A year or two ago, when I found myself in the warehouse of the Starik Khotabych chain of stores that was closing in Moscow at that time, I saw mountains of broken tiles. One ruble, or three, I don’t remember. The only thing that stuck in my head was that there was a lot of it and it was cheap. How can creativity pass by such a treasure? No way. That’s why I dragged home a box of fighting the size that only my son and I could physically lift. And then it began “as always”: either the Muse got lost somewhere along the way, then laziness overcame her, then she had enough to do... Thus, the “tile treasure” peacefully gathered dust for a long time on the balcony, dutifully waiting in the wings. The hour has come for these May days. Well, here we go :)
My balcony is small - one and a half by one and a half meters (house series P-111m), so it was not possible to turn around with the ornament (although I really wanted to): anyway, in such a small space it will not be visible. So, I decided, I’ll lay the tiles on a whim.
What’s important for the budget is that I didn’t buy tile adhesive either. On the same balcony there were two started bags left from the previous renovation.
This is what the balcony looked like at the start stage:
First of all, we sort the tiles. We choose the colors that we want to use. We shovel the unnecessary stuff away, otherwise it will get in the way - space is tight in our houses:
We carefully beat the selected tiles with a hammer into the required size pieces.
Important: you need to hit exclusively with reverse side so as not to cause chips and spoil the outer one!
Mix the tile adhesive according to the instructions on the package.
Important: I had the right glue. But if you buy it, make sure that it is written on the packaging that it is suitable for external work.
Do not mix too much glue at once. If ordinary tiles (not broken) can be quickly laid one after another, then a mosaic requires time to select pieces. And while you “play” with them, applying them here and there, the glue may dry out.
Here - I made it literally at the bottom of the bucket:
I did not level the floor first. Firstly, it’s not the right room (this is not a 20-meter living room), and secondly, the tile adhesive has a dense composition, and it evens out all the small flaws.
Using spatulas (I also had some left over from a previous renovation) apply glue to the floor. But not for the whole, but only for that small part on which you are currently planning to lay the tiles. Again, because the glue dries quickly, and while you are decorating one corner, it can already turn into stone on the rest of the surface.
Place pieces of tiles on the glue applied to the floor. Just listen, I personally applied glue with a spatula and bottom side tiles
Here's the first corner:
For convenience, it is better to first glue large pieces of tiles, adjusting them to each other as much as possible. But in the second stage, fill the holes formed between them with smaller pieces:
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When you break a tile, do not throw away even the smallest pieces! The fact is that the gap between the tiles should not be more than 5 mm (maximum). And with such an angular mosaic there will definitely be a couple of places O
larger sizes, into which it will be very convenient to stuff the resulting fragments!
And one more tip: if during installation there is an alternative to laying any polygon (the shape of the place allows), save triangular-shaped pieces. For some reason, there are always not enough triangles :) Mystic, but there are plenty of triangular places for laying, and the triangular pieces are broken off poorly and rarely. Therefore, if the triangle breaks off on its own, and you can put a piece of a different shape in the next place, put it there. In the future, there will definitely be a place where your triangle will come in handy.
Carefully remove any glue that creeps out of the grooves during installation with a rag. Otherwise, if it dries, you won’t be able to get it off.
Well, all the tiles are glued.
The only thing I was missing from my home stash of leftovers was grout. Therefore, I left the tile and went to the store to get it.
I didn’t want regular white grout... I bought brick color, like this:
Price in " Leroy Merlin» for 2 kg. (for the selected area - above the roof!) - 118 rubles.
Important: The grout should be cement - that’s it. It can be used not only indoors, but also outdoors - that's two. Withstands low temperature+ temperature changes are three. These three main conditions that are used on open balcony the grout must match.
While I was walking around the store, I thought, maybe I should paint the walls too?
Budget paint (256 rubles) was also found at Leroy: façade white “Latek” in a 2.5-liter bucket.
Three colorants were purchased for it: emerald, blue and sea wave (each for 28 rubles)
Like these ones:
At home, fearing that the tiles were not yet dry, I decided not to waste time and paint the walls for now. In order not to spoil the possibly not yet completely dry masonry, I placed on it large leaf thick plywood. This way, while painting, I stomped on it without damaging the tile.
