Author |
Message |
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 10:15 am
Considering the prices I've seen on the ones already done, time consuming doesn't bother me a bit, lol. Bonza, thank you! I do have a covered patio and we get rain here so rarely that it wouldn't be a big deal to move the table inside if needed. If using the cement backer board (is that the same as concrete board?) can I remove the table top or do I need it as a base? The wood table right now isn't real heavy but once tile is on I'm not sure how much heavier it'd be. I had no idea you could tile over glass! Out of the three (two end tables, one coffee table) only one has glass left! I've been holding onto these metal end tables for years because I knew eventally I wanted to do something with them, just wasn't sure what, lol. I think I'll start with the one that has glass this weekend (a plus to using glass is that I can trace whatever pattern I want and don't have to draw free hand, lol.) Then do the other one without before moving onto the bigger table. I'd much rather practice on a small table first before moving on to a larger one. I've read that you have to be very careful breaking the tiles and glass, if you hit it too hard it can damage the material you're using. How hard is it to break it but not to the point of ruining it? Are there any tricks to doing that part right?
|
Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 11:12 am
War - yes, we are talking about the same surface stuff. :-) Removing or not removing the table top probably depends on the design, size of it, etc. The concrete board is very stable but if it's a large table it might need the support of something underneath. If it's of a size that the concrete board will not bend at all, you can certainly remove the original table top and replace it. Breaking tile - well, it depends on if it's ceramic vs. glass vs. mosaic glass that is very thin, like stained glass tiles (I never use those). They are all different thicknesses which is something to consider with your design. Some adhesives are thick and allow you to build up underneath a tile that is thinner than others you are using. But as far as breaking them - if you want random pieces you can just bash ceramic tiles in a bag, using a hammer or rubber mallet. If you want measured or exact sizes, a tile "nipper" is needed. It's a hand-held tool. The glass tiles I've used are my favorite but cutting or breaking them is tough - I tend to work with them in whatever size they exist and work them into the design that way. They can be cut but it requires more equipment or some trial & error with whatever you have on hand. And it produces shards that can be sharp and nasty. If you do tile over glass, a great adhesive to use is Weldbond. It's white but dries clear and is the consistency of Elmer's Glue. It's waterproof and works to adhere most "things" to other things. I have not found it at Home Depot but my local Ace Hardware carries it. Go figure.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 12:48 pm
With all that in mind, I just got back from home depot. I ended up choosing some natural stone tile and accent tile that's already cut into smaller peices thinking for a first try that might be easier than breaking the ceramic or glass tiles. They really didn't have a huge selection of tile so next time I'm going somewhere else to look. When looking at patio tables in the stores and online, I haven't been able to figure out if I like the natural stone tiles more or the shiny, pretty ceramic/glass tables with the more ornate designs. This might help me decide some I think, lol. I'd already decided against the stained glass like tiles for what may be a dumb reason. I thought that it'd be easier to get cut with that than the thicker peices. Not a fun craft if I have to stop and run to the ER for stitches, lol. How hard are the tile nippers to use? I did pick up a pair cuz the little end tables will need some cut for the rounded corners. I've got bad wrists though and wondering if I'm gonna have to have Darren do that part. The wood kitchen table is smallish...seats four. It was in my aunt's kitchen til she got a different one and she offered it to us. We at first said no thanks and then it set in the back room for a couple weeks. Finally bil moved it out back and wasn't quite sure what to do with it. Seeing it sitting out there is what got me to thinking about using it on the patio. It's just a small kitchen table, nothing real expensive or special. I have run into a little problem I'm not sure what to do with. Realized it as soon as I got home...the glass in the metal tables sits flush with the frame. Adding the tiles is going to cause the top to be higher than the frame. I also might need to repaint the metal frame to better match the tile. I'll have to see how it looks when the top is done.
