I don’t know if McDesign asked this for me or not, but I’m mounting tile murals of 6″x6″ and 8″x8″ tiles in groups of 6 (see “Hard of Heron”). What can I mount those to that won’t warp and could be hung on the wall framed or incorporated into a tiled wall. I don’t know if it’s possible to have both options with one type of backing.
Whatever I pick, there’s no going back.
Laura – nervous
Edited 2/26/2009 11:55 am ET by TileGal
Replies
As to a hanging frame I've just glued tiles to a 1/2" plywood substraight, My front lettering is that way and has been hanging on my front wall for the last 4 years. While weather hasn't hurt it it is under an deep eave.
I've placed many a specialty tile for display this way. My wife has a huge tile mosaic arty piece hanging in the house glued to plywood as well and framed out. Nothings warped yet.
I don't think there would be a problem.
Edited 2/26/2009 10:19 am by jagwah
How about 1/4 hardi?
double the rest of the wall and set the panel into it?
Both options would not be available with a single backing (generally). If the panel is to be inset in a wall, the backing needs to be determined by what the rest of the wall has as backing.
If it is to be hung on the wall in a frame, I'd want the backer to be fairly sturdy -- total thickness of 1/2" is good. And because of the weight, I'd probably use plywood instead of cement backer.
And if it is to be done in a frame, be sure that the hanging method is also sturdy enough, and reliable enough.
Forrest did ask but there were only a few responses. I recomended the baltic birch plywood.
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=116506.1
ETA: Your work is very impressive.
Edited 2/26/2009 12:15 pm ET by JAlden
For that size, I'd think that 1/2" Durorock would work, leave a large margin for the display frame to attach to, and then if and when the group wants to be incorporated into a wall scheme, the frame can be removed and the "Flange" or durock can be screwed to the wall substrate.
The other non-fancy wall tiles will overlap the joint if they are on the same thickness backer.
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How about a 1/4" piece of honeycombed aluminum?
It is lightweight and will not warp.
The only drawback would be the cost but I would imagine that your murals are fairly expensive anyway.
sully
Laura,
From Forrest's post over the years, and being a fellow Georgian, I feel like I know you guys. In that spirit, I'm happy to offer my OWN bathroom wall as a stable surface to properly display your work.
Hey, anything to help ! !
Greg in Albany
By the way, my wife is a High School Art Teacher, and she loves to hand-build with clay, and she's a handweaver; we have two floor looms in our living room.
Edited 2/26/2009 2:09 pm ET by GregGibson
Cool, I teach art at our kids' school. We spent the fall on a lot of textile/fiber work. Sounds like you've got the talent in house, for your own custom tile installation.
Laura
Mosaicists often use wedi board as backer for their mosaics. It's lightweight, it's fairly stiff, and it's surface easily accepts thinset or mastic.
Wow, that is cool stuff. I just pulled up a little info. Have you worked with it before? My only concern would be that my tiles, with extreme relief work, would be too heavy. Maybe pulling the facing off, or something.
Laura
I've only used Wedi in a shower. It's a nice product, but they have a limited distribution network. Because of that their prices are relatively high to begin with. Mosaic suppliers have stepped in as resellers, but they take a full sheet, cut it up, and really jack up the per square foot price for the smaller pieces.I'm not certain of a shear rating for the facing. I do think, shear-wise, that it's stronger than Kerdi membrane. In a shower I once used 1-1/8" thick stone over Kerdi. No problems.But with extreme-relief tiles, it's always best to be conservative.Well, after doing a "wedi" search on google and sifting through, of all things, pages of mosaic suppliers, I found Wedi's home site. They list the shear strength as 0.2 N/mm^2. One newton/mm^2 equals about 145lbF/in^2, so 0.2 equals about 29lbF/in^2, or a seemingly ridiculous two-plus tons per square foot. Hmmm. Maybe my math and unit conversions aren't so hot tonight. Or maybe Wedi is really really strong!
Thank you so much! I knew nothing about this product.
Laura
not sure of all the details of your situation, but some
thoughts.
In a previous life I made stretcher frames and panels for
artist and galleries.
It would be important that the piece could be moveable and removable.
Warping is a constant struggle, but easily overcome with the use of
french cleats. With your scale (36x36 and 48x48) Two on the top and
two on the bottom will pull it flat easily.
Perhaps someone can help with the mastic choice. It needs to bond permanently yet be removable if necessary.
The panel-
5/4 stock ripped to as thick as the artist will allow for depth from wall.
Artist want everything paper thin, panel maker needs 1 1/2" at least
for that weight. Deeper the better, you decide...
So, 5/4 ripped to 1 1/2" stood up and screwed in the corners.
Minimum one brace every 30". So you'd have one vert. and one horiz.
I'd go with two each way if in it was me.
1/2" ply generously stapled to frame. DO NOT glue the plywood
down, this will warp it for sure.
That will do her, good luck.
Sorry about the size.
Here's a picture of the frame, all thou this one is rather deep.
Notice the cleats.
Thanks a lot. That gives me good stuff to think about for the big stuff.
i guess if you used mapei kerabond thinset with keralastic you would have flexible thinset in which to set your tiles??
Thanks!
Edited 2/27/2009 3:17 pm ET by TileGal