Well, this is how it turned out with the walls: one wall (external) is blue, the internal ones are a mix of sea wave and emerald. Door with outside also painted blue.
Important:) While you're painting, don't let it in. repair work animals. And they, these animals, out of curiosity, will definitely poke around, getting their paws dirty. For example, I had to wash the floor in my apartment three times to remove blue traces of cat paws :)
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When my walls were dry, I rubbed the seams between the tiles.
In the end it turned out like this:
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In parallel with this work, I was constantly distracted by other processes))
For example, for decoration I painted two old Soviet wooden candlestick left over from their parents.
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This is how they were originally - dirty, greasy, covered in varnish:
To get rid of all this dirt, without further ado, I soaked them overnight in a bucket of acetone. And so as not to float up, she pressed it down with pebbles:
Important: all restoration work using chemicals (solvents, acetones, etc.) can be done only on fresh air and wearing gloves!
What was not washed off with acetone in the morning, I carefully removed it with a tumbler (I’ve been using my grandmother’s old manicure set as a tumbler for many years - it’s very convenient :)
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Well, everything is washed and scrubbed. You can paint it!
Painted with regular ones acrylic paints and brushes. But I applied small dots, for example on a lizard, with a toothpick.
It turned out just right for a multi-colored balcony!
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There are a lot of other ideas - a painted seat from an unnecessary Ikea chair (you will need something to sit on on the balcony)
For a bare wall - from an old photograph found in a village house...
Now, in the throes of creativity, an abstraction on the wall is born (this is a project for now):
But these are all stories for the next posts.
The main idea of this is: Don't neglect old, unwanted and sale items!
The broken tiles made an excellent floor that no one else has. And in general, the entire renovation of my balcony cost (we count):
- Grout - 118 rub.
- Paint - 256 rub.
- Colors - 28 x 3 = 84 rub.
- Tiles - about 100 rubles.
And the whole secret is that most of the materials and tools are leftovers from previous renovations, the tiles are salvaged, and the decor is restored second-hand.
May creativity help us all!
Mosaic leaves few people indifferent. These small, inconspicuous pieces, practically waste, but collected by the talented hand of a master into simple pictures, sometimes become real masterpieces. There are ready-made factory mosaics on sale, but why spend money if you can realize your own idea from scrap materials that you don’t even dare throw away. Therefore, it’s worth a try, because a do-it-yourself mosaic will not only decorate your interior, but will also reveal Creative skills and flights of fancy.
For home composition You can use any items. A mosaic made of tiles, broken dishes and bottles, and sea pebbles looks very cool. Sometimes wood chips are added to the panel.
Laying mosaic panels consists of several stages:
- procurement of materials;
- preparation of the base;
- development and sketching;
- laying mosaics;
- seam processing.
Procurement of necessary materials
If you have recently done renovations, then you probably have some pieces of tile left that can be used for a mosaic panel. If there is nothing like that, then you can ask around in construction or hardware stores to see if they have unnecessary broken tiles or dishes that can be purchased for next to nothing.
Perhaps your friends or relatives are planning to get rid of construction waste. Don't let them do this, and you will have a real treasure in your hands, which will turn into a masterpiece in the near future. Try to diversify your assortment and collect multi-colored raw materials so that the picture does not turn out boring and monochromatic. Of course, it’s better to know in advance what exactly you want to fold in order to collect raw materials for a specific design.
A mosaic of broken tiles is made up in small pieces different sizes.
Often, rectangular pieces are used to create a picture, so some part of the tile will need to be cut using a glass cutter or a professional tile cutter. If your passion for mosaics eventually develops into a permanent activity, then it is better to stock up on inexpensive tools. In this work there is no need for even edges, so you don’t need to achieve high precision. The bulk of the tiles are prepared very simply - broken with a hammer. Both the tile and the hammer must first be wrapped in a thick rag so that the pieces are not too crumbled.
The pieces will be different sizes, but this is exactly what you need to get the job done. And in general, you shouldn’t throw anything away, just put all the existing battle in some secluded corner, perhaps it will one day turn into a painting of the author’s work.
If the resulting pieces do not fit into the format, no problem, you can adjust the size with tile cutters.
