Applying A Mesh Mosaic To A Stepping Stone

How do you apply alkaline resistant mesh when it has a mosaic on it. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ - When it comes to sealing some people choose not seal when using thinset, there preference is to wet the area down and the water absorbs into the substrate rather than zapping the moisture out of the thinset which works well. When using a sealant there is a chance it could fail which means your mosaic could fail as the thinset is sticking to the sealant. I use Laticrete thinset and in many cases Laticrete Hydroban which is a water proofing membrane/sealant. To seal or not to seal is a personal choice, you need to choose the best option to suit your needs and as always read the manufacturers data sheets so you can make an informed decision on whatever products you use.
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Videos produced by Treasury Road and all material provided within this website is for informational, educational, & entertainment purposes only. The video and all included information does in no way constitute the provision of professional advice.
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[@candacecooke1201]

Thank you, Peter. Appreciate all the time and energy you put into educating us.

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou so much, my pleasure, I too am constantly learning, we never stop. :)

[@karennorton9633]

Another gorgeous project and the knowledge you are willing to share is invaluable! Thank you VERY much !!

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou very much Karen, appreciate that. :)

[@bettyraimondo4427]

I really appreciate your videos. They are so helpful for me! Keep ‘em coming!

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou so much Betty. Thanks for watching and commenting. 😊

[@kiaora2u]

Thank you Peter... I have learned so much from watching your informative and thoroughly clear videos, since discovering you over lockdown. Kia ora from New Zealand.

[@TreasuryRoad]

Hi Kia ora, thankyou so much appreciate that and thanks for watching them. :)

[@juliepoole2923]

fabulous, you make it all look so easy, thanks

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou I appreciate that, the thing is to be organised and dont panic even if something goes wrong, you can always get out of it. :)

[@graceaxisa4213]

Thanks Peter, a very informative video. By the way, I love the paver. A simple yet successful design and the blues really pop against the black!

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thakyou very much, its kind of a cute paver, appreciate that. :)

[@patriciamiller9317]

Exactly what I needed! Thank you for all your help. You're a master and fantastic teacher.

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou very much Patricia, appreciate that and thankyou for the comment as well. :)

[@michelewright2355]

Thank you Peter as I'm very new to mosaics.

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou and my pleasure, mosaics can be quite addictive. :)

[@sost8902]

I am so glad that I discovered you recently and learned so much! You have so much tricks, different tools, suggestions, ideas, and so forth to share! So creative and artistic! THANK YOU!

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou so much thats very kind of you to say that. Welcome to the channel and thankyou for watching the videos. :)

[@kathiekarancz8695]

👍👍👍🌞 gracias Kathie from Mexico

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou and my pleasure. :)

[@liazayas1711]

Thank you!

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou Lia and thanks so much for watching. :)

[@normamatta6122]

Looks good

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou so much Norma, appreciate that. :)

[@ingridlahaye8107]

thank you!

[@TreasuryRoad]

My pleasure Ingrid and thankyou for watching. ;)

[@berylwilson6685]

Thanks Peter

[@TreasuryRoad]

My pleasure. :)

[@dj05297]

Thank you so much...🙏🙏🤗🤗

[@TreasuryRoad]

My pleasure and thankyou for watching. :)

[@joychip5994]

Love that

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou so much. :)

[@keciabadem8053]

Thanks Peter! I have been doing stained glass for years. Just recently decided to try my hand at mosaics with leftover glass. Really appreciate the videos. I am interested in trying to make mosaic switch plates. Any thoughts on substrate? I am leaning toward unfinished wood as the easiest option.

[@TreasuryRoad]

Switch plates look awesome, I believe you can buy the switch plates separately in different materials, I have seen switch plates with mosaics on and also switch plates with polymer clay on as well. But that was a few years back so not sure if they are still available. I cant see why you cannot use wood although maybe a bit chunky with the mosaic added as well, if you have a kiln a glass or ceramic substrate I would think would be better and also less chunky especially if you can add the glass pieces into the substrate with the kiln giving a very smooth finish no grouting and so easy to cut out for switch and screw holes as you would use the original switch plate as the template before firing. :)

[@aussiebushhomestead3223]

I'm a begginer at mosaics, and I really appreciate your easy to follow and informative videos. Thanks for taking the fear factor out of using thinset. 😅 One question though, once applying the thinset to the paver, how long do you have to work with it before it sets? Thanks so much.

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou very much, glad you are enjoying them. It will depend on the brand, the environment and the type. The packaging should have it on or the technical data sheet will have it on, the data sheet can be generally found on the manufactures website and its very easy to read. Generally for me if I need to alter anything, I like to work with it for around another 10mins, it will take longer to cure around 24 to 48hrs but you don't want it to get a crust and try and adhere to that. Thankyou for watching and for the comment. :)

[@karlajohnston2144]

Love it. I am going to go watch your video about using thinset as grout, but want to confirm that you are not letting the thinset dry/cure then coming back to grout?

