Category: Material and Tool Information
-
The Importance Of Repurposed Downcycling In Art Studios
In my previous article about how to cut cement board for use as a mosaic backer, I explained how I didn’t buy carbide-grit jigsaw blades for this because I re-used my worn-out wood blades for this once they became to dull for wood, and that it didn’t matter that cutting the cement board destroyed them…
-
How To Cut Cement Board
Two Types Of Cement Board There are two types of cement board: The first type contains wood fibers or wood particles mixed in with the cement. The second type is portland cement between two sheets of fiberglass mesh. The second type is completely water resistant, and that is what we use in our mosaics when…
-
How To Store And Reuse Dust Masks
Mixing up grout and thinset require that mosaic artists wear dust masks on an occasional basis. I wear an N95 particulate mask, which is the same one I wear for sawing wood with power tools and many other shop and studio tasks that involve non-oily dust. An N-95 captures 95% of the particles of a…
-
How To Color Grout
This article is about coloring grout for mosaic art before the grout is applied. This article isn’t about staining grout for bathroom backsplashes. From what I’ve read, staining bathroom grout doesn’t tend to last but has to be refreshed within a year or two. If I wanted to change gout color, I would remove the…
-
How To Build Up Low Areas With Thinset Mortar
Low areas on a surface can be built up with thinset mortar mixed with an additional aggregate of very coarse sand a few days before tile is laid. This should be be done if you want to put a mosaic insert of thin glass tile (1/8 inch) between thicker architectural tiles like 3/8 inch stone…
-
How Much Grout Do I Need?
This is not a straightforward question because most of the grout does not end up in the gaps between the tiles. Instead, there will be some grout on the sides of the mixing bucket, on the mixing tools, on your gloves and last but certainly not least, on your worktable or floor. This last place…
-
How To Mosaic a Patio Table
Replace Glass Top With Concrete Board Glass-top metal patio tables can be used to make a mosaic table by replacing the glass top with 1/4 inch concrete backer board. The concrete backer board is roughly the same thickness as the glass top it is replacing, and it can rest on the rim of the metal…
-
How To Mount A Mosaic Tile Nipper For Easier Cutting
It is easy to mount a mosaic nipper to a scrap piece of plywood and extend the handle with a short piece of conduit or pipe. Extending the handle in this way provides mechanical advantage to the nipper so that much less downward force on the extended handle is required to cut a hard piece…
-
Sanded vs Non-sanded Grout
Sanded grout is recommended for grout gaps larger than 1/8 inch, but we recommend it for all grout gaps larger than a hairline simply because so many customers report problems when using non-sanded grout. Problems With Non-sanded Grout Some of the problems typically encountered with non-sanded grout include shrinking, cracking and crumbling. Customers often report…
-
Clear Coatings For Mosaics?
Texture and three-dimensional elements make two-dimensional art much more interesting. Having thicker pieces and pieces that stick out make people want to reach out an touch your mosaic. Why would you want to cover that up with a material that scratches easily, can’t be repaired and turns yellow with age and sunlight? Even if you…
-
How To Remove Grout
The grout removal tool we sell is typically used to remove grout from between glazed ceramic bathroom tile, but it can also be used on mosaic art made from small pieces of glass. Dental picks and small screwdrivers may be more useful when the tesserae and grout gaps are smaller, such as typically seen in…
-
How To Fix Grout Mistakes
In my previous post, I wrote about how to remove and replace glass mosaic tile to make changes to a mosaic before you grouted it. I also explained why it was good to display the mosaic for a few weeks before grouting so that you had a chance to see the mosaic as a whole…