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Mosaic Tile Backers
Mosaic backing should be durable, strong and inflexible. The best
mosaic backer is concrete backer board. This is what is used in
bathrooms. This material is cheap, cuts easily, comes in 1/4"
sheets and is available at most any building material store. Drywall
can be removed easily and replaced with a sheet of concrete backer
board. Glass table tops can be replaced with a sheet of concrete
backer board if the table is strong enough to support the weight.
Never create a safety problem by putting heavy mosaic materials on a glass
table top.
Durable
Over the years, moisture can turn plywood and particle board into
splinters. Long before this happens, the tiles will begin popping off
as the plywood warps. Avoid using plywood and particle board
outdoors. Use these materials only on small indoor projects like
mirror and picture frames where the finished piece can be sealed and kept
from the elements.
Strong
Mosaic materials are heavy, no matter if you are using stone, ceramic or
glass mosaic tile. Grout is concrete. The weight of even one
square foot of mosaic can be heavy.
Inflexible
Grout and mosaic tile are inflexible. If they are mounted to a
backer that flexes even slightly over time, the grout and tile will crack
and pop off. Mosaic backings for floors should also be
incompressible. This is why concrete backer board is used beneath tile
floors.
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