheels...
£11.99
Protection Goggles
Clear plastic, here wrapped.
One size, multi fit.
It is recommended to be using protection glasses whilst cutting tiles.
£3.99
MAPEI ADHESIVES & GROUTS
High quality, professional, branded adhesives. VIVA mosaics stock the products from Mapei’s range that are used in house.
ADHESIVES
For exterior use you need to use a cement based adhesive, Mapei or other brands. Anything else will come off sooner or later. Correctly mixed and applied cement based adhesive last. Always do exactly as it says on the pack as the setting of an adhesive is a chemical process and too much or too little water or powder may weaken the end result. It is our experience that ready mixed adhesives should be avoided. They are much more expensive but also (non Mapei) adhesives used in Arendse’s classes has been known to not go off (yes for months!) or shrink significantly if applied quite thick. If thick layers are needed it is best to apply it in layers of the maximum thickness advised on the pack whilst letting the adhesive go off between each coat.
Chose white adhesive with glass mosaics as they are usually semi transparent and hence the colour underneath will show. White will reveal the true colour, grey will dull it.
Disadvantage of using white adhesive: if you don’t want to grout your mosaic white (and you really shouldn’t!) is that excess adhesive that will squidge up between the tiles need to be properly scraped cleaned off. Particularly for school jobs using 1x1 cm vitreous glass tiles the teacher might find him or herself using a long long time doing this.
For direct mosaics using cement based adhesive: mix the adhesive in small amounts as you go in a plastic cup and apply with a small spatular.
Chose grey adhesive with stone and ceramic tiles as they are not transparent and excess adhesive is not as much of a problem. The grey adhesive supplied here, Ultraflex 2 Mono, is more of an anthracite but a 1 component highly flexible adhesive. For a school job using 1x1 cm vitrous tiles, consider the slightly duller result with the dark adhesive underneath versus the extra time you have to spend cleaning the mosaic up before grouting it.
Other advantages or disadvantages can be pack sizes.
Consumption: 2-5 kg per m2.
Super Mosaic Tweezers
Now they are here, the Italian branded super tweezers from Mundial, long (15cm) and strong
and firm in the right way.
Expensive, yes, but such a great tool!
£9.99
Adesilex P10 by MAPEI
White, slow setting, cement based, exterior tile adhesive specially formulated for mosaics.
Mix as advised on the packet with water or special admixture Isolastic to get a stronger and more flexible bond (S1).
5 kg alu-pack
£13.49
Isolastic by MAPEI
Latex admixture for Adesilex P10. Mix half and half with water as described on the packet.
1 liter bottle to 5 kg Adesilex
1 liter
£7.49
Ultraflex S2 Mono by MAPEI
Dark grey, slow setting, cement based, exterior tile adhesive. Highly flexible (S2), one component adhesive. Specially formulated to bond on areas with big changes in temperature such as terraces etc. Mix with water as described on the packet.
950g plastic bag by VIVA
£5.49
15 kg paper packaging
£52.99
GROUTS
Grout is a filler, not an adhesive.
Usually a cement grey grout is what you want. It unifies the piece without disturbing all your efforts of getting the colours in your mosaic right. Beware of white grout! It is much too bright, it takes the life out of the surrounding colours and takes over the piece.
VIVA stock a range of colours from Mapei’s UltraColourPlus line. It is a fast setting, high performance, mould and water repellant grout suitable for exterior use.
As a bit of fun you can now also get your hands on gold and silver glitter from Mapei to mix in with your grout.
As with the adhesives: always mix and apply as advised on the pack! Usage is depending on the gaps. 100g of grout will be enough to grout a 25x25cm mosaic with very small gaps. 1.6 kg will be enough for a m2.
Ultracolour Plus Grout by MAPEI
Coloured grout: SILVER GREY (light grey)
2 kg alu-pack
£7.99
Ultracolour Plus Grout by MAPEI
Coloured grout: CEMENT GREY (mid grey)
2 kg alu-pack
£7.99
Ultracolour Plus Grout by MAPEI
Coloured grout: ANTHRACITE (dark grey)
2 kg alu-pack
£7.99
Ultracolour Plus Grout by MAPEI
Coloured grout: BLACK
2 kg alu-pack
£7.99
Ultracolour Plus Grout by MAPEI
Coloured grout: CHOCOLATE (dark brown)
2 kg alu-pack
£7.99
Ultracolour Plus Grout by MAPEI
Coloured grout: BROWN
2 kg alu-pack
£7.99
Ultracolour Plus Grout by MAPEI
Coloured grout: JASMINE (cream)
2 kg alu-pack
£7.99
Ultracolour Plus Grout by MAPEI
Coloured grout: SPACE BLUE
1 kg plastic bag by VIVA
£4.49
Ultracolour Plus Grout by MAPEI
Coloured grout: JADE GREEN
1 kg plastic bag by VIVA
£4.49
MAPEI Glitter
Metallic admixture for grout: SILVER
Add some glittering sparks to your mosaics. The latest from Mapei.
Mix 2% to max 5% of dry weight of grout.
100g (to 2 kg grout)
£11.99
MAPEI Glitter
Metallic admixture for grout: GOLD
Add some glittering sparks to your mosaics. The latest from Mapei.
Mix 2% to max 5% of dry weight of grout.
100g (to 2 kg grout)
£11.99
BORUP Pigment for cement, adhesive or grout
OXYDE BLACK
50g plastic bag by VIVA
£2.49
BORUP Pigment for cement, adhesive or grout
OXYDE RED (Terracotta)
50g plastic bag by VIVA
£2.49
BORUP Pigment for cement, adhesive or grout
OXYDE BROWN
50g plastic bag by VIVA
£2.49
BORUP Pigment for cement, adhesive or grout
OXYDE YELLOW (Ochre)
50g plastic bag by VIVA
£2.49
Ultracolour Plus Grout by MAPEI
Coloured grout: WHITE
2 kg alu-pack
£7.99
Weldbond Glue Bottles NEW!!!
The Canadian super branded “universal space age adhesive - more than great glue!”. Glues wood, tile, plaster, foam, laminates, cork, concrete, china, ceramics, glass, porcelain, marble, gypsum board, leather, metal, fabrics... Non-toxic, no fumes, dries crystal clear.
Interior / exterior. When that is said: VIVA always recommends to use a cement based adhesive for outdoor mosaics. Please see the Mapei adhesives further down this page.
Weldbond in two handy sizes:
50 ml or 1.7 fl oz £3.49
114 ml or 4 fl oz £4.99
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No VAT is charged