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Creating
Mosaic Countertops
Creating a real 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 troweling 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 fact, and admired 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 researching what you want to do before you
start laying tiles down. There are tons of 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 prepare
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 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! |