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou so much, not sure what you mean but if you are using thinset to adhere the pieces, that needs to cure before proceeding, then you can apply the thinset as grout however dont let that cure before wiping it off as it is an adhesive. Do a test run first on a small sample piece so as your not using the actual piece to practice on, this way you will become familiar with how it works. Dont use porous tessera or tessera with pits in otherwise the thinset wont wipe off cleanly. :)

[@karlajohnston2144]

@@TreasuryRoad Thank you so much! (I was referring to the fact you do not include a curing step in the video between finishing it ...around 8:43 .. and grouting it with thinset ...8:45-ish)

[@sangueguerriero9538]

Wonderful ❗ 😍👍. Did this thinset already came in black or did you tinted it. Im going to use a black grout but I havent seen the thinset in black were I live 😔

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou. Thinset generally comes in white or grey and you can tint it with coloured oxides. I use Laticrete Permacolour grout and Laticrete Latex Admix to turn the grout into thinset. I have made a video on this process. Thanks for the comment. 😊

[@srishtisinghal3319]

Hi Peter.. really love watching your videos. I need your advice before I start my very first mosaic project. I have seashells mosaic tiles which are very thin around 2 mm and I will be doing it on wood.. how should I glue them? Should I use pva glue or thinset? If I use thinset, should I put thinset on every separate shell or should I just create a bed of thinset and start placing my shells on top of it. If I do it that way, I am afraid the thinset would fill my grout lines leaving no space for grout since the tiles are super thin. Waiting for your response. Thanks.

[@TreasuryRoad]

Hi Srishti, thankyou very much. I would post this in the Facebook mosaic group Mosaics Australia Wide with a couple of photos and the size. I am in that group and I can have a look and comment and others will also offer advice, this will also help other people doing mosaics too. I would prefer to see what you are dealing with and because you are using wood I assume this is an inside piece. :)

[@carladensmore5281]

Thank you Peter.I am planning my first outdoor mosaic. I am confused about using sealant....and at what stage. Do you seal the substrate? or after the adhesive and tessera are on the substrate? or after the grouting is done? Thanks.

[@TreasuryRoad]

Some artists apply a sealant to porous substrates such as terracotta and concrete before mosaicking onto and others prefer not to as they want the adhesive to bond directly to the substrate it really is a personal choice and also dependent on the environment its in. If you are creating a terracotta mosaic pot or a concrete paver and you are using thinset as the adhesive then the substrate can be moistened down prior to adhering the tess, this stops the terracotta from sucking out the moisture from the adhesive. Heres a video on it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3XKeIuNl7R6fpo Generally a grout sealant is applied after the project is finished and the grout has cured but some grouts do not require a sealant, if you are using normal sanded grout then a grout sealer is applied to protect the grout, the tess generally doesn't require a sealant over it if you are are using stained glass, vitreous tiles, crockery glazed tiles etc.

[@kathykandel5148]

I'm getting ready to do a kids art camp and will be making cement Stepping Stones. I'm not sure which method would be easier, putting pieces upside down on contact paper in the bottom of the mold and pouring cement on top, or pouring the cement in the mold and letting the kids place the pieces on top. I like the second method better, but have not been able to come up with a good consistency to keep the pieces from sinking in the cement.

[@TreasuryRoad]

When working with kids you really want to be prepared, I would have a Google and see what other people recommend for working with children and stepping stones especially taking in their age as well. If you are going to use the first method you will want to make sure your tess is flat so the concrete doesn't slip in underneath and covers part of the tess. Also are you going to be mixing the concrete when the kids are not there as the silica dust is dangerous, there will be a few things you will need to take into consideration regarding the project. :)

[@kathykandel5148]

@@TreasuryRoad I do a lot of cement crafts, so I will be pre mixing the concrete outside while the children are picking out their Tess and deciding on a design inside the studio. We have decided to go with the second method placing the pieces on top of the concrete. The instructor who has hired me to come in and teach the class wants the kids to be able to use shells, broken dishes, buttons, Etc. I have been doing some samples and have the consistency down pretty good. Thank you so much for your experienced help. Love your videos

[@mozhdehnouripayam9470]

Thanks peter for the video. where can I buy that metal for making a proper depth of thinset?

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thanks for watching. You can buy the spreaders from hardware stores, theres plastic ones and metal ones. :)

[@CarmelEngland]

Peter did u wait any time for the extra tiles u placed on the border to dry before grouting?

[@TreasuryRoad]

I always wait at least 24hrs and in some cases 48hrs before grouting to allow the adhesive to cure. Thanks for watching. 😊

[@aphasiologist1]

Oops, just found your other post that answers this question. Apologies.

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thats fine. :)

[@aphasiologist1]

Thx Peter. Is the mesh used to evenly distance the Tessera? And to pre-prepare the design? Or are there other advantages?

