Michael Holigan: Welcome to Your New House. Today we're going to let your imagination run wild with a project that is guaranteed to become the focal point of any room in your home. And the good news is, it inexpensive and you can do it over the weekend.
Al Carrell: Michael, for under a hundred bucks, you can add a tile mosaic background for almost any room. And if you really want to get wild, let me show you some neat stuff that you can put in there. Now look over here. They've added a fork, they've added a spoon, they've added a cup handle. All these things are mixed in with the mosaic tiles. Now maybe you think this is too complicated to do yourself. Not so. Michael is here to show you just how easy it can be.
M.H.: Stacy, how do you pick a design to use?
Stacy Robinson: Well in this instance, we went for the wallpaper motif, the leaf design in the boarder. I usually try to find something in the room that doesn't compete, but is interesting. Our wall that we're going to do is rather plain and I think that this is going to be really super.
M.H. The key to making a successful mosaic on your first attempt is to keep the project small and simple. Stacy points out that if you've never done this before, try starting with a random design. Find some tile, different colors that you love, and start putting it all together. Stacy and I begin by grabbing hammers and smashing the tile. How do you know how big to make the pieces?
S.R.: Any time that you have a big space to cover, it's best to use larger pieces. It's a lot more work the smaller it is.
M.H.: What makes these mosaic projects so much fun is that they take very little time to put together. Stacy says the project we're doing today should only take three or four hours. Back inside, we begin by using a putty knife to put mastic on the wall. Mastic is the glue used to bond the tile to the wall. You can purchase it at almost any hardware store or design center. Stacy, how long does it take for the mastic to dry?
S.R.: Well, to get completely dry, you need to leave it overnight, but it starts setting up, I would say, 15 minutes.
M.H.: Once the mastic is on the wall we're ready to begin creating our mosaic. How much room do we actually need to leave between pieces?
S.R.: Well, I usually just eyeball it. I would say this amount here is good, but that you can go wider.
M.H.: That's the great thing with mosaics, you're pretty much allowed to do what you want, aren't you?
S.R.: That's right. And call it art. All in the name of art.
M.H.: That's great for those of us who are "design challenged".
S.R.: I want these spaces to be wide enough that you can at least see that there is a break. Don't want to get them too close.
M.H.: What is the biggest mosaic you've ever done?
S.R.: Probably a four foot by eight foot behind a bar. It was a lot of fun. We incorporated a lot of interesting nostalgic pieces. It was a 50's theme, and so we put in broken records and Elvis key chains. You can incorporate all kinds of different items. You can use glass, really just whatever your imagination can think of and what the mastic will hold.
M.H.: Although Stacy is drawing the interior design herself, she strongly recommends you use tracing paper to transfer your design to the wall.
S.R.: These lines aren't exact, but as you can see here, these aren't either, and that is just part of the charm. This is just like a road map to follow.
M.H.: Once your road map is drawn, you can use the same technique that you used on the border to finish the mosaic. As you can see, your mosaic will quickly take shape before your eyes. Once you put the last of the tiles in place it's time to let the pieces bond to the wall overnight. The next day you can start the final step of your weekend project, filling in the spaces with grout.
S.R.: I want to have a sponge that's made for grouting. Because this is an uneven surface, it will tear a regular sponge.
M.H.: What type of grout should you use?
S.R.: Sanded grout. Because the spaces are so wide in between, not like a normal bathroom wall, and it allows for that. You don't get cracking.
M.H.: If you want to put together your own tile mosaic this weekend there are some common mistakes to avoid. First, make sure you don't leave too much space in between the pieces of tile. You want to make sure the eye can easily follow your design. The grouted tile can also crack if the spaces are too large. Limit you spaces to about a quarter of an inch. And try to make your design bold. This will make it less confusing to the eye. Once your mosaic is finished it's very easy to keep clean. If it's behind a stove top like ours, a little Windex and a rag once a week will take care of it. If it's in a different part of your house use water and ammonia once a month and the tile and the grout will stay clean.
Episode 28 1996 - 97 Season
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