Mosaic is one of the first ways of artistic decoration. Traditionally, it is used for floors and walls, less often laid out paintings from mosaics. Nevertheless, the spectrum of the use of this technique is much wider. For example, it is popular to make mosaic tables. Next, let's talk about all the intricacies of this process.
Mosaic and its varieties
It is worth highlighting the most popular and common varieties of mosaics:
- Glass mosaic. He is an indisputable leader among facing varieties. A huge selection of a wide variety of textures and textures, the widest palette of all kinds of clean and combined colors provided glass mosaics with such popularity. It is characterized by environmental friendliness and resistance to moisture and chemicals, therefore it is recommended for coating in bathrooms.
- The ceramic variety of mosaics is the same tile, since it is made according to a similar technology, with a difference in size. The presence of a protective layer of glaze is required.
- Stone mosaic. It is primarily interesting to the naturalness of the material, and is often made from minerals, as well as residues of marble production. It is more often used in combination with ceramic and glass mosaics.
- Metal mosaic. It is blanks with a coating or embossing that are collected in matrices and make up a pattern. Metal mosaic has not yet gained widespread due to the tactfulness of the metal. In fact, such a mosaic is an excellent conductor of cold or heat and therefore its use is more dictated by taste issues than expediency.
- Wooden mosaic. It is more often used for interior decoration, including even sanitary zones. Due to the naturalness of wood and its resistance to washing, such a mosaic will last a long time.
- Porcelain mosaic. It turns out by cutting the plates of ceramic granite. Since the elements have significant weight, such a variety of tiles is more correct to use for cladding walls and floor.
According to experts, the best choice will be a combination of colored hardened glass with flexible tiles, which is a product of marble crumbs processed under 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 the sun and moisture,
- starostya to chemically aggressive environments.
Due to the high level of the aesthetics of the material and the simplicity of its styling, it is this combination that will allow the chosen object to give an effective artistic image.
Making a garden table
Many will justly notice that it is easier to buy a ready -made wooden or plastic table and engage in decorating it. However, the table that was made with your own hands is most appreciated most of all from natural wood. Since the mosaic already involves the creation of an art object, it makes no sense to buy a typical basis from the conveyor. The finished product will not look very impressive. It’s not so difficult to assemble a garden table with your own hands, if you clearly determine in advance on its design and size.
If it is planned to create a small table on one leg, or large on a single base pillar, it is important to consider that the table will be less stable and said. For the base, either thick beam is suitable, or, even better, a wood pillar. It is optimal if its diameter is at least 20 cm. The countertops for these models are made round or with a small oval. The easiest option is to knock down the boards and cut them to the desired shape. Minus - it does not look aesthetically pleasing. Therefore, it is better to use gluing technology. The finished countertop is attached to the base with the help of furniture corners from the inside and self -tapping screws from above, which must be placed so that they enter the base directly into the leg. Of course, the place for self -tapping screws is pre -trampled by a drill of the same diameter as the self -tapping hat, to a depth of 4 mm so that they are reliably hidden flush.
Making a table made of mosaics and wood is quite simple. If you plan to assemble a structure with four legs for better stability, then 8 elements are enough: 4 planks for a frame and 4 legs. In order for people to sit at a table at the table, it is necessary to choose the height of the legs of 75 cm, taking into account the thickness of the countertop. That is, if its thickness is 2 cm, then the length of the legs will be 73 cm.
The woods for the legs are thoroughly polished with sandpaper of different fractions, from a deuce to zero. Next, they are mounted in the frame using metal connecting corners. For a table of a table designed for four people, a fairly ordinary board of 20 mm wide and 100 mm high, the load is distributed according to the principle of columns, so the table can withstand a fairly large weight. The frame of the garden table should have indentation 20-30 cm from the edge of the countertop on each side. The base is installed using furniture corners on the frame, after which it is reliably fixed with wood screws.
In this case, the countertop itself can have both round and square shape - it all depends on the wishes and taste of the owner. The base should have a square shape so that the maximum stability of the countertop is achieved at a load on any angle. After the assembly work, it makes sense to cover the table with two layers of the antiseptic in order to protect the wood from parasites and premature drying. This procedure is especially important if the garden table is constantly in the fresh air.
