Fashioning a genuine tile mosaic on almost any surface top is easy. The first
step would be to look in a tile shop and see what is available. Then decide on a
pattern you want. There are many books, magazines and TV shows that give step by
step instructions as well as design ideas. After deciding a pattern or design,
sketch your pattern on the surface you are going to tile over. The first step is
to prepare the surface making sure the tile will adhere. You do this by scoring
the surface with a utility knife then coating the surface with a mixture of
watered down white glue. Next you take tile cement, commonly known as thin set
or mortar, and spread a thin coating over the surface. Place your tiles in the
cement according to the pattern you drew. After the cement has set, (don't be in
too big of a hurry) fill the gaps between the tiles with tile grout. Most people
think grout is available only in white but if you look in a hardware store
you'll find many different colors of grout available. You apply the grout by
simply toweling it over all of the seams between the individual tiles. Then wipe
away the excess with a sponge.
Have you ever been in a cafe, restaurant or a friend's house for that matter,
and marveled at the mosaic tile on the tabletops or walls? Well, it's not that
hard to bring that look into your own home. Where's a good place to add a mosaic
in your home? Kitchens and bathrooms are the obvious choices but end tables and
patios have become favorites too. Consider embellishing a coffee table purchased
from an unfinished furniture store. This is a great little week-end project. All
you have to do is add a coat of paint and then make a small mosaic on the
tabletop using some different size tiles or even broken tile pieces. This same
technique works equally well for a larger area like this as it does for a small
accent table. Before starting this project, there are some things you should do
first to be prepared.
Take some time investigating what you want to do before you start laying tiles
down. There are many books on ceramic tiles at your bookstore or library. A
recommendation is to just thumb through them to get some inspiration for your
design. Once you have a basic idea of what you want to do, it's always a good
idea to draw a sketch of your design.
Then you will want to place the actual tiles on the countertop, starting from
the center and working outwards, to make sure your pleased with your design.
Once you have everything in place, take a magic marker and mark the tiles'
location.
Before you cement the tiles in place, you have to prime the tiles for the mosaic
sections. How do you do that? This is where you can get some aggression out.
Take a mix of tiles, wrap them in a towel and give them a whack. This is the
simplest way to get the broken pieces of tile you'll need for the mosaic. For
the border mosaics you are going to need some smaller pieces of tile. For the
smaller pieces you use a tile nibbler to break off pieces the size you need. To
cement the tiles in place, use mortar that you can buy at any tile store or home
improvement store. You just trowel the mortar on about 1/8th inch thick. Then
use the edge of the trowel to score the mortar. Then just put your tiles in
place. For the mosaic sections you use the same process. Take the different
pieces of tile and arrange them however you like. Try and keep the spaces
between the tiles to 1/8th of an inch.
How do you finish off the project? You have to grout the tiles after the mortar
has set up or dried. Remember, tile grout is available in many colors, not just
white. Next smear the grout over the top of the tiles filling in the seams. To
clean the tiles, wipe off any excess grout with a sponge. Let it dry overnight
and you're done so sit back and admire your work of art!
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