How do I apply Mosaic Tiles to a Table?
April 11, 2009
I have a wooden coffee table that has 4 glass insets about 11"x20". Instead of glass, I would like to put mosaic tiles in the cut-out in the area. What surface should I use to actually do the tiling on, and how should I go about doing this?
Posted in Mosaic Tiles
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April 11th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
what you will need to do is attach least 5/8" ply on the bottom side of the table or under the opening then use tile adhesive (any lowes or home depot has this) to glue your tiles down allow 24hr for the gasses of the adhesive to dry out of the adhesive then purchase the color of grout you want to fill void between tile (this is purchased at the same places as above) apply this with a dense sponge or grouting float and wait 24hr and you will have a new table. I make tile top tables from scratch. Good luck and have fun.
April 11th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
I'm an amateur, and I'm sure someone can come up with a better solution, but here goes:
Mosaic tiles are heavy, so you will need a sturdy surface to lay them. My guess is that after you nail the 3/4-inch plywood to the bottom of the table, you smear the openings with tile glue to secure the tiles in place.
Then you would mix and apply the grout between the tiles (probably by pouring) and wipe the tiles clean with a clean cloth. Wait a short while and wipe again with a damp cloth to make sure any grout left on the tiles is cleaned off.
April 11th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
I guess you'd have to tile your mosaic on a piece of 1/2" MDF. The wood and the tile should equal the thickness of the glass and the sturder the wood you use, the safer your table will be.
You would apply the mosaic tiles similar to the method used to tile floors and counters. You'd need grout, one layer to go on top of the wooden boards and another layer to go in between the tiles themselves.
It might be best to ask someone at your local home improvement store how to do this. Some places, like Home Depot, even have workshops on how to do simple projects around the house.
April 11th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
Erin, turn the table upseide down and glue and screw on a 1/2" thick or thicker piece of plywood to cover the cut-outs from the back. The glue should be "construction adhesive." Use screws that won't penetrate through to the top of the table, and drill holes for the screws so you don't split the wood. Use enough screws so that the job is secure.
Turn the table right side up. Your wood piece will cover the bottom of the cut-outs, whereas the glass probably sat on small ledges cut into the top. What you need to do now is fill the cut out so that your tile pieces will be about even with the frame of the cut-outs. You'll build up the cavity with individual pieces of plywod cut to fit in the cut outs, but FIRST:
Take a scrap piece of your wood you will use to build up the inside of the cut out, and apply some mastic and mosaic tile to it. This will be your guage to help you make the mosaic end up flush with the table top. Put it in the cut out, along the edge. If you're lucky, it will be even with the top. If it projects above the table top, you'll need to use thinner wood, or perhaps pieces of floor tile, vinyl or anything at all of sufficient thickness. If it falls too short, then you need to elevate your filler piece with other thin wood. Quite possibly, the thickness of the construction adhesive alone will give you the elevation you need; apply it in thick lines in a criss cross pattern to the top of the board you put in the bottom so it faces up -toward the ceiling. Drop in your individual sections of wood, tap down lightly -and let dry overnight so it won't wiggle around when you come back to affix the mosaic tiles.
That's all!