No Days Mosaic Mesh Advice from Leigh Adams

Hi Leigh, I just received my first order of No Days and am loving it! First, I just wanted to say thanks for the work you did here, pioneering this product for mosaic artists! 

Corn accents on No Days Mosaic Mesh, which
will be affixed to the wedi board using thinset.

Second, a question: the No Days Mesh came with an opaque release paper, and the instructions recommended I sketch my design directly onto the mesh. I found I can't achieve the level of detail I want by doing this, and would love to have my image directly behind the mesh to guide my work. Could you recommend a CLEAR, heat-resistant release paper I could use behind the mesh that would not obscure my image? Thanks so much for your time! Cheers! ~Lynn

Leigh Adams, the No Days Mosaic Mesh Queen

I'm so glad to hear you are enjoying the No Days mesh, Lynn! Since it is easiest to work in one foot squares (for installation purposes as well as ease of using the kitchen oven to adhere the tesserae), I create my design on any paper I want and divide it into workable shapes that I can piece together easily and conveniently. Then, instead of using the release paper (save it!), I use waxed paper and put the mesh on top of that. You can see your design and the mesh can be heated and will release. CAUTION! Test your wax paper. Some recent purchases have not been adequately strong, the paper was inferior. Try a test square and keep notes on what works for you And please let me see what you do!

Four 12" squares of mosaic built on No Days Mosaic Mesh

UPDATE: I have found that Reynolds Parchment paper (the side with the writing on it) will also work well as a release liner.

Q & A ~ Heating No Days Mosaic Mesh in the Oven

Assorted tiles on No Days Mosaic Mesh:
thick dichroic on ceramic tiles, clay tile, thick glass tile,
smalti & fused glass

No Days Mosaic Mesh is a fiberglass mesh with No Days Mosaic Adhesive embedded in it. So, instead of using white glue (which can be messy) or thinset or mortar (which can be messy and take time to mix up in small batches), you can place your tiles on top of the mesh and heat set them in place before final installation with a cement product.

The No Days Mosaic Adhesive will stick to everything but silicone. So, it comes packaged with a silicone coated paper to be used as a release liner. If you don't heat set your tiles on the mesh on top of the silicone release liner, then the mesh will stick to whatever surface is lying under it!
 

Assorted tiles on No Days Mosaic Mesh:
glass tiles, sea shell & smalti

 Once your tiles are in place, you can use a standard heat gun, curing station, embossing heat tool, oven, electric skillet, or toaster oven to heat the adhesive to activate it. Using an oven can be a huge time saver, because it frees up your hands to continue working on more sections of the mosaic instead of holding a heat gun.  The No Days Adhesive is non-toxic and will not contaminate your oven when used properly.

Assorted tiles on No Days Mosaic Mesh:
thick and thin glass tile,  stone & dichroic glass

To use an oven, find a cookie sheet and line it with the release liner from the NO Days Mosaic Mesh packaging. The liner should be slightly larger than the mesh mosaic you are building. Then, lay down a section of No Days Mosaic Mesh and cover it with your tiles. When you're ready to heat set the adhesive, put the cookie sheet in the oven and set the oven to 180º-200ºF (80º-90ºC). Leave your mosaic in the oven for approximately 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the cookie sheet and use tweezers or a skewer to move pieces into place if they are not exactly where they should be. You will have about a minute to move your tiles around before the adhesive begins to cool and cure. If you need more time, then reheat the mosaic. (NOTE: If you continue to move the tiles when the adhesive begins to cool and cure, then your bond will become weak. Reheat the pieces to reactivate the adhesive if you need more time.)

If you haven't tried using No Days Mosaic Mesh, it's recommended to try building a small section (~6" or 12") to get used to the way it works. After you heat set the piece and pull it out of the oven,  let it cool down.  Shake the mesh a bit and if the pieces are falling off, then the try to heat again.

 

Some things to keep in mind: 

• Thicker tiles can take a bit longer to heat. Experiment to see how long you need to heat your tiles. The adhesive activates at 160ºF (70ºC), which is too hot to touch. You should not be able to comfortably touch tiles that are hot enough to activate the adhesive. 
• No Days Adhesives do not stick to silicon. If your tiles had any kind of silicon adhesive covering the back of them, they will not stick to the mesh because our adhesive won't stick to silicon. 
• If you have any problems, please contact info@streuter.com so we can help you sort them out!