|
Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 4:34 pm
Oooh, natural stone - I love it but have never worked with it. I am all for any accent that doesn't have to be cut or snipped or broken. lol Glass tile looks fabulous with natural stone as an accent, in case you can't decide what you like best. My Home Depot has a selection of 1" mosaic glass tile that I've used. The nippers can be a strain on the hands so have Darren on standby. lol And it sounds like you might be able to replace the top with cement board. Nice way to keep using your aunt's table, too. If you wind up with tile that is higher than the edge of the table frame, you can sort of sculpt the grout at an angle from the top of the tile to the edge of the table. You sort of pat it in like bread dough and smooth it as you go. Clear as mud, eh? If I have or find a picture of what I am trying to convey, I'll post it.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, May 13, 2008 - 8:37 pm
Thanks Bonza! I'd like to see a pic if you find or have one. I really didn't know how I'd fix that. I worked on it some this afternoon, laid out the stone and accents, redid them, and then redid them again, lol. I tried the nippers on the corner peices and finally handed them over to Darren...that's not as easy as it seems, he cracked every one of them. I finally said pfft, I'll do something different and left the corners with some odd angles. But, I like the way it looks. I only got a couple peices glued down before Darren went to bed. So I had to stop because I needed him to put the table very carefully in the garage so my nephew doesn't mess with it tomorrow. I probably won't have any time to work on it again til Friday. I like the look of the natural stone. After working with it for a couple hours though, my hands are really, really dry. I probably should have used some gloves but I hate working in gloves. Little "adopted" sis had her hubby pull out the boxes of white ceramic tiles today. He didn't put them in her car so I'll pick those up in the morning when I pick up the baby. Don't really know what I'm going to do with it yet since I'm in practice mode. Doesn't matter to me a bit if the end tables aren't exactly the same (they'll most likely end up on the patio anyways, lol.) So far though, it's going well enough that I'm not going to be too nervous doing the big table. Will take more time, but it's certainly not as difficult as I thought it'd be.
|
Ddr
Member
08-19-2001
| Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 4:41 am
War, sounds like a fun project. Another item you can use are broken or chipped dishes that have some sentimental value. You can break it apart and use that for your design.
|
Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 4:50 am
I would use smaller, pre-cut tiles (like those 1/2" square ones you buy for bathroom designs) and make the border around the outside of the table. The center of the table can be just random placement. Benefits to stone over tiles is that the edges won't be like little razors just waiting to slice you up. Broken edges of ceramic or glass tiles can be pretty dangerous. The main thing is to use a 2' x 4' or something and lay it over the tiles you have set and just press a bit to ensure levelness. Any edges that stick up will make it incredibly difficult to wipe off because they'll catch on the cleaning cloth, and they're also going to be very sharp. I would use grout for the base, then when you press the tiles in, it will squish up through and begin your grout process for you.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 9:15 am
Ya know Ddr, that was a suggestion on a lot of the websites I read, using special dishes and stuff. And I had to laugh...I'm such a klutz in the kitchen that I never buy special dishes. I have broken every plate in my house at one time (knocked a whole stack off the counter.) But, because I'm prone to that, I'd never have any that I could use for mosaics, lol. I looked for the pre cut ceramic tiles at home depot and they didn't have any. I was really disappointed in their selection. I'm not sure what Lowe's has but thats where I'm going next to check (though not til this weekend at least.) I did like the no rough or sharp edges with the stone tiles, I've got too many kids playing around my house most of the time to have anything sharp like that. I really enjoy this crafty type of project. A lot of the crafts I do are so hard on my wrists and after a while it's hard to enjoy doing something that causes pain. This doesn't seem like it's going to be that bad, other than maybe the tile nippers and I can have Darren do that part (once he figures out how to do it without cracking the tiles, lol.)