[@TreasuryRoad]

My pleasure, if you look at my video "how to mosaic onto mesh" it will explain some of the usages for it. How far you distance the tess on the mesh will be entirely up to you the mesh doesn't have any bearing on spacing you can place your tess anywhere just be aware of your grout lines as you dont want to exceed the maximum width that the grout can do which will be on the packet or the manufacturers data sheets. Some people will draw a design onto the mesh and others will have some type of design or photograph under the mesh and work from that. :)

[@daphnepinecone5965]

Do you seal the paver before putting it outdoors? As always, thanks for another informative video.

[@MrShampoodles]

He said yes, seal with a concrete sealer...approx 1:08. Concrete is porous he said

[@daphnepinecone5965]

Sorry I wasn’t clearer. He mentioned sealing the paver BEFORE applying the thinset and tesserae. My question was does one seal the FINISHED product, i.e., the tile and thinset and/or grout with a tile/grout sealer before placing it outdoors.

[@MrShampoodles]

@@daphnepinecone5965 My apologies, I misread your question. A good question, and I think yes, one does....but I am not 100% sure with this/his method, Hello, Peter Twining?

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou and my pleasure, if you are meaning after the mosaic is finished I do add a grout sealer to the paver, some people dont but I prefer to especially if you are using normal sanded grout. :)

[@Sunnisez]

I worry about tiles outdoors. If the back (biscuit?) absorbs water they're not suitable. Is this a good rule of thumb?

[@margotrobison414]

Do you clean those rags.? Or just have lots of one-offs to use? I’m trying to stock up on supplies.

[@TreasuryRoad]

No l don’t wash out the rags l just throw them in the bin otherwise it would use a lot of water. l find rags are so easy to come by. Try and avoid rags that fray or leave lint behind otherwise it can be a pain. After cutting my rags down l shake them vigorously to get rid of any loose bits. I can buy rags that don’t have this issue but that just seems a waste. Thanks for watching Margot. 😊

[@MrShampoodles]

thx for the video. where are the links you said you would provide? I need to know what kind/brand of concrete sealer to use. If you know the US version, that would be great

[@TreasuryRoad]

My pleasure, the links for "creating thinset using grout" and "using thinset to grout" are in the video in the top right hand corner when i mention them they appear. The videos are also with my later videos if you want to go straight to them. You can use Laticrete Hydroban which is a waterproof membrane it doesn't dry clear, or another brand for a clear sealant if needed. :)

[@MrShampoodles]

@@TreasuryRoad Thank you!

[@sylviadunn7290]

Just wondering if you would use thinset to apply a mesh piece to an acrylic bath for outside pond?

[@TreasuryRoad]

Generally I wouldn't mosaic onto acrylic thats large or going to be outside, acrylic can expand and contract. :)

[@he7is7at7hand]

Nice favor. Is thin-set really strong enough to last? What about when it gets wet?

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou. Thinset has been around for a very long time, it is extremely strong and reliable. There are different thinsets rated for different situations and tessera. It’s fine outside and in fountains and there are additives as well to increase further strength and durability. Thanks for commenting. 😊

[@flowerbug55]

Do you have to seal a purchased cement paver before applying a mosaic? If so what product do you use.

[@TreasuryRoad]

Some people prefer to seal concrete and terracotta and others prefer not to. There are fores and against, it also depends where you are and the type of adhesive you are using. I have a video coming out discussing this. l prefer to seal my porous substrates using a penetrating sealer. The brand depends on what country you are living in. 😊

[@cherylnull9890]

❤

[@317Elisa]

What is the best mesh for your mosaic when it's going out side?

[@TreasuryRoad]

I use an alkaline resistant mesh, the squares in the mesh are around 5mm. Thanks for watching and commenting. :)

[@rachaelandrews4358]

Hi how do you attached mesh to wooden board?

[@TreasuryRoad]

Hi Rachael, I have never attached mesh to a wooden board but I have heard of people using Weldbond or PVA. Thanks for watching. :)

[@amandafaram3912]

Can you walk on the mosaic pavers?

[@TreasuryRoad]

When creating mosaic pavers it will depend on the tessera you are using and also where they are located, you don't want to use anything that is going to be slippery or will be in a shady position where it could get moss or other growth on it that could pose a safety hazard. If you are going to use tessera or glazed tiles that are going to be slippery then they are better placed in an area or in the garden where they wont be walked on. :)

[@barbbayliss8026]

why did you use 100% thin set and not thin set and grout?

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thinset is a lot more durable than sanded grout. I find this really works well for certain projects especially if the sides are going to be exposed. Sanded grout when exposed can chip or fall off. The thinset being an adhesive doesn't have that issue. You could also use an epoxy grout which is also extremely durable. Thanks for watching. :)

[@bevturquoise4651]

Thanks again! Please push like to support Treasury Road.....so much good info!

[@TreasuryRoad]

Thankyou very much Bev, you’re always so supportive. 😊