| Q. |
What is tesserae? |
| A. |
Tesserae is any material that is applied to a surface. Examples of tesserae would be tiles, glass, china, porcelin, ceramics, buttons, mirror, stones, marble, etc...
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| Q. |
Can I order online and if so how? Is it safe? |
| A. |
Yes you can. Find the products you want, enter the quantity desired, then click on the Add to Cart button under the quantity. Continue shopping until you are ready to check out, then we'll walk you through the effortless purchasing process all the way to check out. If you have any difficulties, please email us.
We use SSL (Secure Socket Layer) for orders. This option secures your payment information by enabling 128-bit encryption for all transmissions. This means that the sensitive information can not be seen by anyone other than the receiver.
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| Q. |
I have never mosaiced, is it difficult? How long does it take? |
| A. |
NO, mosaicing is very simple. It can be as basic or complex as the creator desires. Check out our How To section for an extremely detailed step-by-step demonstration of the mosaic process.
Different people work at different paces. It also depends on the tiles used, the size of the piece and how intricate your mosaic design is. The beauty of mosaics is that you can do them at your own pace when and where you want to. You can do a little in the afternoon before the kids get home, then some in front of the television after dinner and finish on your schedule. Just work in small sections and stop and go when you want. It is very relaxing to not be pressured to finish in one sitting.
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| Q. |
What type of adhesive should I use for my project? |
| A. |
The best and most universal choice is Weldbond. It is the preferred adhesive of professional mosaic artists. It goes on white, but dries clear. It can also be used as a sealer on pieces that you want to put outside. Just mix for parts water and one part Weldbond and brush on a coat or two.
The other choice would be an epoxy or clear adhesive such as Weldbond or E6000. These are harder to work with and some have a strong odor. They are ideal when you are doing pieces that require light to shine through or that will become in contact with heat. Most are hightly toxic, so read the label carefully before purchasing.
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| Q. |
How do I nip or cut tiles into smaller pieces? |
| A. |
Most of our tiles can be nipped, cut or broken into smaller pieces. We even sell a few products that we have already nipped or broken by hand and tumbled to get rid of sharp edges so that you don't have to. It provides a great mosaic look. You will find these products in our online catalog under "Tesserae." The ceramic version is called Hunks & Chunks™. The glass version is called Nibbles & Bits™ and they come in solid colors, as well as translucent cathedral glass for use on sun catchers and candle shelters where you want light to shine through.
If you want to nip tiles yourself, our favorite choice is our Wheeled Tile Nipper. It provides an accurate and easy way of nipping. Our Standard Tile Nippers will also break tile, but not quite as precisely; they are well suited for very hard or thick tiles. You can also break some larger ceramic tiles by putting them in a brown sack and gently hammering them or dropping them on the ground. Be careful when handling tiles that you have broken, as they will have sharp edges.
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| Q. |
How much tile do I need for my project? |
| A. |
In most cases there is not exact answer for this question. Factors such as surface area of the piece, width of your grout line, side finishing options, etc. will increase or decrease the amount of tile needed. We sell all of our tile by weight. For each type of tile we tell you approximately how many square inches of surface area that particular type of tile will cover* (look in the description on the right of the product picture). For each of our surfaces (mirrors, frames, plaques, etc), we tell you the number of square inches of surface area (not including the sides). For example, if a picture frame had 50 square inches and you chose to mosaic it with a tile that said it covered 100 square inches per pound, you would need approximately 1/2 pound of tile to cover the top of that surface. You would need extra if you want to mosaic the sides of your piece.
*Our coverages are based on about an 1/8" space between tiles.
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| Q. |
How much grout do I need for my project? |
| A. |
Experience will make this a more easily answered question. As a rule, small projects such as animal plaques, 6" plaques, small picture frames, etc. will take about 8 ounces of grout and larger projects such as mirrors will take 2 to 3 and sometimes 4 times that much. The amount of grout needed depends not only on the surface area of the piece, but also the width of the grout line. If you put all of your tesserae 1/8" apart then you will obviously need less grout than if you put them 1/2" apart. After a while you will be able to accurately determine how much grout a given project needs. We use and suggest sanded grout for most all projects. We offer grout in 10 colors and a variety of sizes.