Preparing the base for installation
Mosaic panels adhere best to cement-sand screeds, plaster, putty or drywall. They have excellent adhesion, so the ceramics are held tightly to the glue. Important condition- a clean and smooth surface, without irregularities and cracks, treated with a primer to strengthen and enhance adhesion.
Sketch development
Even if you are an artist at heart and have a clear idea of the future picture, it is still better to work according to a guideline. And if you are doing mosaics for the first time and doubt your talents, then without a preliminary drawing you will not be able to cope with the task, especially if it is quite complex. Therefore, we arm ourselves with a pencil and begin to apply contours, proportions, shapes to the surface, in accordance with the dimensions. The sketch can be drawn using the grid method or a projector.
Then we move on to planning color range and dividing the pattern into conditional zones based on tones. The main thing is to decide how to make a mosaic in accordance with the diagram so that the process is optimal.
Exist certain rules, which will make it easier to work on laying the mosaic:
- You need to start work from the central part in order to get the desired proportions and maximum proximity to the sketch.
- The background is laid out at the final stage.
- Abstraction is also added at the end, complex geometric objects are immediately laid out, which are the center of the composition - figures of people, animals, trees, flowers, etc.
Glue selection
To lay the pieces efficiently and reliably, you need to choose the right glue.
The main criterion for selecting a mixture is high adhesion to the materials used.
The best option is white glue. Gray in this case is not suitable for reasons of aesthetics. If the drawing is laid out on a regular concrete base, then it’s better to work with whites cement adhesives— , Kreps Reinforced White. If installation is planned on a non-standard base, for example wooden, then preference should be given to reactive adhesive for tiles with an epoxy base - Litokol Litoelastic, liquid nails or epoxy grout.
Mosaic laying
If you have pieces of material with different thicknesses, take the thickest one first. This will be the guideline for installation.
Both the surface and the tile itself should be covered with glue, but on one of the surfaces it should be lightly spread so that the thickness of the layer does not increase and the strength of the installation is not affected.
We begin to apply glue to a small part of the area, in separate fragments. If the pattern in this place is not complex, you can capture a larger area; if it is complex, then start working on a small area. The glue should be applied to the base with a simple smooth spatula, and then the excess should be removed with a comb. If the material has the same thickness, then installation will not be difficult. The laying of heterogeneous pieces is regulated by the thickness of the glue. But even pieces of the same thickness lay differently, because they have different sizes, so they require different efforts to glue.
Small pieces have every chance of “drowning” in the tile adhesive, so for them the layer should be thicker. Using a comb is not a panacea; each individual fragment must be adjusted individually.
A mosaic panel made of broken tiles laid on the wall does not have to be flat, it all depends on personal preferences. In addition to pieces of tile, the composition can be supplemented with a wide variety of objects that are in harmony with the overall idea. Floor mosaic is a separate matter; it naturally must be level so that when walking it does not get caught on bulges and unevenness of its surface. It is quite problematic to obtain a perfectly smooth mosaic surface.
In this case, you can use wood, plastic or metal sheets, with which they are already pressing ready plots and leveled to the desired plane. Stock up on sheets of different sizes, because for areas of different sizes you need to use a sheet of appropriate size.
Mosaic pictures made from broken tiles are laid out with gaps. The tiles should not be closely adjacent to one another. It is not easy to accurately adjust the fragments, and it is not necessary - the canvas can be damaged during operation.
Thanks to the seams, the installation does not suffer from thermal expansion of the material, which is inevitable with temperature fluctuations. Very large gaps are also impractical, because the resulting picture may turn out ugly. You should not lay it in pieces of the same shape and size, but it is also not too different formats the effect will not be very good, so the main rule is to adhere to the golden mean and a sense of proportion.
Finishing work on countertops
We clean the wooden tabletop from the paint layer using the usual acetone or special products. After this, the surface is cleaned using sandpaper: first time coarse, second time fine grinding. These actions will significantly increase adhesion, so we do not begin installation work without them.
Don't know how? Follow the diagram and everything will work out for you:
- We start laying from the edge, moving towards the central part of the tabletop.
- The compaction should be to the maximum.
- Excess glue is removed immediately during the work process, because due to high density There will be a great variety of seams, and it will take a lot of time to clean them all at the end of the work.
