Search results for: “outdoor”

  • Weldbond Mosaic Tile  Adhesive Outdoors?

    Weldbond Mosaic Tile Adhesive Outdoors?

    Weldbond is a PVA (poly vinyl acetate) adhesive that is the best all-around adhesive for dry indoor mosaic projects and craft projects. It is water based, nontoxic, fume free, archival, easy to clean up, and water resistant when fully cured. Note that Weldbond is water resistant and not waterproof. There is a significant amount of…

  • Tough Outdoor Mosaic Backer

    Tough Outdoor Mosaic Backer

    The thinnest, toughest, most water-resistant backer I have been able to make is steel lath plastered with a “concrete” made from Versabond brand thinset mortar (or the equivalent Mapei product) and unsealed aquarium gravel. Regular pea gravel is too large for the lath, and so aquarium gravel is used instead. The aquarium gravel must be…

  • Using Floor Tiles as Backers for Outdoor Mosaic Plaques

    Using Floor Tiles as Backers for Outdoor Mosaic Plaques

    Concrete stepping stones should be used as the bases for outdoor mosaics that will be walked on, and the stepping stones and thinset mortar that you would need to make those are available at most any building material store. But what if you want to make small mosaic signs and mosaic plaques for your garden…

  • Making Foam-Core Mosaic Backers For Outdoor Projects

    Making Foam-Core Mosaic Backers For Outdoor Projects

    Artist Jill Gatwood uses the following method to make water-resistant foam-core mosaic backers for exterior mosaics, such as the Pet Memorial Name Plaques she does for clients who need something that is lighter weight and easier to ship than stone or solid concrete. The method wraps the foam in three or four successive layers of…

  • Backers for Outdoor Garden Mosaics

    Backers for Outdoor Garden Mosaics

    Outdoor mosaics must be made on concrete or stone or masonry, but that doesn’t mean you have to pour a concrete slab or do some other form of heavy construction. Flagstones (flat paving stones) and concrete stepping stones are readily available at building material stores and lawn and garden centers. The flagstones are great if…

  • Materials and Methods for Outdoor Mosaic Tables

    Materials and Methods for Outdoor Mosaic Tables

    Artist Risa Puno recently completed her interactive mosaic sculpture Common Ground for Rufus King Park in Jamaica Queens, NYC, and the project is a great example for discussing materials and methods for mosaic table tops. No Plywood Backers Outdoors Plywood is never an acceptable backer for outdoor mosaic table tops. Humidity in outdoor air can…

  • Outdoor School Mosaics

    Recently I received an email from an art teacher whose school mosaic project was an outdoor mosaic where each child would create a mosaic on an 8 inch x 8 inch brick paver (paving stone), and then the mosaic pavers would be arranged together in a crazy quilt design similar to what artist Victor Kobayashi…

  • Outdoor Mosaic Signs

    In the last section of one of my previous posts, Custom Shapes For Mosaic Backers, I showed some pictures and instructions for how I used 3/4-inch expanded steel to make a backer for an outdoor mosaic. The expanded metal was welded together in 3 plies, some mounting bolts were welded to this, and then the…

  • Practical Advice for Outdoor Mosaic Art

    Thinset Mortar The first thing you need to know about outdoor and wet mosaic (pool, fountain, shower) is that thinset mortar is used instead of glue. Thinset mortar is a type of concrete with polymers added for tensile strength and enhanced adhesive properties. It contains sand and portland cement just like standard concrete and comes…

  • How to Mount a Gapless Mosaic in Thinset Mortar

    How to Mount a Gapless Mosaic in Thinset Mortar

    I just made a video that shows how to mount a mosaic without a grout gap in a bed of thinset mortar. The project task used for the video was mounting the QR Code Mosaic to an outdoor sign backer that made from mortar and hardware cloth. The Video Here’s the video: video: How To…

  • QR-Code Mosaic Sign

    QR-Code Mosaic Sign

    I needed to make a QR-code sign for my yard to tell my neighbors about the native pollinator meadow seedlings I have for them this year. I’ve converted my lawn into a native pollinator meadow, with all sorts of amazing results in terms of butterflies and hummingbirds and native ecology, and I am trying to…

  • Monumental Mosaic Sculpture

    Monumental Mosaic Sculpture

    Artist Valerie Theberge recently installed an outdoor mosaic sculpture in Washington, DC, and like much of her work, the sculpture is monumental in scale. I recommend taking a look at Valerie’s website or Instagram, especially if you are planning a large mosaic mural or sculpture.