Mosaic Artist Spotlight ~ Allan Punto of Arto Punto

Allan Punto of Arto Punto shared some photos from an installation in London, UK.
He built the mosaic on No Days Mosaic Mesh before transporting to the installation site for permanent adhesive using mortar.

8' x 2' mosaic created by Allan Punto of Arto Punto
on No Days Mosaic Mesh

"Here is a photo of the installed mosaic in London that I prepared using No Days Mosaic Mesh. The size is 8 feet by 2 feet and the tiles are Winckelman porcelain and Sicis glass. I used Rocatex Rapid Set adhesive and Grout."

Allan built the mosaic on No Days Mesh and cut it into 16 sections
to make installation easier.

"The panel was constructed in 16 sections to make transportation and installation straightforward. Prior to installation the sections were laid in situ for the client to make sure she was happy with the tones of the panel. She liked it all but decided that a softer blue would work better than the white in the big flower. This was not a problem because I had used mosaic mesh!"

Detail shot of the mosaic tiles that needed to be changed out
at the customer's request. Changing the tiles is easy by reheating
the adhesive and quickly switching out the design.

"A particular benefit for this installation of using the mosaic mesh was the easy process of changing a layer of cut tile in the big flower below to change the tone at the request of the customer. I just needed to reheat the individual pieces, remove them and replace them with a softer blue in place of white."

See more of Allan Punto's work at Arto Punto at http://www.artopunto.co/ 

Q&A Monday ~ Vertical Mount Mosaic with Mesh

Subject: mosaic product question

I an interested in doing some mosaic work on  concrete wall outside. Is there a product that would work well for this? It needs to be able to withstand winter and hot summer conditions as I am located in KS.

Thank you,

S

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No Days Mosaic Mesh allows you to build your mosaic on a horizontal
surface and then mount your mosaic vertically using thinset or mortar.

 Hi, S ~

The best way to approach the work you want to do would be to build your mosaic on mesh and then mount on the wall using an appropriate thinset / mortar.

Our No Days Mosaic Mesh has a heat set adhesive that holds the tiles to the mesh while you're building the mosaic. When the pieces are set in place, then you use thinset to attach it to the wall.

We have a YouTube channel and there's a quick video on the process here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHExYFozByA&feature=share&list=PL2470E6E3D2CD6545

There's an artist that uses our mesh all the time on installations and she likes to place and then heat set the tiles on the mesh. After the tiles cool down, she butters the back of the mosaic with a thin layer of thinset, which helps to stabilize the mosaic and makes it easy to install. http://nodaysadhesives.blogspot.com/2013/05/merle-art-design-custom-dogwood-bathroom.html

Hope this helps,
Carrie

Mosaic insert on stone bench, made using No Days Mosaic Mesh.

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No Days Instructor and Support Carrie Strope Sohayda

Hi, there! Carrie, here... Not only do I travel the country teaching folks how to use No Days adhesives (and other techniques), but I also answer customer support emails about using No Days. So, if you're having an issue with the adhesives, chances are good that I'll be answering your questions! Since I get so many good questions, I thought it might be a great learning opportunity for people that may be having some of the same issues but haven't thought to email us. Don't worry, I'll keep the emails anonymous! Also, don't forget that we've got a lot of really fabulous videos (I put those together, too...) on our YouTube channel. So for those of you who are visual learners (umm...we're visual artists, right?), you may want to check them out! If you've got questions, feel free to contact us at info@streuter.com.

Q&A Monday ~ Mosaic Mesh vs film adhesive

Subject: Exterior Mosaic project

I am working on a large 3' x 6' exterior glass tile mosaic. I thought I'd adhere it to backer board, working flat, then mount that to the wall for final placement. I was thinking of using your No Days Mesh, as I position the tiles. Then use Weldbond glue to adhere it to the backer board. Grout and seal. Now I am wondering if I should just use your Mosaic Adhesive Film. Would that product work on what will be hung vertically and be outdoors permanently?