Check out the video tutorial on laying mosaics on a countertop:
Seam processing
You need to grout all types of mosaics, starting this work 24 hours after installation, which should dry evenly. If the room is too hot, then the panel needs to be covered with something wet. Before grouting, the mosaic must be cleaned of glue residues and wiped with a damp sponge or rag. We perform jointing rubber spatula. The perfect solution for - Litochrom Starlike Crystal. This grout has epoxy base and a chameleon effect, so it will change its color depending on the color of each fragment. Cement mixture It is better not to use it, it is not so durable and can crumble.
The grout is pressed very tightly into the seams between the mosaic elements using rubber grater. Excess mass is removed with a simple foam sponge soaked in water. In order to wash off the epoxy mixture, you will need a lot of water, and to remove plaque you will need special detergents Litonet gel, Sopro ESE 548.
So we taught you how to make a mosaic at home. We are sure that now you will succeed. Learn to constantly care for your masterpiece using products with low acidity. After each use special means, the mosaic should be wiped with plain water.
Mosaic is a creative process, so use your imagination and choose the most various elements and paints, and the result will exceed even your wildest expectations.
A beautifully laid mosaic made of broken tiles with your own hands pleases the eye with a unique pattern and significantly saves the renovation budget. The possibilities of this cladding method are quite wide and varied, especially in terms of design.
Laying mosaics - general requirements
How facing material mosaics have been used since ancient times - in ancient Roman baths and ancient Greek baths, mosaic panels were real examples of high art. Even today, such decor looks great in swimming pools and saunas, bathrooms, kitchens and toilet rooms, on garden paths, in offices, when finishing fence foundations or for decoration of facades. You can use not only purchased mosaics, but also use remnants of ceramic tiles, pieces of glass, metal, stone and other repair waste - in in capable hands they will become genuine designer finds.
How to put mosaic tiles, depends on several factors:
- Where the cladding is performed - outside or inside the room, this will determine the need for frost resistance of the solution;
- If there is a large area of work, laying mosaics on a mesh is relevant; making and installing a mesh with your own hands is much easier than covering it with mosaic elements on top;
- When combining mosaics with tiles standard ceramics are always laid first. Installation openings are left for mosaic inserts and panels; their decoration is carried out after complete drying cement mortar under ceramic tiles;
- If it is necessary to lay an auxiliary mesh (see point 2), then this step is performed before laying finishing cladding, even if 95% of the entire surface is decorated with ordinary ceramics. For example, when laying tiles for an outdoor porch it is necessary to install a mesh in advance in the “windows for mosaics”, even if these inserts are small in size;
- Laying mosaic tiles with your own hands is associated with a certain risk from the point of view of work safety precisely when self-production its elements.
The fragments of ceramics and glass have sharp edges, sometimes up to razor sharp edges This is fraught with deep cuts with any careless movement!
Close proximity to mortar aggravates the risk by the possibility of infection in a fresh cut. Laying mosaics self-made it is necessary to perform it in thick rubberized gloves and measure your movements with the characteristics of the material.
How to make a mosaic from tiles - with your own hands and not only from ceramics
When laying a mosaic of broken tiles with your own hands, garden paths are designed according to one method, borders for flower beds - according to a second one, and bathroom panels - according to a third one. This is due to the specifics of the objects being decorated and the operating conditions of the man-made mosaic.
For example, large pieces of ceramics with an extended straight chip are suitable for borders. By laying it parallel to the path, an aesthetically attractive transition from a horizontal to a vertical surface is obtained. It is quite acceptable to diversify the installation with multi-colored tiles and the same glass, shards of porcelain or splashes of polished metal, but rampant designer's imagination must be kept within certain rules.
The main ceramic elements can be of different sizes - but additional pieces of glass or porcelain should have similar dimensions. Similarly, it is advisable to transition from one color to another smoothly, or evenly alternating the tiled rainbow. The desire to test yourself in the role of an abstract artist will most likely lead to a clumsy and incomprehensible pattern - you will have to explain to each guest that this is a mosaic, and not a test for color sensitivity.
In addition, the combined use of factory-made and home-made mosaic elements is quite acceptable. For example, a do-it-yourself mosaic made of broken tiles for inserts on the facade of a house can be refined with tiles left over after renovation in a bathroom or sauna. They will create a kind of “islands of geometric stability” around which a whirlwind of ceramic creativity can be laid out.