|
Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 10:36 am
War - this somewhat illustrates the edge thing I was talking about, but it's an object, not a table. I found these 2 finials in a very plain & grey state and in my newbie stupor (a few years back), decided they would be great outside, covered with tile. LOL, they were such a pain in the ass. Anyway, you can see the first photo showing what it's like underneath and my goal was to blend the outside edge to what's above. In your case, your outside edge will be the table frame, but as long as you leave a little space between the table edge and your tile above, you can shape the grout between the two. BTW - these broken plate pieces - I got them on eBay. I have nothing personal added to this project. lol
 
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 12:15 pm
Bonza, that looks like it'd be a total pain in the ass to make but it's totally cool! I have some thoughts about doing yard games, like a tic tac toe board and chess board. Figure stuff like that and what you did above is probably cheaper than buying decorations for the patio, plus keeps me busy.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 6:24 pm
Wellllll...I found myself with some spare time today that was totally "me" time and I pretty much finished the little end table. I will need to seal the grout (do I have to seal the stone too?) when it's dry. I think it looks pretty decent for a first try, of course, when looking at it I can pick out the mistakes like in some places the spaces between tiles is tiny and others big, but decent for a first try. I did the edges of the table like Bonza suggested, I think, they're kind of rounded and not real straight though. Can I use a light sandpaper to sand the grout on the edges before I use the sealer? I have to go get Kota in a few minutes but later on when I have some time I'll post a pic. I wouldn't say this is an easy craft, and it'll take lots of practice to do something where I can't pick out mistakes, but like I said earlier it's easy on my wrists so I will probably be doing quite a bit of this sort of thing. I like the idea of being able to decorate my patio for the price of a few cases of tile, lol. I'm looking forward to doing the big table, but have decided I'm going to do a few other things first because, well I don't expect it to be perfect, but it will be the one thing on the patio people pay a lot of attention to, lol!
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 9:51 pm
Back with pictures:
See the rough edges? Those are gonna drive me nuts unless I fix them, lol.
|
Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 10:08 pm
War - you are a machine! I can't believe you've done all that and grouted already! It looks great - I love the natural stone with the glass tiles. It's yummy. Yes, you can use a fine sandpaper to soften the edges. If the grout is not totally hard now you can use a paper towel or soft toothbrush on it in the early stages. I would seal everything; the stone looks porous so you'll want to seal it up along with the grout. You can just wipe the glass tiles off when you apply the sealer. And since it's going to be outside you might want to give it a few coats. Way to go! ETA: did you by chance use tile spacers? My Home Depot has a bunch of sizes (like 1/8", etc.), they come in bags. If you didn't use them this time they can help you with the alignment in the future.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, May 14, 2008 - 10:24 pm
Thanks Bonza! I saw the tile spacers, but I didn't think I'd need them. Realized that uhm, yeah I would, lol, so I'll get those for the next one. If the grout is dry tomorrow I might have the chance to sand it then. I'll leave off with the sealing it til this weekend since I think I'll have to do that part outside and don't want to be dealing with my nephew while I do it. Heh, I stopped by Michael's tonight for something for the kids and went to check their mosaic stuff...that stuff is far more expensive than I remember it being! I will definitely be sticking with the tile.
|
Biloxibelle
Member
12-21-2001
| Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 7:51 am
Wow War, I have been peeking in here interested in seeing how it turns. I never expected to already see it finished. I am so in awe of your crafty talents. I have thought about trying this on a couple of tables I have outside and have never got around to it. Heck, I still have a pump house that looks like an outhouse in my side yard and I asked suggestions on that 2 years ago. Along with wall paper that refuses to get itself out of the garage and get itself hung on the walls. Have you ever done the varnished leather look on furniture? I saw it done years ago on some home show I was watching and liked it, so I went to their site and printed out the how-to. My bedroom suite could use some sprucing up and I thought of trying it on the bedside tables. Can't come out looking any worse then they do now. Well, yeah it probably can. But, I am thinking of trying it anyway.
