Mosaic table top: do it yourself

Since ancient times, mosaic tiles have been used to decorate the walls of temples and palaces, but now the possibilities of using this material are much wider. Today, to make a bathroom, kitchen or any other room stylish, if free space allows, a mosaic countertop made with your own hands will help you. In addition, you can make designer coffee tables for your home.

Let's take a closer look at the manufacture of tiled countertops. To do this, choose glass, ceramic, stone, metal, wood and other types of tiles.

Every year the cost of furniture and building materials only increases, so it is not possible for everyone to update the interior regularly. Kitchen furniture is especially deformed over time. Do not be upset, for such a case there is an excellent solution. Mosaic tiles will help you save, renew, decorate your old kitchen unit or other surfaces and add originality and freshness to the interior.

The mosaic is a tile, the dimensions of which are determined from one and a half to 2.5 cm. The shape of the fragments can be very diverse. They can be square, triangular, rectangular, round and any other arbitrary shape.

Mosaics for cladding various surfaces in the interior are divided into the following types:

• glass - the most used type, the main feature of which is the low price and different types of performance (matte, transparent, colored, gold and silver, with various shades and additions);
• metal mosaic;
• ceramic - it happens: in the form of cut sheets of porcelain stoneware and ceramic tiles;
• stone - made of lapis lazuli, jasper, marble, travertine;
• smalt tiles are the most expensive type, but at the same time they are of high quality and reliable.

Reliability and unusual appearance are what distinguishes mosaic countertops. This decorative solution is ideal for decorating a living room, bathroom and other spaces. A picture or a beautiful pattern is formed from small tiles.

First, decide on a specific location area. Most often, they choose the following options: a transition between furniture, a coffee mosaic table and just a mosaic surface. All tile finishes are the perfect solution for your interior. It is used to decorate the living room, finish the apron and countertops in the kitchen, while it is not recommended to lay the mosaic on the old set.

Sometimes, to expand the working area in the kitchen, a window sill is decorated with mosaics. But most of the options for using such tiles can be found in the bathroom. For example, with the help of it they mask a washing machine, decorate the walls, tie the washbasin to the screen.

Keep in mind that building a tiled table takes some skill and experience, although it seems commonplace. The following materials are perfect for the base: concrete, wood materials with good moisture-resistant impregnation, waterproof gypsum plasterboard surfaces, dense polyurethane.

It is worth noting that you can make a mosaic with your own hands. It is only necessary to make fragments of glass suitable in shape and color.And shards of glass can be obtained from any company that sells consumables and colored glass for stained glass. It's a great way to try new things and get carried away.

To fold the tiled surface you will need:

• grout for joints;
• primer;
• putty;
• antiseptic.

Instruments:

• putty knife;
• container for mixing glue;
• container for mixing grout;
• rags;
• sandpaper;
• soft trowel for grouting.

In order for the mosaic tiles to firmly adhere to the table, special adhesive mixtures are used. Experts recommend choosing white plastic mixtures. You can use any adhesive mixture for tiles, but only in the case of laying opaque mosaics. For glass tiles, choose only clear or white mixtures.

Before laying the tiles, it is necessary to level the surface with a putty. Further, the surface must be cleaned and degreased. To protect the surface from the appearance of mold and mildew, it is imperative to cover it with an antiseptic impregnation. The next step is to apply the primer.

The process is a bit similar to making stained glass using the Tiffany technique. Before you start laying out the tiles, be sure to lay them out on the table and form the pattern you need. This way you can evaluate the possible option and, if necessary, fix something.

It is recommended to start laying the mosaic from the near edge of the countertop. Thus, if necessary, clipping of elements will occur on the far side and will not attract much attention. But if you are sure that you will not need trimming, then you need to start from the far side. If the mosaic should form a certain pattern, then lay it out from the center of the tabletop.

Operating procedure:

• Priming the surface in two layers.
• Apply a small amount of glue to level the surface.
• A special mesh is laid, and on top of it is a tile. It is leveled (you can also use paper instead of a grid, it will be soaked later and removed). But be sure to think over the drawing before laying out the tiles, and draw it first on a sheet at a scale of 1: 1, and later on the surface in order to protect yourself from an undesirable result.
• Further, the result of surface decoration must be covered with grout. It will make the finished coating more reliable, stronger and more durable. It should be applied with a soft spatula on the seams and rubbed thoroughly. It is required to leave the surface to dry completely, and you cannot use a hair dryer or other heating methods. The rule of thumb is that the tile will stick to the surface more firmly if it takes longer to dry.

• Excess dried composition is removed from the mosaic with a dry soft cloth. Sometimes, when the mixture dries up very hard, it becomes necessary to use sandpaper with the finest grains.
• Tile polishing. For this, furniture wax is used. Apply it to a soft, lint-free cloth and rub it thoroughly into the tiles.
• Wait until the surface is completely dry. This usually takes about a day.

If you are not confident in your abilities in creating complex patterns and paintings, then experts recommend using a circular pattern. For its execution, it is necessary to draw diverging circles from the center of the surface. The shape of the elements does not really matter, it is only important that the small elements are located closer to the center, and the large ones to the edges.

On a carefully prepared base, it is not difficult to obtain the perfect mosaic installation. It is important to produce even, uniform seams over the entire surface area. You can trim the elements using wire cutters. If a plinth is attached to the wall, then you can leave a gap between the wall and the tile.

The edge is also fixed to the glue, if necessary. Then it is necessary to treat the surface with epoxy mixtures and latex mastics to protect it from moisture. Expensive Italian, and any other tile from this can deteriorate very quickly.

Decorating furniture and various surfaces with mosaic tiles requires a lot of painstaking work, patience, skills and dexterity, it takes a lot of time and effort, but the result is worth it. This solution will be a real gift for your home. Recently, more and more people are using the idea of ​​mosaics all over the place. It is no longer fashionable to clog up free space with boring and monotonous furniture, it is much better to do something special with your own hands, which will delight you and your loved ones.

Countertops or other tiled surfaces look like expensive designer items that aren't quite as affordable. It can be used to lay out a sink or decorate a dining table. Therefore, if you want a stylish and luxurious living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom or other premises, then be sure to use the idea of ​​mosaic decoration.

For a way to decorate a table with mosaics, see the next video.