need some help with a bird bath

15 years ago

Hi everyone, I'm new to this site, and after browsing the web for about 6 hours, I thought your site had some of the best information i found on the web.

I own a pottery studio and am just getting into mosaics, and have done indoor mosaics with out a problem. BUT I have a school that wants me to mosaic a bird bath with the kids.

I bought a great basin and stand from lowes for a great price! My question is what do I seal the concrete with before I mosaic on it? some sites I've seen mixtures of wellbond but I'm not comfortable with that. If you can give me a specific brand of concrete sealant that would be great.

Also we are in freezing climates, so we were going to use vitrious glass tile and pool grade porcelian tile so it would hold up during the winter months. So what kind of glue should i use, thin set? What brand is best?

Lastly....this thing should be sealed after grouting what kind of sealant do you recommend?

I so appreciate any advice you can give me! This is going to be quite an undertaking. We are also doing a mosaic poker table....that's going to be really interesting! Talk about time consuming stuff!

Thanks again!

Featured Answer

Dottie B.

15 years ago

If you live in an area that freezes, you really need to bring the birdbath inside for the winter. No matter what you do, the tiles can pop off as the piece expands and contracts in the cold.

That being said, I did a birdbath last spring and it is holding up great. I did mine on a terra cotta saucer, but the process should still be the same.

I started with a 14" terra cotta saucer like the ones that go underneath clay pots. I rinsed it out and made sure it was free of debris. After it dried, I applied three coats of a penetrating sealer for tile and grout. The one I am using has a 5-year warranty and is a matte finish. There are many products on the market that have a 20-year warranty but they are much more expensive and since I am new to this, I didn't want to go to the extra expense right now.

A couple of days after I applied the sealer I adhered the tiles with a pre-mixed concrete patch. Since I was working in the house I didn't want to try and mix my own mortar or thinset. I used the indirect method by designing it on contact paper first then laying it in the bottom of the saucer after I put a thin layer of the concrete patch on the bottom. I used vitreous glass tiles with some light blue glass nuggets in the center. I kept the design very simple as I was not in the mood to cut a bunch of tiles.

After three days of letting the adhesive dry, I grouted it with a gray sanded grout using Admix as the liquid. I sealed it with the same matte finish penetrating sealer after the grout cured for several days.

I think the most important thing is that the adhesive and the grout have sufficient time to set before use. Good luck with your project.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{!gwi}}

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Comments (11)