However, this is not all. Of course, the mosaic is able to give any object a spectacular beauty and it is precisely for this that it is appreciated as a great way of decorating, but it is unlikely that it makes sense to make a full cladding of the table from all sides, including the legs. Even the figured figurine with a base from a simple, albeit polished beam, will also not cause the ecstatic delight in people who see the finished product. To create something really original, it makes sense to carry out some decoration and a wooden base.
Do this with the help of a cutter and artistic skills. However, if there are no one, that is, the way out. It is enough to take any pattern and make a template out of it - printing the necessary drawing on paper. Then, the main lines are carefully cut through and in the future the pattern when applied to the wood surface is circled along the lines with a simple pencil. Further, with the help of a cutter, the pattern is transferred to a tree. By changing the angle of inclination and position, create a complex geometric pattern. Those areas of wood that will not be decorated with mosaics, it makes sense to cover with several layers of ship varnish, which will preserve the natural color of wood without giving yellowness, or cover it with a stain that will restore the appearance of more valuable wood species. Such a garden wooden table will pleasantly delight the eye and become a decoration of any summer cottage.
Preparation of the basis
The wood is a rather complex and moody material, so it is important to approach it with special care and some points should be taken to laying mosaics: some points should be taken into account:
- in relation to wood, it is impossible to use soluble mixtures prepared on a cement basis,
- the excessive humidity of the adhesive composition can cause the swelling of the wood and the subsequent deformation of the mosaic layer,
- to lay mosaics, it is necessary to use glue with an increased degree of elasticity. For example, the glue of the Atlas Plus differs precisely just such characteristics, and its retail price is $ 12 per bag weighing 25 kg,
- the wood is characterized by drying due to hot climate and swelling due to humidity, so the base for the tile should have a primer layer,
- it is permissible to lay mosaic elements on ordinary liquid nails, but it is better to use a special glue for mosaics, which is a more convenient and economical option.
Garden tables, photos with which are presented in the article, are an excellent highlight for any interior.
DIY mosaic table
When the countertop was primed, it is necessary to apply a marking using a pencil, according to which the drawing will later be laid out. It is important to remember that all the details of the future composition should have large sizes, and at the same time it is worthwhile to refrain from excessively straight angles and lines. After the drawing has gained completeness, it is necessary to choose one of the ways to make a cladding.
1. The first way to lay out the table with a mosaic includes the use of simple PVA glue or liquid nails and grouts. Applied along the drawing lines, mosaic elements are laid on glue. After a day, they turn to the grout of the seams. Next, using a damp rag, it is necessary to remove excess grouts from the surface of the table. The mosaic cannot be subjected to any loads within a day to let the material acquire the final strength.
2. In the event that for decorating the table there is no need to resort to complex artistic compositions and there is enough pattern from the elements of the mosaic of the same size and shape - it makes sense to use the method of transferring ready -made drawings from the paper base to the surface of the countertop:
- the mosaic sheet is carefully placed on a pre -prepared adhesive mixture of the paper base to the top. Moreover, it is important to know that the use of a white mixture will help the glass mosaic get rid of the manifestation of shades on the surface;
- gently get the paper with a damp cloth to a state until it begins to freely separate from the surface of the mosaic elements;
- remove the remains of the paper, without attaching strength, so as not to move the position of the elements;
- after the paper base was completely removed - it is necessary to give the posted pattern for a day to harden before applying a grout;
- next, when the seams are covered with grout, you need to remove its excess with a damp rag.
3. The third method implies laying mosaics using a grid. This is one of the simplest ways, which involves a neat immersion of the mesh base with a mosaic laid out on it in an adhesive solution so that the entire mesh is evenly plunged to the same depth. Next, the picture is left for a day for solidification and proceed to finish - applying grout. In the event that traces of dried grout remained on the surface, which cannot be removed with a damp cloth or sponge - it is worth using light solvents like White Spirit, but it is appropriate to carry out cleaning procedures with it no earlier than a week after ending works.
Each of the ways is good in its own way and demonstrates that the table with a mosaic will become a good and noticeable decoration of any cottage. Moreover, the mosaic is not necessarily purchased, it is quite possible to create a beautiful pattern or a picture of fragments of an old broken tile or bottle of alcohol.
