Hi Haziemoon,

Glues (adhesives) are obviously different than sealers, so I was confused by your subject line. The process for indoor and outdoor mosaics are not the same. (First of all, never mosaic to wood for outdoor use). Indoors is fine. As for birdbaths, I would not use anything less than Liquid Nails or thinset.

I have never heard of the glue you mentioned.

For a birdbath, you can either use Liquid Nails (clear formula), or Silicone III, but I have found that Silicone snaps off when you go to grout. For a heavy duty piece, I would use thinset in place of glue altogether. After it dries, you can grout, wait several days, then use Aquamix. I use that myself and it is an excellant product, but you need to wipe the stones off quickly or it gives a hazy glaze to it. They sell something to remove the glaze, but that is an added expense, so I use plain old rubbing alcohol to rub off the residue from the stones/tesserae.

I don't suggest Weldbond, as it is for indoor use, or substrates that will not be exposed to water. It is not water tight, though many mosaic artists use WB for alot of their work.

I have been doing mosaics for 3 years. Here is my website:

Marie

Here is a link that might be useful: My Mosaic page

Thanks so much for the info celestialsdoxies.

Your website is wonderful!!
You have made so many beautiful things! WOW!!
Thanks so much for sharing your page.

Haziemoon

Thanks Haziemoon,

Can't tell you how many projects I had ruined in the beginning , some that I terribly regret, but as time went on, I gained new practices, and sought the experienced artists on the web, to help me along, and I am so thankful for that!

Marie

Marie, Where do you get the Aquamix??? Is that a sealer??? Your creations are beautiful. The china pieces you use are amazing. Thanks for sharing with us.

First, you can use Aquamix's Sealers Choice Gold to seal the grout, but don't expect that to save the mastic. Not only will moisture affect it, but so will freezing temps, if you're in an area where freeze/ thaw issues are a concern. Also, once you get it all sorted out, you only seal the grout-- not the tile, unless it's terracotta or crackle glaze.

Aquamix can be found at most Home Depots.

haziemoon-- one thing you might do is take your mosaic apart, before it starts coming up on its own, clean the mastic off the pieces, and then reset them using Mapei's Kerabond thinset mixed with their Keralastic latex additive, full strength. It's absolutely THE best thinset you can use for outdoor projects.

Hi Bright199, thanks for the kind words. I treasure my treasures! Looks like the other poster answered your question. Home Depot is the only place I know of that has Aquamix, but as I mentioned above, it does a job on the tiles as far as glazing them over, which require polishing. I also use Tile Lab (green/yellow container), also purchased at Home Depot. I also like this one, because it doesn't leave a glaze on the tiles and they polish up much easier than with Aquamix.

Marie

Oh I'm so bummed!!!
I can't beleive I didn't read the container before I spent all that time setting all those little tiles! I could just kick myself in the butt!!

Thanks for all the help! wish I would've read and asked first! What a job it's going to be prying those tiles off, and scraping the mastic off. Might be easier to just buy new tiles! Bummer!

Thanks again.....
Haziemoon

Got behind in reading so just getting into this thread. Re the adhesive thingy, I think I'm using something comparable that Bill suggested. The thin set I use is Mapei Ultra FlexII. It has the polymer additive already in it. I use it for adhesive AND grout for all outside projects. I also use the Aqua Mix to seal. My birdbath holds water, my columns haven't changed, and my front walk is intact after a year. Like I've mentioned before, I called Mapei's 800 number, listed on the package, and it was from their advice I, as a beginner, began to mosaic in the garden. MARIE: Your mosaics are lovely, and I would LOVE to have access to the wonderful china and porcelain dishes you use in your pieces. HAZIMOON: I doubt if I'd have the patience to scrape off the stuff. I'd toss it and eat the expense and get on another project SOON so you won't be discouraged from trying again. We all make mistakes in the beginning. It'll get better! BILL: Isn't there an acid that the tiles could be soaked in to remove the mastic???

I wouldn't toss it... I'd use it inside. Get a round piece of glass and use it as a side table. You could probably even use it on a porch or covered area... Let us see pictures of your tile work.

SLOWMEDOWN, thank you for the kind words. As they say, 'you get what you pay for'. 90% of those fine china dishes, I purchased on eBay. I must have spent $150 in a 2 month period, just purchasing china. I was bitten by the Shabby Chic look, as my house is mostly decorated in Shabby colors, etc.. Vintage rose patterns in china are perfect! I even learned to cut them in heart shapes while watching TV! Now and then I find a nice piece of china in the good will shops, but when I am after something, I go and just buy it online.

Marie

Slowmedown-- No-- acid won't touch mastic. However, if you soak them in water (!!!!!) it'll scrape off pretty easily.

As for the Ultraflex II, I also use it all the time, but not for outdoor projects. Although it does contain latex polymers, there's not as MUCH of a latex content as there is by using the Keralastic liquid latex additive with the Kerabond.

