How to make a garden table from a mosaic

Mosaic is one of the first ways of artistic decoration. Traditionally it is used for floors and walls, rarely lay out pictures from a mosaic. Nevertheless, the range of application of this technique is much broader. For example, it is popular to make tables from a mosaic. Next, let's talk about all the subtleties of this process.

Mosaic and its varieties

It is worth highlighting the most popular and frequently found varieties of the mosaic:

• Glass mosaic. Is the undisputed leader among the facing varieties. A huge selection of a variety of textures and textures, the widest palette of all sorts of pure and combined colors provided a glass mosaic of such popularity. It is environmentally friendly and resistant to moisture and chemicals, so it is recommended for coating in bathrooms.

• Ceramic version of the mosaic is the same tile, because it is manufactured using the same technology, with a difference in size. Requires the presence of a protective layer of glaze.
• Stone mosaic. It is interesting first of all for the naturalness of the material, and is often made of minerals, as well as remnants of marble production. It is often used in combination with ceramic and glass mosaic.
• Metal mosaic. It is a blank with a coating or embossing, which are collected in a matrix and constitute a drawing. Metal mosaic has not yet become widespread due to the tactility of the metal. In fact, such a mosaic is a wonderful conductor of cold or heat and therefore its use is more dictated by taste issues than expediency.
• Wooden mosaic. It is often used for finishing interiors, including even sanitary areas. Thanks to the naturalness of wood and its resistance to erasure, this mosaic will last long enough.
• Ceramic granite mosaic. It is obtained by cutting ceramic granite slabs. Since the elements have a significant weight, this kind of tile is more correctly used for wall and floor cladding.

According to experts, the best choice will be a combination of colored tempered glass with flexible tiles, which is a product of crumbs of marble, processed for the selected texture of stone or brick. Like glass, flexible tiles have:

• moisture resistance,
• high mechanical strength,
• durability,
• high level of frost resistance,
• retains colors with prolonged exposure to sun and moisture,
• resistant to chemically aggressive environments.

Thanks to the high level of aesthetics of the material and the simplicity of its laying, it is this combination that will give the chosen object a spectacular artistic image.

Production of the frame of the garden table

Many rightly notice that it is easier to buy a ready-made wooden or plastic table and do its decorating. However, the table that has been made by own hands and by all means from natural wood is most appreciated. Since the mosaic already involves the creation of an art object, then there is no sense in buying a sample base from the conveyor. The finished product will not look very impressive. The garden table with your own hands is not so difficult to collect, if you clearly determine in advance its design and dimensions.

In case it is planned to create a small table on one leg, or large on a single pillar-base, it is important to consider that the table will be less stable and durable. For the base, either a thick bar or, better yet, a wooden pole, is suitable. Optimum, if its diameter is at least 20 cm. The worktops for these models are made round or with a small oval. The simplest option is to knock down the boards and cut them to the desired shape. Less is not aesthetically pleasing. Therefore, it is better to use the gluing technology. The finished table top is fixed to the base with the furniture corners on the inside and the screws on top, which must be placed so that they enter through the base directly into the foot. Of course, the place under the screws is pre-drilled with a drill of the same diameter as the screw of the screw, to a depth of 4 mm, so that they are securely hidden flush.

It is quite easy to make a table made of mosaic and wood. In the event that it is planned to assemble the structure with four legs for better stability, then 8 elements will suffice: 4 boards for the frame and 4 legs. In order to sit comfortably at the table for people of different heights, it is necessary to choose the height of the legs at 75 cm, taking into account the thickness of the table top. That is, if its thickness is 2 cm, then the length of the legs will be 73 cm.

The wood for the legs is thoroughly sanded with sandpaper of different fractions, from deuce to zero. Then they are mounted in the frame with the help of metal connecting angles. For the frame of the table, designed for four people with enough regular board 20 mm wide and 100 mm high, the load is distributed on the principle of columns, so the table can withstand a fairly large weight. The frame of the garden table should have indents 20-30 cm from the edge of the table top on each side. The base is installed by means of furniture corners on the frame, after which it is securely fixed with wood screws.

The countertop itself can have both round and square shape - it all depends on the wishes and tastes of the owner. The base must be square in shape so that the maximum stability of the countertop can be achieved when the load is at any angle. After carrying out the assembly work, the table makes sense to cover with two layers of antiseptic to protect the wood from parasites and premature drying out. Especially this procedure is important if the garden table is always in the fresh air.