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| Q. |
What do you make your mosaic shapes from? Can I use it outdoors? |
| A. |
Most of our pieces are created from a 3/4" thick material called MDF. We use this thickness because it provides a nice rigid surface to mosaic and allows us to cut a nail hanging slot in the back of most pieces so you don't have to try to hammer a saw tooth hanger into the back of the piece. The thickness is also ideal for mosaicing the edges of the piece. There are a few exceptions where we use a slightly different material that is thinner or water resistant.
Most of our pieces are not inherently water resistant; they need to be treated before they could survive contact with moisture. You can seal this material using an appropriate sealer from your local hardware store OR you can use our Weldbond adhesive mixed one part adhesive with 4 parts water and brush it on the front, back and sides of your piece. Add a couple of coats. After your project is mosaiced, use a grout sealer to add extra protection to your piece.
We do have a few pieces that are already made from a pre-treated material and don't need to be sealed before mosaicing. Our Occasional Tables are ready to mosaic for use outdoors. Our mosaic numbers are also made from a weather resistant material. They are also only 1/2" thick.
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| Q. |
Can I put mosaic tiles on the sides of my piece? |
| A. |
Sure you can. You have a few options for finishing the sides of your piece. The first option would be to mosaic the sides of the piece. If you are mosaicing one of our 3/4" thick pieces then using our 3/4" Venetian Glass Tiles, Stained Glass Squares, or Mosaic Gems are all great choices. You can look at pieces in our mosaic gallery to see different tiles used on the sides. TIP: If you are mosaicing the sides and using Weldbond, zig zag a semi-thick bead of Weldbond on the side(s) of your piece and let it sit for 5-10 minutes and it will thicken up. You can then press your pieces into the thickened Weldbond and they won't slide off.
Your other options for finishing the sides would be to paint the sides with an acrylic paint after your grout has dried. A paint that is the same color as your grout looks nice and you can go ahead and paint the back of your piece for a more finished look.
You can also "colorwash" the sides of your works. This is very easy and quick and usuallly provides a nice finish. When grouting, firmly rub the grout onto the sides of your piece. Scrub it firmly and then wipe off the excess sandy part and you should be left with a nice colorwashed finish with no brushes or paint needed.
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| Q. |
Can kids do mosiacs? How old do they need to be? |
| A. |
Kids can definitely do mosaics! You may need to supervise children depending on their age. We do not suggest allowing children to nip or cut. Pieces are small and could be a choking hazard if swallowed. Our Weldbond adhesive is non-toxic and cleans up with water making it ideal for children to use. There is not specific age when kids can start doing mosaics. We have some extremely creative 4 year olds that mosaic. If they can differentiate between a mosaic tile and a piece of candy then they are probably old enough to mosaic.
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| Q. |
What surfaces can I mosaic on? |
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An easier question would be "What surfaces can I NOT mosaic on?" You can mosaic pretty much anything as long as you use the correct adhesive. Ideal surfaces for mosaicing are rigid and free of dirt of grime. In addition to the more than 300 shapes that we offer have to mosaic, we have mosaiced bowling balls, bowling pins, glass candle shelters, ceramic vases, walls, countertops, backsplashes, ugly lamps and much more. Refer to one of the great books that we offer for more details, specific techniques, ideas and inspiration. Get creative!!!
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| Q. |
On your Bottle Balance™, which sides do you mosaic? |
| A. |
Our Bottle Balance™ is a popular and unique piece. In order for your wine bottle balance the best we suggest that you do the tops and sides of the piece. Do not do the underneath portion or the part that touches the table. This piece makes a GREAT gift and is simple and inexpensive to make.
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