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Thursday, May 15, 2008 - 10:55 am
I wasn't sure what a pump house was so I looked it up. The one picture I saw, showed a small pump house, maybe a couple feet high. Is yours like that? Cuz if so, my fist thought when I saw it was...faery (or gnome) house! Paint it some cute colors, add in some fake windows/doors, maybe a few little plants, then get some faery or gnome garden stakes to put around it, lol. I'm weird, I love stuff like that, may eventually have to do something like that myself! If your pump house is similar in size to an outhouse, I'm kind of at a loss, except maybe to paint it pretty colors, maybe attach some of those window flower boxes and plant flowers and pretend it's a garden shed or something. Paint a hoe/rake/shovel and little flowers on it or something. I don't think I've even seen the varnished leather look on furniture before! However, one thing to keep in mind is that if you do do it, if it turns out horrible and you hate it, you can always strip it off and start over. That's the nice thing with projects like that, it's not permanent unless you want it to be, lol. Could be, it turns out awesome the first time and you have furniture you truly love. LOL, I'm the type of person that when I start a project, I want it done. I want to see it finished and enjoy the heck out of it. But, there's also the fact that I have so little time to invest in stuff like that where I won't be distracted or busy with the kids that when I have the time I have to make the most of it. Half the time I feel like I'm in a rush cuz I know if I don't finish, there's no telling when I'll have time to get back to it!
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 2:31 pm
I picked up the big table last week and sat here staring at it. We also found some ceramic tiles at my aunt's that she can't figure out why she even had them in the first place. They don't match any of her floors, nor is there enough of any one type to do any of her floors. The only thing I could figure was that she bought them thinking she'd buy more? Whatever it was, she told me to take what I wanted and I was quite tickled with that. While looking in the garage, I also found a box of mosaic stuff (glass, glass rocks, and little ceramic shapes...hearts, flowers, etc) that I am pretty sure I bought several years ago when me and the kids did stepping stones. I broke one tile and ended up having to turn that job over to Darren. It hurt my wrists too much which kinda sucked cuz it was fun, lol! Dakota had decided she wanted to help me so we painstakingly set out a pattern using the mosaic stuff I found in the center of the table. Then thinking of all I'd read, start in the center, we glued it all down. It looked so cute...until we laid the tile down on the rest of the table. Then I told Kota she was gonna hate me and handed her a butter knife and we painstakingly pried off all the mosaic stuff, lol. It looked terrible with the tiles. Anyways, we got all the tile glued on and I grouted a small bit before we had to stop for the night. Since I got the table from aunt and found the tile at her house...this table is costing me somewhere around $25! Plus I have enough for the other little end table. The only thing I've had to buy was a tube of glue, some grout, and the sealer.
I see some bigger gaps between some peices but I'm not too worried about those. My next goal is to figure out how to get the tile to break in nice even lines and peices without having some crushed peices! Darren was kinda worried about the weight, but there's only 3 and a half large tiles altogether on the table and the bottom is reinforced.
|
Jasper
Moderator
09-14-2000
| Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 6:04 pm
That is going to look great War. A heck of a lot of work. Are you going to be using it outside?
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 6:14 pm
Thanks! Yep, unless it's raining or we need an extra table inside for something. We spend a lot of time out back once the weather gets warm and have bbq's and usually don't have enough room for everyone. When I saw the table at my aunt's, thought it might be fun to try, lol.
|
Jasper
Moderator
09-14-2000
| Tuesday, May 27, 2008 - 6:21 pm
I think somewhere you mentionnned it was wood, but are you going to put a coat of epoxy over the top?