However, that's not all. Of course, the mosaic is capable of giving any subject an effective beauty and it is for this that it is valued as an excellent way of decorating, but it hardly makes sense to produce a complete table cladding from all sides, including the legs. Even a worktop with a base made of a simple, albeit polished bar, will also not cause that ecstatic delight in people who see the finished product. To create something truly original, it makes sense to spend some decorating and wood foundation.

Do it by force with a cutter and artistic skills. However, if there are none, then there is an exit. It is enough to take any pattern and make a template out of it - printing out the necessary drawing on paper. Then the main lines are neatly cut and in the future, when applied to a wood surface, the pattern is drawn along the lines with a simple pencil. Next, using a milling cutter, the pattern is transferred to a tree. With the help of changing the angle and position of the forces create a complex geometric pattern. Those areas of wood that do not become mosaic-decorated, it makes sense to cover with several layers of marine lacquer, which will preserve the natural color of the wood without giving it yellow, or cover with stain that will recreate the appearance of more valuable species of wood. Such a garden wooden table will pleasantly please the eye and will become an ornament of any country site.

Basics preparation

Wood is a complex and whimsical material, therefore it is important to carefully apply the mosaic to it and it is necessary to take into account some points:

• with respect to wood, mixtures of a soluble type, prepared on a cement basis,
• can not be used. The excessive moisture of the adhesive composition can cause the wood to swell and subsequently deform the mosaic layer;

• for mosaic laying, it is necessary to apply glue with an increased degree of elasticity. For example, Atlas-Plus glue differs just in such characteristics, and at the same time its retail price is $ 12 for a bag weighing 25 kg,
• wood is characterized by drying due to hot climate and swelling due to humidity, therefore the base under the tile shouldhave a primer layer,
• mosaic elements can also be laid on ordinary liquid nails, but it is better to use a special glue for mosaic, which is a more convenient and economical option.

Tables garden, photos with which are presented in the article, are an excellent highlight for any interior.

Table from a mosaic with your own hands

When the table top has been primed, you need to use a pencil to apply a marking, after which the drawing will be laid out later. It is important to remember that all details of the future composition should be large in size, and at the same time it is worth refraining from unnecessarily straight angles and lines. After the drawing has become complete, it is necessary to choose one of the ways of how to make the lining.

1. The first way how to lay a table mosaic, involves the use of simple PVA glue or liquid nails and grouting. Put on the lines of the picture, the elements of the mosaic are laid on the glue. After a day they go to the grouting of the joints. Then use a damp cloth to remove excess grout from the surface of the table. Mosaic can not be subjected to any loads during the day, to give the material to obtain the ultimate strength.

2. In case if there is no need to resort to complex artistic compositions for decorating the table and enough design of the mosaic elements of the same size and shape is enough, it makes sense to use the method of transferring ready-made drawings from the paper substrate to the surface of the tabletop:

• carefully put the mosaic sheet in advanceThe prepared adhesive is a paper base to the top. And it is important to know that using a mixture of white color will help the glass mosaic to get rid of the appearance of shades on the surface;
• paper gently wipe with a damp cloth until it starts to separate freely from the surface of the mosaic elements;
• remove the remains of paper, without applying the force, so as not to shift the position of the elements;
• after the paper substrate has been completely removed - it is necessary to give the laid out pattern a day for freezing before applying the grout;
• further, when the seams are sealed with a grout, it is necessary to remove the surplus by using a damp cloth.

3. The third method involves laying the mosaic with a grid. This is one of the simplest ways, suggesting a neat dipping of the reticulate mesh with the mosaic laid out on it in the adhesive solution so that the whole grid is uniformly submerged to the same depth. Next, the pattern is left for a day to freeze and proceed to the finish finish - the application of the grout. In the event that there are traces of dried grout on the surface that can not be removed with a damp cloth or sponge - it is worthwhile using light solvents like "White Spirit", but it is advisable to perform cleaning procedures with it not earlier than a week after the endworks.

Each of the ways is good in its own way and demonstrates that the table with the mosaic will become a good and appreciable decoration of any dacha. And the mosaic is not necessarily bought, it is possible to create a beautiful pattern or a picture of the fragments of the old broken tile or bottles of alcohol.