Mosaic from broken tiles - do it yourself, carefully and slowly
Laying mosaics does not tolerate chaos and is carried out as planned; its typical stages are as follows:
How to make a mosaic from broken tiles with your own hands - step-by-step diagram
Step 1: Sketching
A sketch is needed for any mosaic cladding, with the exception of a thin panel strip between two rows of tiles. The sketch should take into account the size and color of the main mosaic elements. It can be done with colored pencils (markers) to scale. Drawing a picture on paper is many times easier than thinking about design moves with a solution in your hands. Consider the color and size of the existing elements, think over color transitions and porcelain or glass inserts - any impromptu construction is best achieved with precise planning...
Step 2: Working with the material
If there are not enough broken tiles for the cladding, you can use whole ones after breaking them first. Ceramics can be easily split with a sharp chisel and a short blow with a hammer - we don’t need jeweler’s precision, and it won’t be difficult to maintain an approximate size match. Ceramic tiles can be pre-leveled using an abrasive stone or sandpaper. Rounded corners and smooth surfaces will favorably emphasize the repair plan; you should not use only sharp edges and jagged edges.
Abrasive and sanding preparation will increase the labor intensity of our mosaic project - but the attractive appearance of the tiled surface and its reflection in admiring glances are worth the effort.
Step 3: Surface Preparation
The base for the mosaic should not have large irregularities and at the same time be rough - if the installation is carried out using standard cement mortar. This method is good for horizontal surfaces of any length - floors, upper sections of borders, bath counters, etc. Vertical and inclined surfaces will have to post it on adhesive compositions- therefore, they must be smooth, because The adhesive layer is much thinner than the cement mortar. Universal tile adhesive with the addition of waterproof and frost-resistant (for outdoors) additives will be the best installation solution.
Step 4: Lay out the mosaic beauty
After checking the pictorial sketch, we begin cladding in large fragments. The mosaic pieces are positioned freely relative to each other - significant gaps are then filled with small fragments. It is important to endure straight line styling using a long and massive metal ruler. How to make a mosaic from tiles with your own hands, if large pieces “disturb the order”, not a single guide can tell you self-repair . Mosaic elements are placed on the glue (solution) with characteristic vibrating movements, with “twisting”. Then under each tile there will be no air gap, it will come into complete contact with the base. Rushing during such work will only do harm - do not be surprised at the low speed of cladding; thoroughness and adherence to the sketch are more important than performance records.
Step 5: Grouting
Grouting mosaic joints is carried out in two stages. First, a liquid mixture is prepared based on the used solution (glue), and all remaining gaps are treated with it. When the primary grout has dried, it is necessary to treat the seams with decorative grout. These compositions are sold in any hardware store and allow color pigmentation within a wide range. The key to the durability of secondary (decorative) grout is the shallow depth of the installation layer, which requires two-stage processing of mosaic seams.
Each person has his own approach to decorating a home: some use stained glass, some use photo wallpaper, and some gravitate towards various kinds stencils and sculptures... But of all this, the mosaic deserves more attention.
Even as a student, studying at the Faculty of Design and Architecture, I enthusiastically studied the work of the great Antonio Gaudi. It’s my dream to go to Barcelona and see his unsurpassed creations live. But absolutely anyone can create at least a small piece of furniture in his style.
Mosaic cladding- one of Gaudi’s favorite techniques. For his collages, he used fragments of dishes, ceramics, and bottles. Masterpieces were made from trash!
It was these photographs that fueled my desire to create a “piece of Barcelona” at home.
Broken ceramic tiles is an excellent material for creativity. It's great for creating decorative elements both in the country house or in the house, and in the apartment.
Broken tile mosaic
This type of work does not require any special skills, but perseverance will come in handy. And if you, like me, want to try yourself in this field for the first time, then for starters it’s better to choose something not particularly grandiose. As you gain experience, you can move on to more complex fantasy decorative elements.
Editorial "So simple!" I have selected 25 great ideas for you on how to use remnants of broken tiles for home.
- What a magnificent frog! It is somewhat reminiscent of the famous Gaudi lizard from Park Güell.
- An original solution for restoring an old table. An interesting effect can be achieved by adding a layer of glass on top.