Thanks for your help.

L

Thank you! Looking forward to using this. How long has this product been available?

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Should I use No Days Mosaic film or Mosaic Mesh?

Hi, L :)

The mesh was meant to be mounted with mortar or thinset. I would suggest using the No Days Mosaic Adhesive Film if you'll be working directly on backerboard and then mounting. The adhesive only activates (or reactivates) at 160 degrees F, which is well above outdoor temperatures. The freeze thaw cycle doesn't affect it either.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you have further questions!
Carrie

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No Days Instructor and Support Carrie Strope Sohayda

Hi, there! Carrie, here... Not only do I travel the country teaching folks how to use No Days adhesives (and other techniques), but I also answer customer support emails about using No Days. So, if you're having an issue with the adhesives, chances are good that I'll be answering your questions! Since I get so many good questions, I thought it might be a great learning opportunity for people that may be having some of the same issues but haven't thought to email us. Don't worry, I'll keep the emails anonymous! Also, don't forget that we've got a lot of really fabulous videos (I put those together, too...) on our YouTube channel. So for those of you who are visual learners (umm...we're visual artists, right?), you may want to check them out! If you've got questions, feel free to contact us at info@streuter.com.

Giving back to the Community ~ Steve's Kids

Second Grade Garden Sculpture ~ Serpent

We love receiving feedback from customers. We're always blown away by the amount of creativity there is out there! We also love to give back to the community whenever we can. In this case, we donated No Days Mosaic Mesh and No Days Glaze to the Old Town Academy for their annual fundraiser Gala. The students are led through the art making process by amazing teachers, artists, and volunteers creating fantastic artwork that gets auctioned off.

Starry Night Table created with No Days Mosaic Mesh

Q&A Monday ~ Mixed Media Techniques with Apoxie Sculpt & No Days Mosaic Mesh

Subject: Streuter Technologies: No Days Mosaic Mesh

Hi, this is my first time using your mesh, do I have to complete my project before using the heat gun or can I keep using the heat gun when I finish a section of my project before the complete mosaic is finished?

Also I want to use some beads in my mosaic can I use Apoxie Sculpt to lay my beads down in place and when the Apoxie drys use the heat gun for the surrounding stained glass?

Thank you,
Peggy Lindstrom

Detail of Peggy's owl on No Days Mesh with
Apoxie Sculpt holding the beads in place.

Hi, Peggy~

It's not necessary to finish the whole mosaic before heat setting sections. In fact, one mosaic artist I know likes to build cookie sheet sized sections of her mosaic, so she can put part of the mosaic in the oven to set while she works on the next section!

You do need to remember to build your mosaic on the No Days Mesh on top of the shiny side of the white release liner that comes in the package with the mesh. If you build on the non-shiny surface or forget it altogether, your mosaic and mesh will stick to the paper or surface that you're building on. After you've heat set a section, you do need to let it cool down before moving it, so that the release liner doesn't stick. The adhesive will peel off of it when it cools down, but when it's hot, it likes to stick to the liner.

The project you're working on sounds intriguing! I'd never heard of Apoxie Sculpt. I'm not sure what the makeup of the product is, but No Days Adhesive will stick to everything except silicon (the shiny side of the release liner has a silicon coating). I don't know if Apoxie will hold up to the heat gun, you may want to give them a call and ask them or make a small sample test piece. The website says that it's not flammable, but that doesn't guarantee that it won't discolor. If it doens't hold up to the heat, you could always lay down the Apoxie Sculpt and beads after heat setting the stained glass pieces.

I'd really love to see your mosaic when you've finished. I'm curious about the Apoxie Sculpt, too. I may have to think of a good reason to buy it and play with a new technique :)

I've linked to a video below from our YouTube channel specifically regarding the mesh, and also the website of the company that creates the Apoxie Sculpt and what I read about it.

Good luck!

Carrie Strope Sohayda

Work In Progress: Peggy of PalsCreations on Etsy shared
this image of her owl in a tree done on No Days Mesh.