texaswild
15 years ago
G'mornin' ELLA: You don't really need to seal concrete to mosaic it - only spritz it w/water while you're laying on the THINSET. I use Lowes Mapei polymer-modified mortar (UltraFlex 2) for adhesive and also the same for the grout for all outside pieces. DO NOT USE WELDBOND. The only disaster I have had was in my early days of mosaicing. I sealed a terra cotta pot w/Weldbond. The first winter, I took the plants out of the pot, but forgot to do that last winter, and all the pieces fell off. Everything I've used the mortar on is still intact. IMO - sealing after it's grouted isn't necessary either on the concrete and the concrete-based mortar. I only seal to change the look of the grout from dull to glossy. IF you feel more comfortable w/sealing your concrete, Quickcrete has a sealer - or DryLoc. Check w/your tile store for other advice. You can also call Mapei's 800 number to get info. I did, and they were great. As long as Lowes carries it, that's my favorite cuz it already has the admixture in it - just mix it w/water to cake-batter consistency - it's a wonderful adhesive. I use it for grout to ensure adhesion to sort make it all one unit. Hope this helps, and WELCOME to the forum.
ellagrace
Original Author
15 years ago
What about changing the color of the thinset/mortar, for grouting purposes, is there any colorant you can add to it? I'd like the grout to be black.
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I agree that the overall feeling of your bathroom is great. The doors are amazing. The tile is beautiful and rustic. And it looks like you get a lot of light coming into the bathroom. I think a few changes might help you love your bathroom. I'm guessing you're afraid the tile "will melt" with grouting because it's cheaper slate? Perhaps one of the tile experts will chime in, but as I understand, a tile installation is generally made significantly stronger once grouted. Did you do proper waterproofing in the shower before tile installation? Also, I've read that in general a proper slope is difficult to achieve with large format (larger than maybe 4-6"?) tiles on a shower floor. Assuming your shower was properly constructed with waterproofing and drainage in mind, I think you should go forward with grouting it. In my opinion, tile work almost always looks better when grouted and your installation looks really lovely in the pictures. My first tile installation took forever, especially the tile cutting. It gets easier with practice, but I agree it's a labor of love (and frustration). I can absolutely understand your trepidation. I also agree that the shiny black toilet isn't quite right for the room. Do you have a local Habitat for Humanity Restore? When I have been to mine I've seen numerous colored toilets for sale. Perhaps you can find a more mid-toned neutral color. If not, I checked the Kohler site and they have a huge variety of colors. I think a mid-tone like Thunder Gray or Cashmere or Dune or Sandbar or Mexican Sand might work. I agree with the others that white might be a little stark and not in keeping with the soothing rustic character of your bathroom. While I like the gray on your walls and ceiling, I do think it's making the room feel much darker. I would try a lighter color, maybe a light creamy beige or lighter gray. I also think keeping the ceiling a light color (maybe cream or creamy beige) would help. You said your sink isn't draining properly. Is it properly vented? I am no plumbing expert, but the lack of an overflow should not affect the way the sink drains. Proper plumbing including ventilation is generally key to good drainage. Also, I believe copper will naturally patina, so it will probably never look sparkling clean. But isn't that part of the point? Your bathroom has a lovely rustic quality and I think the copper sink enhances that. Personally, I would work on replacing the vanity. I agree with others that a poorly constructed particle board dresser might not be the best idea around water. Personally, I also think the brown paint is not working very well either. I think a rustic stained wood piece in keeping with the doors would be better. In my local area there are always fantastic solid oak old/antique dressers for sale on Craiglist and in the classifieds. I think your husband could work his magic with a good quality antique and you'd have a much more beautiful vanity that will last. If you do purchase an actual vanity, I'd go with something maybe oak or pine or with other strong grain and slightly rustic. I'm including some pictures of what I mean. I realize the Restoration Hardware vanities are probably way out of the budget, but I wanted to show some general ideas of what I'm thinking.
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texaswild
15 years ago
Lowes has liquid colorant is several colors - charcoal is the one I've used. It is very dark, and I used it last, I think, on my Riana birdbath. You can use lots of it to make it almost black. cuz it's very strong. Delphi has powered colorants, Tints All has colorants - Google for other places.
daisyme
15 years ago
Glad to have you about! You'll always get good information with some smiles here. Welcome!
texaswild
15 years ago
Don't want to be disagreeable, but I'm inclined to think that if your birdbath is concrete, and you use cement-based adhesive/grout, it should withstand the cold climate. We learned in Riana's workshop that her sculptures are made of the wire mesh and concrete, and she says it w/hold up in ANY climate. She lives in Wisconsin, and I think that's the ultimate test.
deborahmc52
15 years ago
Slow, do you also just use the Mapei on terracotta, for base and grout, like on the chimney liner or pots ..ALL outside things? I'm in FL, so HEAT is the issue here, and rain..I need to go to Lowes tomorrow so thought I'd check before I buy..thanks Debbie
texaswild
15 years ago
Yes, DEB: I use it on ALL ouside things, including terra cotta. The tower in my "Tower Installation" is made of chimney liners. The only thing I've had to lose it's tiles was the pot on which I used Weldbond to seal. DON'T use Weldbond on ANYTHING for outside. The cement-based mortar and grout is the ONLY thing, IMO, to use for outside use. The pots I mosaiced near my swing patio were not sealed at all - inside or out, and they've held up almost two yrs. My advice to you now b/f you buy is to get Mapei's 800 no. off the net, call them and discuss their mortar and grouts. You CAN use the regular sanded grout for outside, I just like to give things an extra insurance by using the mortar as grout too.
Check out my album "My Queendom" to see the two patio pots.
Link to my album
ddgg
15 years ago
Silly question... when you seal the grout in a birdbath,,,, do you seal the tiles also? or must I be
careful not to paint the tiles, only the grout?
Thanks.
texaswild
15 years ago
Slather on the sealer, and w/some sealers, you wipe it off the tiles. It'll soak into the grout. I use Tile Lab, and leave it on everything.
Leigh B
last year
Hi there, i have a question sorry if its been answered, i would like to do a mosaic bird bath on a terracotta dish and stand, do i seal it first or not before i use thin set or whatever to stick the tiles on? i amin Tasmania so we get about 3 degrees celcius overnight in winter not freezing temperatures. thank you for your help

need some help with a bird bath

Dottie B.

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ellagrace
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need some help with a bird bath

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