| The surface that you choose to lay your tesserae | | | | concrete board such as Hardibacker or Permabase. |
| on will be one factor in determining if your mosaic | | | | These are ideal for large wall murals. This board can |
| lasts more than a day. There are tons of possible | | | | also be used for outdoor projects. Just remember to |
| mosaics bases out there but beware of inappropriate | | | | affix your hanging apparatus before setting your tiles |
| ones. Whether you choose wood, concrete, metal, or | | | | since it is too thin to nail or screw into. |
| even plastic, you must know that it will hold your | | | | Terra Cotta |
| tiles. The best rule is that if it flexes then don't use it! | | | | A planter made of terra cotta makes a nice finished |
| Wood | | | | mosaic for your patio. Remember that terra cotta is |
| Wood is one of the most common mosaic surfaces | | | | very absorbent. You have to completely seal it inside |
| because it is so readily available. Go to several yard | | | | and out. Thinset or Liquid Nails is the best adhesive |
| sales and you will find tons of old furniture crying out | | | | for this surface. These can withstand any added |
| to be used for mosaics. You can also buy unfinished | | | | moisture that your soil may introduce in the planter. |
| wooden shapes at various stores. | | | | A helpful tip for tiling these would be to lay it in your |
| You do need to prepare your surface before tiling it. | | | | lap or turn it upside down during the mosaic process. |
| Either use a mixture of 1/5 Weldbond and 4/5 water | | | | There really is no need to tile the bottom though. |
| or use a latex primer. Cover all sides and edges of | | | | Glass |
| the unfinished wood to protect it from warping. If | | | | Glass is very common because it is so readily |
| your wood already has a finish such as polyurethane | | | | available. Find this in the form of vases and pots. It is |
| then you will just need to scuff it up a little so the | | | | a little more difficult to add tesserae to a glass vase. |
| adhesive will hold better. | | | | The tiles tend to slip easily. You will need to use |
| There are several types of glue that can be used on | | | | silicone or Liquid Nails as your adhesive. |
| a wooden surface. Some of the most common are | | | | To make a pretty votive cup, be sure to use a clear |
| Weldbond, Liquid Nails, and thinset mortar, just to | | | | adhesive and cathedral glass. Cover the entire back |
| name a few. You can also use any type of tesserae | | | | of each tile so that you can't see the glue through |
| on this surface. Grout and seal as you normally would. | | | | the tiles. |
| Concrete | | | | Other Surfaces |
| A concrete stepping stone, bench, or table are some | | | | There are many other surfaces available to use. |
| of the most common forms of concrete bases used | | | | Ceramic tiles, acrylic, metal, and fiberglass are great |
| in mosaics. There is no need to seal a concrete form | | | | mosaic bases. You will just need to use the correct |
| even though it is porous. Just be sure to use thin set | | | | adhesive and surface prep for each one. |
| mortar for your adhesive. It is the best glue for your | | | | Definite No's |
| cement surface. If you are going to use Weldbond | | | | If you lay your mosaic onto the wrong surface then |
| then you will need to seal the stone with the mixture | | | | it will not last long. If the surface flexes then your |
| stated above. | | | | tiles will pop off. If you tile something that will decay |
| Concrete pieces are great for setting outdoors as | | | | such as wicker then you will eventually have trouble. |
| long as you use thinset. You can place these in your | | | | Just make sure that you are secure in your surface |
| garden in any environment. The only drawback is that | | | | choice. |
| these are very heavy. However this could be a plus | | | | Creating a mosaic that will last forever is easy. Do |
| for a mosaic that you want to stay in place during | | | | you homework and check out all of the possibilities |
| inclement weather. | | | | of success and failure. |
| Another form of concrete is a backerboard or | | | | |