Hi Carrie,

 Here are the pictures of the mosaic I'm working on: a tree with a little owl in the tree. I've outlined the owl with beads that I attached to the mesh with Apoxie Sculpt; it dries hard like cement and held up fine with the heat.  It's actually going to be a baby mural for one of my teammates (I belong to piecemakers, a team on etsy) who is having a baby this year. It's a collaborative effort, we are all making separate pieces and one person is going to put it all together, I'll send you a picture when its complete. My shop name is PalsCreations.etsy.com

Thanks again,

Peggy

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No Days Instructor and Support Carrie Strope Sohayda

Hi, there! Carrie, here... Not only do I travel the country teaching folks how to use No Days adhesives (and other techniques), but I also answer customer support emails about using No Days. So, if you're having an issue with the adhesives, chances are good that I'll be answering your questions!   Since I get so many good questions, I thought it might be a great learning opportunity for people that may be having some of the same issues but haven't thought to email us. Don't worry, I'll keep the emails anonymous (unless you want to share pictures and take credit or share web links to your site)!   Also, don't forget that we've got a lot of really fabulous videos (I put those together, too...) on our YouTube channel. So for those of you who are visual learners (umm...we're visual artists, right?), you may want to check them out! If you've got questions, feel free to contact us at info@streuter.com.

Merle Art Design ~ Custom Dogwood Bathroom

Another gorgeous mosaic from Merle Bouffard of Merle Art Design.

Gorgeous bathroom with matching dogwood mosaics

The custom Dogwood Mosaic was created for a bathroom and water closet using iridescent glass tiles, No Days Mosaic Mesh, and grout enhanced with sparkling metallic pigment.

Detail of shower floor: Dogwood Mosaic
created by Merle Bouffard using No Days Mosaic Mesh

"It was an intricate glass mosaic of Dogwood flowers for a shower floor installation. It was 4' x 4'. The mosaic was so complex, I really didn't want to separate it into too many pieces to install. I face mounted it with paper then turned it over and back mounted it with the No Days Mosaic Mesh. I used the heat gun you sent that allowed instant adhesion with no disturbing of the tiles. It was great!! My installer applied a skin coat of thinset as well and let it dry. We were able to lift and maneuver a very large piece without losing one piece of glass. I'm so glad I found this product. It is the answer for so many problems and frustrations I've had in the past."

Merle Bouffard's 7' x 4' Dogwood Mosaic in the water closet

For the complete Story of the Dogwood...Mosaic, visit Merle Art Design.

Merle Art Design ~ "Tree of Life"

   Merle Bouffard of Merle Art Design recently shared some images of a mosaic she completed for an assisted living facility in Canfield, Ohio. The "Tree of Life" is an 8 foot by 12 foot mosaic feature in the main lobby of The Inn at Ironwood. "I'm thrilled to have been able to create something for the residents there to enjoy."

Detail: "Tree of Life," Italian Glass, copper, steel, No Days Mosaic Mesh

The tree sculpture consisted of several pieces of steel colorized with patinas and pigment. The leaves are steel covered with Italian glass mosaic combined with copper leaves individually hand painted and colorized with metal stains. The result was a spectacular yet tranquil scene.
 

Merle Bouffard's "Tree of Life" ~ 8' x 12' ~
Italian glass, steel, copper, No Days Mosaic Mesh

See more pictures of the process at Merle Art Design.

Featured Artist ~ Merle Bouffard of Merle Art Design

Merle Bouffard is the artist and designer behind Merle Art Design. She specializes in custom elements for the home including furniture, Italian glass and marble mosaic, and wall art. "I love providing decorators or home-owners something that has personal meaning as well as serving as a functional piece of art. "

Merle Bouffard and a custom back splash she created using No Days Mosaic Mesh

Merle enjoys using heat activated No Days Mosaic Mesh for mounting her mosaics because "it is great for delicate glass mosaics, but is also strong enough to hold the marble pieces together as well." She also likes to stabilize her intricate mosaics further by "front mounting with paper and back mounting with the No Days Mosaic Mesh. It is the way to go!"  

