|
|
San Diego real estate library
Creating Mosaic Countertops
Fashioning a homemade 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 fact, and admired the mosaic tile on the tabletops or
walls? Well, it's not that difficult 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 studying 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!
San Diego real estate library |
 |
