Hardboard tends to make a superior basis for your mosaics as lengthy as you limit the dimensions of the general mosaic, limit the tesserae measurement, and really don’t show the mosaic in a moist setting. Stay away from hardboard for outdoor apps for the reason that of the opportunity for deterioration. Assuming your tesserae are the sizing of a quarter or less and the general dimensions of your mosaic is a lot less than 24″x24″, I have uncovered that 1/8-inch thick hardboard presents an suitable foundation. If your tesserae are small, it really is stunning how versatile the mosaic is, even with grout, which means it can face up to some warping right before the grout cracks or glass pieces pop off. If your tesserae are big or if you incorporate huge pieces of stained glass into your mosaic, the thickness of your foundation must be increased simply because the mosaic can’t endure as much warping (i.e., the thicker the wood, the much more resistant to warping). For instance, suppose your mosaic is 24″x24″ and you use a solitary piece of yellow stained glass to symbolize the vivid solar lights up the environment. Suppose the sun’s diameter is 10 inches, which makes up a excellent chunk of the mosaic. It’s easy to see how a tiny warping can pressure that solitary piece of glass creating failure (i.e., breaking, popping off). It is like ceramic tile on a concrete-slab foundation. As the concrete cracks and moves, strain is utilized to the ceramic tile and, if the stress is fantastic adequate, the tile breaks. Hence, you should look at the tesserae sizing when deciding upon the thickness of your mosaic’s basis.
In excess of the a long time producing numerous wall mosaics that are 24″x24″ or considerably less, I have discovered that my preferred foundation is 1/8-inch hardboard. It’s the dark-brown stuff that pegboard is made from but with no the holes. It can be slippery easy on 1 aspect and tough on the other. I use this product only for dry, indoor, wall mosaics that will not be exposed to dampness. I use this product due to the fact it is: 1) Relatively slim, 2) Fairly lightweight, and 3) Rough on one particular facet so the glue grabs keep of it effectively.
The 1/8-inch thickness permits the concluded mosaic to in shape in a standard pre-built body. My glass tesserae are about 1/8-inch thick, so the full thickness of the completed mosaic is only about 1/4-inch. This makes it possible for me to obtain a prepared-created frame for virtually nothing at all. I program my indoor wall mosaics to be 16″x24″, 18″x24″, or 24″x24″, which are widespread sizes for pre-built frames. If I have been to use 3/4-inch plywood or MDF as the basis, I would then have to use a tailor made frame with plenty of depth to cover the total thickness of the mosaic (i.e., 3/4-inch wooden basis furthermore 1/8-inch tesserae equals pretty much a 1-inch thickness). Tailor made frames price up to five occasions extra than typical pre-manufactured frames. For case in point, by having gain of their biweekly 50% sale at my favourite hobby store, I can get a pre-designed 18″x24″ frame in a pretty fashion and colour that most effective fits the mosaic, have the mosaic put in in the frame, have the hanging wire put in, and have paper backing set up, all for a lot less than $25. That’s proper! Considerably less than 25 bucks. A customized-made body may possibly value as a great deal as $150.
Not only do I help you save on framing expenditures, the hardboard is low cost as opposed to 3/4-inch plywood and MDF. I buy a pre-minimize area of hardboard rather of a whole 4’x’8 sheet. The pre-slash part is 24″x48″. Recognizing the top of my indoor wall mosaics is ordinarily 24″ (which is the width of the pre-slice segment), this permits me to minimize the hardboard giving me a 16″, 18″, or 24″ width for my mosaic foundation. For instance, suppose I want my mosaic to be 18″x24″. The pre-slash width of the hardboard I invest in is 24″. I evaluate and reduce 18″, which success in a piece of hardboard that’s 18″x24″. The piece fits flawlessly in a common 18″x24″ pre-produced body. I measure and cut the hardboard applying a normal round observed and a “rip fence” that I make by clamping a 3-foot amount to the hardboard with two C-clamps. The rip fence enables me to thrust the noticed along the straight edge of the amount to guarantee a straight and precise cut.
I get ready the hardboard basis by portray it with two coats of white primer. The major purpose for painting it white is to get a white history on to which the glass tesserae will be adhered (Observe: I always adhere the glass to the tough aspect of the hardboard). Although I usually use opaque glass, the white background assists brighten it up. The dim-brown shade of the hardboard can make the glass parts surface uninteresting and dark, even however the glass is supposed to be opaque. The secondary profit of portray the hardboard with primer is that it seals it. I don’t know if sealing hardboard does anything at all, but it can make me feel improved believing it really is sealed. I you should not know the content or chemical properties of hardboard and how it is created, so I will not know if it needs to be sealed, but portray it offers me a great, heat-and-fuzzy experience. I have a routine of sealing anything no matter if it wants it or not.
Right after making use of the tesserae and grout, you will be shocked at how adaptable the mosaic is devoid of creating glass or grout failure (assuming your tesserae are relatively small). When I 1st employed 1/8-inch hardboard as the basis for a mosaic, I experimented and found that I could bend the mosaic a comprehensive two inches with out influencing the glass and grout. I was also worried to bend it additional than two inches! After the experiment, I assumed if the mosaic can bend a whopping two inches, then it can endure any warping that could possibly occur. Then, soon after the mosaic was mounted in the pre-designed frame, I recognized that the mosaic was set up in this sort of a fashion to inhibit any warping at all. The mosaic was pressed and held in-location with the little fasteners in the again of the frame to hold it from falling out. The only way the mosaic can warp is if it really is strong plenty of to result in the body to warp with it. I have by no means had a issue with any indoor wall mosaic warping when utilizing 1/8-inch hardboard set up in a common pre-produced body.
1/8-inch hardboard is also light-weight sufficient so the excess weight of the over-all mosaic isn’t so weighty that you have to remodel your house to build a aid composition stout more than enough to keep the fat of a mosaic. Usually, my 24″x24″ (or less) mosaics are light sufficient to adequately hang by usually means of a photo hook and nail put in in drywall. I do not have to lower into the drywall to install 2″x4″ pieces concerning the studs and then replace the drywall. This is exceptionally useful, particularly when marketing or providing away the mosaic (i.e., you is not going to lose buyers that you may well or else eliminate if you notify them they have to cling the mosaic by carrying out one thing much more than pounding a nail into wall).