Tabletop Tile Tutorial
So I have been contemplating over whether or not to buy a new table....Well, I fell in love with a few sets but they were all so expensive! And I didn't want to spend so much money on
something that my kids would destroy. When you see what my existing table looks like you'll
see what I'm talking about....13 years of wear and tear!!!!
This is after it had been sanded!!! Yuck!! You can see why I was wanting to buy something new. I was tired of covering it with tablecloths that I had to wash after every meal. In my house we still eat at the dinner table every night, but I was getting harder and harder everyday!
Missy and I went to Home Depot to find tiles for another project we were doing....And there was this wall that caught my attention, it was covered with this cool product. This product allows you to skip one of the messy steps of tiling. Missy and I were playing with this wall and I was amazed at how easy it was to set tiles on this wall...and if you didn't get them in the right spot, YOU COULD TAKE THEM OFF and PUT THEM BACK WHERE YOU WANTED...with all the mistakes I make, this was perfect!
I HAD AN IDEA!!!!!
What if I tiled my table, with this stuff it would be easy.....So I found the Home Depot Guru, he's always easy to spot with the bright orange apron : D He helped me gather all the things I would need to get this project done. So here is a list....some of these things I already had at home.
- Sander and sandpaper
- tiles
- grout
- self sticking Tile Setting Mats
- something to cut the tiles with....I got tile nippers, but I would recommend a wet saw
- a tile float
- spacers
- bucket
- sponge
- sealer (depending on what is available you may need a small brush)
So here we go!!!
Step 1
I sanded the table, making sure the surface was even, smooth, and free of debris. When I was done, I took a vacuum and cleaned the table so most of the saw dust was gone....there was still a little dust so I took a damp cloth and wiped the surface. I had to let it dry before I could continue.
Step 2
Next I laid out the tile setting mats and cut them to fit perfectly.
Once they are cut to fit you will remove the plastic backing (DO NOT REMOVE THE TOP PART. The mats look like a sandwich...a top, middle and bottom layer) and lay them on the table. They stick permanently so lay them carefully on the table. Its like using contact paper, you want to lay out a little at a time so you don't have any bubbles. Do not overlap mats and it is okay to have small areas where the mats do not meet
Step 3
Once the whole area is covered you will lay out your tiles so they all fit. This is your chance to design! I took me a while to come up with the design I liked (without cutting too many tiles, Remember I only had nippers...which means I was cutting by hand). I HIGHLY RECOMMEND A WET SAW....Cut your tiles.
Step 4
This is the hard part....now you will remove tiles in a small area (about two mats)...Now you will take the top layer off of the mats to expose the glue.This is where you use the spacers if you need them (I didn't used them because the tiles I used were already on a mat spacer...I eyeballed the rest) Lay your tiles, it's okay if you make a mistake....the beauty of this product is that you can pull up the tiles and reposition them. I started in the middle and worked my way out.
Step 5
Once all the tiles are set you can start grouting. I used premixed grout....for small jobs that is probably easier than mixing grout unless they don't have the color you want. NOTE: I did have to mix the grout in the tub because when I opened the tub the water had gathered at the top. Make sure the mixture is consistent.
Grouting is pretty easy you will need a bucket of clean water and a sponge waiting. Use the float to load the grout into the spaces between the tiles, don't worry about being neat, you are going to clean the tiles with the sponge immediately after you are done grouting. Take the damp sponge and lightly wipe tiles, being careful not to remove the grout you just worked so hard on, rinse the sponge often and change out the water as needed.....Don't get frustrated it takes a while. There will probably be a light hazy film left...no worries, when the grout dries you will clean the table again.
Step 6The grout will set in about four hours. With a clean bucket of water and a clean sponge clean the tile once more. Once you are finished, the grout will need to dry....depending on the temperature in the room will depend on the actual drying time. I let mine dry for 2 days to be sure it was dry.
Step 7
Now that the grout is dry it is time to seal the grout. You want to be careful to seal the grout and not the tiles. They sell sealer in brush bottles, spray bottles, You are DONE!!!!
I Love My Table!!!This project saved me a ton of money....The tiles I found were $2 per sheet x 16 sheets ($32), nippers $12, sealer $10, grout $16, tile setting sheets $20 x2 ($40).......for a Grand Total of $110
That sure beats spending $500-$800 on a new set!!!
And the tabletop itself was a thick laminate and couldn't just be sanded and re-stained, but the base was constructed well so it was going to drive me crazy to throw it out. Especially since I had the booth made for the table, and the house was designed around the booth.......
This project took about four days to complete from start to finish. It took about 6-8 hours to finish Step 1-5, It might have been less if I hadn't cut the tiles by hand with nippers. All in all I am very pleased.
Happy tiling!
YaYa