- A wonderful idea for decorating a work area in a country kitchen.
- Your breakfasts and dinners at such a table will be even tastier!
- And I just fell in love with this table!
- This is a truly unique job...
- Above the decor of such small architectural forms Obviously you'll have to work hard, but the result is worth it!
- Path made of broken tiles- a great solution if you have recently had a renovation and have a lot of spoiled or unused material left!
- Amazing magnificence!
- You not only want to sit on such a bench, but also take a photo!
- There's something about it!
- What a wonderful fragment of a snail image made from the remains of broken tiles.
- This is the kind of garden sofa you can create if you wish. Beautiful and practical!
- Bright and unusual solution for facade country house or dachas.
- The combination of colors makes them look very stylish.
- There are simply no words... I didn’t expect such a decision!
- A very interesting and unusual technique. Inspiring!
- What a magnificent dragonfly. Just a sight for sore eyes!
- Using leftover broken tiles you can decorate almost any furniture.
- Exclusive stands for flowerpots: definitely no one has these!
- And you don’t have to invest a lot of money in buying expensive tiles for the kitchen. It's simple great solution kitchen apron, which does not require special costs.
- It’s not at all difficult to create such decor, but the effect is impressive!
- A very gentle and pleasing combination of colors.
- An interesting idea plus your perseverance, and real designer item ready!
- Painstaking, but very interesting option solutions for cladding a balcony wall.
Coziness in the house is created with the help of fancy details, chosen with taste. And better - made with your own hands with soul and immense love for creativity. I hope these ideas have inspired you to create your own. decorative solutions for home.
The mosaic does not necessarily have to be ready-made or purchased. It can be laid out simply from fragments of broken tiles. Sometimes even broken dishes are used. The RMNT website will give you examples of mosaics made from fragments, and also tell you how to create such compositions with your own hands.
Remember when we showed you the most famous buildings of the iconic Spanish architect Antoni Gaudi? So, a bright mosaic made from fragments is often called “Gaudi-style mosaic.” The architect actually often used this decorative technique, creating a mosaic from fragments of ceramic products, vases, dishes, and ordinary tiles. By the way, it was Gaudi who invented hexagonal mosaic tiles, but this is a completely different topic.
Let us separately mention the use of mosaics made of broken tiles as decoration of garden paths. In this case, it is advisable to use fairly large pieces of ceramic tiles, combining them as you like. It is thanks to chaos that it can happen original decor, and the track itself will ultimately prove durable and comfortable.
In addition to registration garden paths, broken tiles, or rather, a mosaic from it, can be used:
- For decorating facades.
- Wall cladding and creating something unusual flooring, for example, in the hallway, in the kitchen, in the bathroom and toilet.
- Furniture decor, such as table tops.
- Decorations flower pots, flowerpots, containers, borders, raised beds, that is, in landscape design.
- Decoration of stone fences.
- Decoration of the bottom of the pool and other artificial reservoir Location on.
The process of laying mosaics from broken tiles looks like this:
- It all starts with choosing a pattern and selecting the appropriate material. You can buy inexpensive ceramic tiles the shades you need, finding the original broken one is generally free, but first you need to decide what exactly you want to see on the wall, fence or tabletop.
- Carefully break the tile into pieces with a hammer the right size- if the surface is large, then the pieces can be made larger; for a small pattern - correspondingly smaller.
- We strongly recommend that you first lay out the drawing just like that, without mortar, for example, on the floor, and then transfer it to the chosen base.
- Before laying, level the surface and carefully prepare it.
- We use a special tile solution. Apply it with a spatula individual areas, otherwise it will dry out and you won’t have time to lay out the mosaic. Sometimes craftsmen apply the solution directly to pieces of tile. We work slowly, transferring the drawing to the prepared surface. We advise you to start from the center of the composition, and then go in different directions. IN last resort the background is laid out.
- After a day, when the solution has hardened thoroughly, we apply grout, because there will be gaps between the fragments of broken tiles in any case. Remove excess grout with a damp cloth.
Please note that the process of laying broken tiles is painstaking and quite long. Therefore, if you want a quick repair and are not going to save on material, this option is not for you. But if you need original decor or have leftover tiles in your household, be sure to try it! For clarity, here is a video of laying a mosaic from pieces of tiles: