Wow! That sounds like a great project and I think you are on the right track to do it in smaller squares. I am pretty new to mosaics but these are the things that I have learned on this site:

Use GE II window and door caulk as your glue
Use Mapei sanded grout in the color of your choice

I think you can mix all of your different materials together, it just depends on if you want all the pieces the same thickness on your finished product. If so, then you would need to sort them accordingly.

The people on this site are extremely helpful and will be glad to walk you through this. They have helped me tremondously and when they see your posting they will be here to help you! Good Luck! Wish I could come and help!!

I'm too much of a control freak to ever allow others to do mosaics (permanent mosaics) in a house I have to live in. I DO have some links for you though . . . You can always just google "mosaic fireplaces" under google images and get a boatload of suggestions.

Here are some links to mosaic fireplace surrounds.

Rivenworks

Lineartgallery.com

Downwestlake.com

George Fishman

HH Mosaics

I wouldn't use Silicone simply because I don't know what it would do in the intense heat a fireplace can produce. I'd stick with concrete based products like thinset that are tried and true for this type of application.

Here's a fireplace I did for a customer. It is predominately tumbled stained glass that I nip and tumble myself, with some flattened marbles, beads, and stones. I did most of it at my studio on squares of mosaic mesh, then took stacks of these squares over to their house and glued them onto the fireplace. The fireplace was already tiled by the builder and I just glued directly over it. I used Weldbond glue. The homeowner wanted some large exotic beads and stones incorporated, so I placed those near the back of the hearth. I can tell you that, although I was able to do much of the mosaicing at the studio, the fireplace was still a lot of work. I made the mesh pieces with randomly shaped edges and then had lots and lots of filling in to do. Then there was the grouting and cleaning. However, it is certainly do-able by you and your family and friends. A good thing about using lots of different materials on a fireplace is that varying thicknesses are okay (not a problem as they would be on a table or floor). It does make the grouting more challenging, however. I bought the mosaic mesh online from Wits End Mosaics. I say go for it. Email me with any questions. silva@keepartalive.com. (P.S. I also painted the clouds above either side of the fireplace. I did this job about 3 or 4 years ago. She had me come back just last week to paint some birds in flight over the clouds, so I had an opportunity to see how the fireplace was holding up and it is still in perfect condition.)

Lemonpeels, yes, I think you and your wife can do it. my husband and I mosaiced our kitchen backsplash in our home about 2 years ago. That was our first vertical tile job; my husband had tiled floors prior. We are in a new (new to us, not brand new) home now and plan to mosaic our kitchen backsplash and fireplace area soon. We plan to mosaic on the drywall as we did before. Be bought our tile from a local tile store and they suggested a mastic that would adhere to the drywall.

The concern with backerboard is that it will raise it so that you will have to consider a border that will cover it. YOu can purchase backerboard at Home Depot in the tile department. There are different thicknesses depending on what you are using it for. I've read of two different techniques with backerboard. One is to screw it to the wall and apply tile directly to it. The second way is to tile on the backerboard and PLAN where the screws will go, leave an open space so you can screw on the wall, then glue tile over the screw after it is secured on the wall.

My caution with having other people help you is that if you haven't done any mosaics, then are you sure your comfortable directing others? You might want to go buy some backerboard and practice a few squares as you have planned and see how it comes out. Consistent spacing of tiles and making sure the design fits together as you envision will be very important.

The other concern you will have to deal with is the different thicknesses of tiles and glass. If they are glass tiles you might be okay but if they are glass, as in stained glass, you will have to accomodate for the differential.

Hope that helps some.

Here's a closer view:

If I were doing it I would:
1.Cover the work area with cement backer-board properly
taping and mortaring all seams.

2.Do the mosaic work on the aforementioned fiberglass mesh with
Weldbond or small dots of GEII silicone...in small
enough sections to handle.

3. Ad-hear the mesh onto the backerboard with a modified thinset
specifically made for glass. Other thinsets may hold
ceramic, stone etc. but not be recommended for glass. The glass
thinset may be used for the other tessera. (I like Customs Megaflex)

4.Wait at least 48 hours before grouting (If using glass, it takes longer to cure)

5.Wait another 48 hours and seal the grout.
Linlee

P.S.
Silvamae,
That fireplace is beauteous!

I totally agree w/WENCH - no way would I let anyone glue something to my fireplace, and I'd use thinset for adhesion. I've had no problems w/Mapei mortar for glass. It's a wonderful adhesive w/instant stickability. Gonna use the backerboard in sections when I do mine, right down to the grouting, leaving places for screws as D3 suggests - for the ease of working on a flat surface and so the next owner (when I move to Heaven) can remove if desired. Anxious to watch your WIPs. Please post pics. WENCH: I marked all those sites for later perusal - hadn't seen any of them. SILVAEMAE - wonderful!

Beautiful fireplace, Silvamae!

I did my fireplace on 3 pieces of cement board then screwed them onto the brick. This way I could mosaic and do all the grouting in my work ares which is way easier then sitting on the floor! I had several screw holes that I then tiled over and along with the small areas where the legs meet the top I did a very small amount of grouting after install. I did use thin-set instead of glue because like several people mentioned I didn't want to worry about heat from the fireplace.

Here is a link that might be useful: mosaic fireplace

Wow, that's gorgeous . . .

Thanks to everyone who has posted, My wife and I are leaning towards using Smalti..can anyone recommend an on-line seller? And does this make the project any different as far as difficulty and procedure? Thanks

WoooooHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Wish I could afford the stuff. Smalti.com. Have you checked the prices of that stuff???

Smalti work is generally not grouted...but I guess that
doesn't mean that it can't be.

lemonpeel, I recommend www.mosaicsmalti.com. Their smalti is more uniform in cut and thickness than other smalti we have purchased. I know that the smalti used in the wonderful mosaics in European architecture is not grouted; however, we always grout ours.

Here is a link that might be useful: smalti

WOW!!! Great topic! Glad you posted Lemon!! Now ya got my interest peaked! My fireplace is REALLY Plain Jane!!(white)
Love the fireplaces posted and Wench's sites were interesting too! I hope you stick around and give us some Work in Progress pics!!! I wouldn't have a problem letting my friends mosaic with me, in fact I'd save up some dough(travel fare) and pull in a couple of ringers off this site!heh heh heh!!!

Smalti is a very traditional material, cut the way it is to play up the light as it reflects and bounces.

It has tiny little holes and fissures that fill with grout and are virtually impossible to clean . . . .

If you don't grout it, paint the substrate black or a very dark color in order to minimize the substrate and emphasize the smalti.

Everyone's right - it's expensive but WONDERFUL to work with. Cuts like butter after some practice!