Gorgeous bathroom with matching dogwood mosaics

For the Dogwood Mosaic in the picture above, Merle used a similar technique. "It was an intricate glass mosaic of Dogwood flowers for a shower floor installation. It was 4' x 4'. The mosaic was so complex, I really didn't want to separate it into too many pieces to install. I face mounted it with paper then turned it over and back mounted it with the No Days Mosaic Mesh. I used the heat gun you sent that allowed instant adhesion with no disturbing of the tiles. It was great!! My installer applied a skin coat of thinset as well and let it dry. We were able to lift and maneuver a very large piece without losing one piece of glass. I'm so glad I found this product. It is the answer for so many problems and frustrations I've had in the past."

Merle is a prolific designer and creator; check out more of her work with No Days Mesh here. To see more of her designs for the home, including wall art and tables, visit http://MerleArtDesign.etsy.com

Merle Bouffard's "Tree of Life" ~ 8' x 12' ~
Italian glass, steel, copper, No Days Mosaic Mesh

Pictured above is an 8 foot by 12 foot "Tree of Life" mosaic Merle created using No Days Mesh, Italian glass, patinated steel, and copper.  She shares more of the process here.

 

Merle Art Design ~ Floral Mosaic Backsplash

Every so often, we receive photos of projects completed using No Days adhesives. We love opening our inbox to see beautiful artwork created by talented artists, as well as sharing those pictures with the rest of our network. 

Custom kitchen backsplash created by Merle Bouffard
using No Days Mosaic Mesh

 I'd like to introduce you to Merle Bouffard's wonderful world of mosaics. She shares lots of images and the stories behind her mosaics on her website, Merle Art Design.

The latest mosaic she's shared is a floral glass tile mosaic back splash.

Detail: left side of the sink

 Merle worked with her customer on the design and came up with a concept that was based on the upholstery used in the kitchen chairs and drapery.

Detail: right side of the kitchen sink

For more information, and to see how well the mosaic matches the upholstery, visit: http://www.merleartdesign.com/GlassMosaic/GlassMosaicHome.htm

Mosaic Slide Slow Introduction to No Days Mosaic Mesh Adhesive

A quick overview on the process of creating a mosaic using No Days Mosaic Mesh. Enjoy!

Mosaic Adhesive Film and Mesh Overview from No Days

Overview of Mosaic Adhesive Film and Mesh from No Days Adhesives-
No Days Adhesives offers two products for mosaic enthusiasts: No Days Mosaic Mesh for vertical and horizontal mounting and No Days Mosaic Adhesive for direct application.

  [NOTE: We are constantly adding new products to our line based on feedback from our customers. If you have any ideas for products you'd like to see, or product feedback, contact us at info@nodaysadhesives.com]

Creating a Vertical Mount Mosaic Using NO Days Mosaic Mesh

NO Days Mosaic Mesh for “indirect” mosaic application


No Days Mosaic Mesh is a fiberglass mesh coated with NO Days Mosaic Adhesive that allows you to build your mosaic on a flat surface and then mount it horizontally or vertically to your substrate using ThinSet, Mortar, Cement or Mastic.  


Begin by creating your pattern template. You can trace your design directly on the mesh using a permanent marker.  No Days Mosaic Mesh can be easily trimmed to size using scissors or a craft blade. If you need to, you can stitch the mesh together.  Place it on your template and cut to size. You can also temporarily hold it together with scotch tape on the back side. Alternatively, you can overlap mesh pieces and heat set them together to build custom shapes and sizes, allowing you to secure your design in large or small sections.

"Queen Of Bees Throne" by Leigh Adams

April 2011 Featured Artist - Leigh Adams of Glass Art Designs

Leigh Adams emits an energy and exuberance brighter than the purple in her hair! She loves sharing her knowledge of mosaic with students of all ages, but especially enjoys working with children to create public art. Although most of her work is done in the Pasadena California area, Leigh has traveled and worked with children in Mexico, China and Central America for many years.

Whether teaching folk arts, language or life skills, Leigh believes that cooperative learning, achieving consensus and building new skills which can result in public acknowledgement are some of the greatest gifts we can give our children and our society.

Leigh Adams of Leigh Adams Glass Art Designs