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Wednesday, May 28, 2008 - 8:59 pm
Well, first I need to, lol, I'm not too sure. Dakota and I grouted (is that a word?) the table yesterday and let it dry the required 24 hours. Earlier looking at it, I noticed a couple spots of grout that are uneven, lumpy and dented. The lumpy I'm not worried about because I can sand that but I'm not sure I can grout over uneven or dented spots with new grout when the stuff I put down is already dried? I was really hoping to have this table finished by Caleb's birthday party Friday night, but I also don't want to screw it up so I'm going to wait for bil and some of the guys who have done this type of work to come over Friday night to offer up their more knowledgable opinions. Kinda worried if I put wet grout on top of dry it might crack or peel off or something. Once I get that figured out, I need to sand down the edges and some rough and bumpy spots. Then I have a sealer for the top. We did run into a wee bit of a problem, and I know some of ya'll are gonna smack your heads and go "told you so!" We moved the table a few feet out of the way and the damn thing is HEAVY! I don't want to get it outside then decide it's too heavy to move back in during rain or something. At this point, I'm thinking of moving this one into the dining area, moving my kitchen table (nothing at all fancy, wouldn't be upset if it got rained on) to the den and then outside for parties/bbq's. The thing is though that I really wanted this table on the patio, we spend so much time out there I want something nice that didn't cost a fortune and that looks nice. On the other hand, I still have a bunch of tile, I have the metal patio table out back, and I've seen it's not really difficult to do and I enjoy it. No reason at all I can't do the metal table, one that is more suited to being outside and not moved back in the house! Another crafty question related to this. I have some stained glass paintings I did that were pretty much beginner projects with that. I had the thought to use them on one of the tables (was planning the end table, but thinking now maybe the metal patio table.) I'd like to break them and then peice them back together on the table. But, I don't want to destroy, crush, crack in the wrong places, or end up with tiny glass shards I can't use. I have cut glass before using the glass cutter, but it's not something I can do now with my wrists. Is there anyway to crack glass without shattering all or some of it? Or would I be better off asking Darren to do it? And then of course if I do do this I have to figure out how to get the glass and tile even since the glass is thinner than the ceramic tile.
|
Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 11:18 am
Wargod, if you move it out on the patio can't it be permanently there? You could get a table cover for it when it rains. My covers worked great this past year when it rained, I was amazed how they just sluff off the rain and never become wet.
|
Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 11:44 am
I don't know anything about using epoxy so can't weigh in on putting it over tile. But War - I have touched up grout and even repaired it by putting new over existing. It worked out OK but I can see it, just as I (and I know you with your own work, lol) can see any imperfection in my work. If you mix your added grout with about the same consistency as the existing, it should blend well enough. If it were me, I'd seal it all with at least 4 coats of sealer. Apply it until it no longer gets absorbed by the grout (and tile if the tile is porous). And a cover is a great idea, that way you wouldn't have to consider moving it around. I know you get a lot of wind and that would hamper using a cover, but you don't get a lot of rain (well, you know, unless we get another one of "those" years) so you wouldn't have to cover it all that often.
|
Dipo
Member
04-23-2002
| Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 12:49 pm
Good points, Bonzacat. My covers actually tie down on the item, they are pretty cool, so the winds shouldn't be a problem.
|
Bonzacat
Member
07-08-2003
| Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 3:20 pm
Dipo - that sounds perfect. :-) P.S. War - the table is looking great!
|
Wargod
Moderator
07-16-2001
| Thursday, May 29, 2008 - 5:45 pm
Heh, Bonza, my bil looked at it and said exactly the same thing you did about putting new down on existing grout, er and about finding imperfections myself. So I did it after he left. It feels dry to the touch now, but I'll wait til tomorrow (24 hours) to start sealing. The directions for the sealer say I can do a second, third, etc coat 30 minutes after applying the last but since it takes several hours to dry (and 48 completely) the table won't be done in time to use for the party tomorrow. I figure it can sit and look pretty in the den, lol. Oh, oh, a cover!! Our biggest weather issue here is indeed the wind and a cover, especially one that ties in place would most likely be enough for the little rain we actually get. If we're having one of "those" years it wouldn't be as big a hassle to move the table inside and just leave it for a few months, instead of moving it in and out every time it rains. I'm rather happy with the way it's turned out so far. I've had a few problems, but nothing too major or feeling like I should just give up. Course I spent a couple hours working on it today when I should have been doing other stuff, lol!
|
|
|
|