Herringbone pattern tile on mesh backing Bad with wet saw?

Question

I am wanting to install marble tile that is on the mesh backing.  The tile is small and laid in a herringbone pattern meaning lots of diagonal cuts required to get flush against counters and cabinets. I am worried about a wet saw ruining the mesh backing as well as cutting the tile on an angle. Does anyone have any suggestions how to mitigate issues?

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

We have cut them many times with the mesh backing without any real issues.  You may have one or two little tiles come loose that you will need to hand clip and insert as you place the mesh down. But never had any real issues otherwise. 
The biggest trick is to use a good quality saw.  The $50 ones are garbage. And the $500 ones are way overkill for a DIY person. Be sure to dry the backs off once you make the cut so the adhesive does not soften and loosen the tiles.  Several old towels seem to work well for us.

Use a grease pencil to mark the tiles. and take your time. You will be surprised how easy they cut.  Just do not push through the saw. Let it do the work. After a few cuts you will understand exactly what I am talking about.

Tracie · Answer

What type of tile saw did you use?

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

I do not remember the brand, but the one you want has a moving table that you put the tile on and the saw is stationary. Meaning the tile moves into the saw blade, Do not use the small table saw model that you push the tile through the blade. It is ok for two or three cuts in wall tile, but larger cuts demands a better quality machine.  Most home centers with rental dept have these saws to rent at reasonable prices.

Tracie · Answer

Thanks.

Renovation by Design · Answer

Use a wet saw and you will should not have any problems. You need to make sure that you let the saw do the work so that you don't break off corners as you cut. http://www.cwremodelcontractor.com

Abigail Cogley · Answer

tracie - how did your project turn out? i want to do the same thing and had the same question

Alana Meyers · Answer

How do I tile a corner with herringbone mesh back?

BigD · Answer

It all depends on how thick the mesh is on the back of the tiles. For practice, we purchased an inexpensive herringbone sheet at Home Depot and cut it with no problem using a top of the line wet saw. We then cut a sheet of the mesh-backed herringbone we were going to use to tile our bathroom shower wall the many of the tiles simply fell off. The mesh was so fine that it could not withstand the water. The glue softened excessively. We did not have this problem with the Home Depot bargain tiles. The mesh was 4 or more times as thick and held the tiles in place even when we had to cut more than one side. We have been trying all sorts of 'tricks' to solve this problem. The lesson learned here: do not purchase mosaics of any kind unless the mesh backing is substantial. More expensive tiles do not mean better backing.

Herringbone pattern tile on mesh backing> Bad with wet saw?

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Herringbone pattern tile on mesh backing> Bad with wet saw?

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