Especially if you're in an area where freeze/ thaw issues are a concern, you want as strong a bond as you can get, especially in something where water will probably collect, such as the bird bath.

Speaking of which, I saw the pics on the other thread! That is some stunning work!!

Hazie: I continue to admire your BB. Thanks, Bill, for your response and the compliment. Although we don't have hard freezes often in E TX, I'll either switch to your product for safety or add more of the admixture to my U II. I'm still a beginner and in need of all the help I can get from the pros.

I used Jasco-silicone grout sealer. I believe I bought it at an Ace Hardware(Westlakes). It has worked fine for me on my birdbath and stepping stones. You only have to wait 72 hours for the grout to dry before putting it on.

I don't take my bird bath in for the winter anymore. I just make sure it is dry, then put a barrel lid on top of it so no water can get into it and freeze. We didn't have a very bad winter last year, so I don't know if it would work during a bad winter. My motto is "if it can't survive my winters, I don't need it anymore". I don't like dragging stuff in and out and could always use the room for something new.

or add more of the admixture to my U II.

Can't do that-- they're 2 different polymers, and don't react properly together. The ONLY way to use the liquid additive is to use an unmodified thinset (Kerabond).

Hazie: Sorry to use your thread, but thanks, Bill. W/do as you suggest. From reading your site, you're the pro here.

I have a question involving the sealants yall have mentioned...are they safe for the birds?

Marie & Slowmedown, please, I have a question on using wood outdoors for the base for mosaics outdoors.

First, as Slowmedown already knows, Marie, I do not mosaic whatsoever. In your post above Marie, you specifically say "never mosaic to wood for outdoor use." I am not challenging either of your knowledge of mosaics in the least and definitely not yours Slowmedown, you know for a fact your mosaics just intrigue me, but just the other day on the Country Style show I saw a segment where a gal used a piece of plywood atop an outdoor table and then she used glass/china plates and mosaic'd the top, then grouted it. The table was used on an outdoor porch in the open, not protected from the elements by a roof or anything else. Just curious as to why some use wood outdoors and others swear not to use it.

I assume the answer is that the wood can be affected by rain and summer heat and warp or crack, thus ruining the grout and destroying the piece. Especially plywood since it is only pieces of wood pressured together to form it. Is that correct?

I ask because I found a round metal outdoor table base last year and then found the perfect size piece of round plywood for the top. Again, I don't mosaic with glass/plates but I would like to use the glass half marbles and make a design on the plywood top, using GE Silicone II glue for the marbles and then use a premixed grout I got at Home Depot. My table would be somewhat protected from the rain and sun by a huge outdoor umbrella. I also have a tempered piece of round glass that is just a bit short of fitting the table base top. Would it just be best for me to half marble the glass table top and not have the worry of whether the plywood would be ruined in the elements and destroy the half marble design? Is there a specific type of outdoor grout you would recommend?

Thanking you in advance for your advice.

Sal

Sal.....
You should use concrete board on the tabletop.

My birdbath fell apart! I used mastic to adhere the tiles,
and grout, instead of mortor. In a birdbath with the freezing all winter. It just didn't work.

I'm bumping this up, so hopefully slow will see it.
You might want to post just to her....so she see's it.

Hazie

Hazie, what the heck is "concrete board?"

Sal

Sal,

You can get Concrete Backerboard at HD. When contractors install bathroom and kitchens, instead of using ordinary gyprock as they would in other rooms, they use Cocrete Backerboard which is water resistant. Same size, but beware - it's HEAVY!!

HD also has another product which they've introduced lately which is called Aqua Tough Board. Same concept, but much lighter. It can also be cut much easier than the cement stuff, and where it's cut, it's water resistant value will not be compromised. It sells for about $15.00 per board here which measures 3' by 5'.

Thanks for the info my friends, I'll check out HD on that stuff. I would just hate to do all that half marble work of gluing it down and then grouting it and have it completely ruined in the elements.

Sal

Hazie,

Grout in a birdbath doesn't work? Even with sealer?

My very first mosaic was my MIL's birdbath last year. We used broken up tiles & cement. I told her once the cement has cured to seal it. HD told her she didn't have to so she didn't. Over winter everything held up but water went under the glaze on the tiles & it's ruined. She's heartbroken. I promised her we would redo it when I visit this year.

I was going to use grout this time & seal with the TileLab sealer. Now that I found GJ & have been mosaicing & learning more, I want to make this one real special. I sure don't want anything to happen to it. She lives in NC & it freezes there but mostly mild winter, not like in a zone 6.

Slow suggested mortor, and that's what I'm going to try next time.

Hazie

I swear I used grout on my birdbath, but it was just before I left my ex so I may not exactly remember.Literally, I started it right before I moved out and finished after LOL Any way,it's till going strong, but I do take it in soon as I get a film of ice on the water.

Maria