How to Construct a Mosaic Table
A table with a ceramic or glass mosaic design can be an interesting and functional addition to any room. Mosaic furniture is a common design feature in Asian, Middle Eastern, and Spanish designs, but it fits nicely into any décor. Ceramic and glass mosaic-topped tables are durable and easy to clean. You can create your own custom design on nearly any type of existing, new, or used table. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Ceramic, porcelain, or glass tiles or shards
- Tile cutter or nippers (optional)
- Emery paper or rotary sander
- Table
- Digital camera
- Wooden or metal edge trim, 3/4 inch tall
- Miter saw
- Power drill/driver or hammer
- Fasteners (wood screws or finishing nails)
- 3/4 angle irons (optional)
- 1" x 3" dimensional lumber (equal in table top frame width)
- Tile adhesive
- Tile grout
- Spackle knife or adhesive trowel
- Damp rag or sponge
- Grout sealant
Instructions
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Choose your mosaic materials according to surface smoothness, color, shapes, and light reflection. Create beautiful mosaic pieces at low cost by breaking up old porcelain china plates into irregularly shaped shards. Purchase standard kitchen and bath tiles and either break them up into irregular shards or use a tile cutter or nipper to create different shapes. Glass tiles are very popular because of their unique transparency of color.
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Smooth away any sharp edges on tiles with emery paper or a rotary tool.
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Lay out your mosaic pieces on the table top. Create your design. Space the mosaic pieces approximately 1/4 inch apart for a "loose" design pattern, and 1/8 inch apart for a "tight" pattern. When you find the perfect design, take a photograph of the design so you can remember the pattern. Clear the mosaic pieces from the table top.
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Build an edge frame around the perimeter of the table top. Cut wooden or metal trim to form a raised edge that is approximately 3/4 inches tall. The width or thickness of this trim edge is entirely open to design choices you make. Measure the trim material to match the dimensions of the table top. Plan for right-angled joints or miter the joints where they intersect at the corners. Cut the trim into four sections, to the proper lengths per section, using a hand saw or miter/chop saw. Join the trim into a frame shape using 3/4 inch angle irons installed at the inside corners, biscuit-type mortise and tenon joints, or joint staples.
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Connect the edge frame to the table top so it cannot shift position. If you use wood screws for this purpose, drill pilot holes through the edge frame and into the table top before inserting the screws to prevent splitting the narrow wood. Countersink the screw heads below the surface of the trim and cover the holes with wood plugs. You can use small angle irons to mount the frame to the table top too. Finishing nails can be used; counter sink the nail heads and fill the depressions with wood putty. Stain or paint the edge frame to suit.
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Lay down a bed of tile adhesive product inside the edge frame using an adhesive trowel. Drop a quantity of adhesive on the table top inside the edge frame and then spread it with the trowel. Work in sections if the table top is large. Spread the adhesive to a uniform thickness of 3/8 inch in depth. Make an improvised "screed" tool; all you need is a length of 1" x 3" dimensional lumber that fits inside the edge frame. Insert the screed inside the frame, narrow edge down and just touching the adhesive. Place two hands on opposite ends of the screed board and pull it down the length of the adhesive area, using the inside edge of the edge frame as a guide. Keep the screed board level. The screed will drag away any adhesive that is too "high." The screed will also indicate where the adhesive is too "low" by the presence of a gap between the screed and the adhesive. Remove any excess adhesive left after a pass of the screed board or backfill depressions with more adhesive.
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Press the mosaic tiles into the bed of tile adhesive. Embed the tile in the adhesive but not so deep that adhesive oozes up over the top of the tile.
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Use the screed to make sure the tiles are embedded in the adhesive to the same depth. Drag the screed over the top of the mosiac tile surface using the top of the edge frame as a guide. Feel for bumps that indicate the tile is set too high. Look for gaps between the edge of the screed and the mosiacs that indicate the tile is set too low. The tiles should be flush with the top of the edge frame. The tiles may be a fraction of an inch higher than the edge frame, but never below it. Avoid tiles that are too uneven; it will be difficult to balance cups and dishes on an uneven tile surface. Let the tile adhesive dry overnight.
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Spread tile grout over the entire mosaic design. Use a stiff spackle knife to press the grout into the cracks between tiles. Remove any excess grout from the surface of the tile with a damp sponge. Allow the grout to dry overnight.
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Clean off any excess grout film from the tiles with warm water and a sponge. Use a kitchen scrub pad if necessary, but scrub gently so you do not scratch the tiles.
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Apply a grout sealer. Grout sealers come in pen styles. Remove the grout sealer pen cap and use it like a marker or paintbrush to apply the clear sealant to the grout lines only. The sealer will keep the grout from becoming stained or discolored over time. Clean up any excess sealant and sealant film before it dries.
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