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.

Tips & Tricks for using No Days Mosaic Adhesives from Dan Gamaldi of Cradle of the Sun in San Francisco

   Dan Gamaldi of Cradle of the Sun contacted us to share the installation of his entryway mosaic outside his shop in San Francisco.  He underestimated the amount of time that it would take him to finish the mosaic, as he only worked on it in his "free" time; Dan generally works on commission stained glass windows for homes and offices in the Bay Area.  Over a period of four years, he really got to know the ins and outs of working with No Days Mosaic Adhesive. The approach to creating the "Waterfall City" mosaic was different than I've heard of using before. Instead of building on mesh, Dan used a base of aluminum foil prepped with No Days Mosaic Adhesive film.

Dan lined a plywood base with aluminum foil and then No Days Mosaic Adhesive film

Many of the pieces of glass he used in his design (based on "Waterfall City" by James Gurney) were small, and Dan didn't want to blow them away while heat setting the adhesive with a heat gun. So, he came up with several solutions.

For very small pieces of glass, Dan heat set the adhesive using a soldering iron.

  Among the solutions for heat setting that he came up with were: using a soldering iron for very small pieces of glass (such as millefiori), a regular clothes iron for heating small sections of the mosaic...

For heat setting small areas of the mosaic, he used an iron.

and, finally, the No Days Curing Station to heat set larger areas of the mosaic.  Using the irons and Curing Station allowed Dan to heat set portions of the mosaic without causing the adjacent adhesive to shrivel back on itself (which can happen when using a heat gun).

Dan used Streuter's No Days Curing Station to heat set large areas of the mosaic all at once.

  Visit Dan's website at Cradle of the Sun to see more pictures and read about the whole process. Below is the video of the mosaic being installed in the entryway of his shop.

To see the piece in person, visit Cradle of the Sun in San Francisco:

3848 24th Street

San Francisco, CA 94114

(415) 821-7667

STORE HOURS:

Mon-Tues CLOSED

Wed-Fri 11:00-6:00

Sat 9:30-6 (*Class 'til noon)

Sun 10:30-4:00 (*Class 'til 1)

(*Space limited during classes. Please come after class hours for sheet glass cuts)

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.

 

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!

NO Days Q Stik Mosaic Adhesive for Interior Mosaic Mounting

 No Days Q Stik Mosaic Adhesive from Streuter Technologies is a heat set adhesive with an easy peel backing that reveals an industrial strength, pressure sensitive adhesive, ideal for permanently mounting mosaic design elements to interior surfaces, from picture frames, mirrors, mirror frames, and furniture, as well as wall spaces.

Streuter’s heat set adhesive offers the convenience of being able to quickly cure tiles in place for immediate grouting, as well as the freedom of being able to remove or reposition tiles easily if you change your mind or the design. The thickness of the heat set adhesive allows it to fully conform even around contours of thick, porous or uneven tiles creating a strong bond. The addition of the pressure sensitive adhesive allows for even more flexibility in using the heat set adhesive, including working on glass surfaces such as mirror without worry of thermal shock, or the ability to vertically mount tile without using  silcone, thinset or mortar.

November Featured Artist, Gayle Haynie

NO Days November Featured Artist, Gayle Haynie

Gayle Haynie is a transplant from Michigan who moved to the south in 1999. She now splits her time between Florida and the North Georgia mountains. Gayle has worked in stained glass since 1991 and studied under some of  the best known names in the industry: Si Isenberg, Peter McGrain, Norm Dobbins, Gil Reynolds, Vickie Payne, just to name a few.  She is a member of the Blue Ridge Art Guild and the Southern Appalachian Artist Guild.

She also does mosaics in tile and glass, and offers “one-on-one” classes in her Georgia studio.  Her expertise is custom work.  

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.

HoneyDoo Zuper Glue Around the House

HoneyDoo Zuper Glue Around the House

HoneyDoo Zuper Glue is a super strong and reliable glue for use around the house, shop and studio on glass, ceramics, plastic, wood, rubber, paper, metal, cardstock and more!

HoneyDoo Zuper Glue is available in 10 g bottles with a stiletto tip nozzle or ultra fine tip applicator allowing you to apply the Zuper Glue with accuracy and precision.

Before applying HoneyDoo Zuper Glue, make sure all surfaces are clean and dry.  
Apply HoneyDoo Zuper Glue sparingly to one surface. Replace the lid on the bottle. Then, simply press your 2 surfaces together for 30 seconds to set the glue.  Set the object aside for 2 to 3 hours to fully cure the adhesive before applying any stress.

To clean up, use a cotton swab and acetone to wipe away any excess adhesive before the glue has fully cured.

If you’re repairing an item that has residue from a failed bond, scrape off any residue and clean the surface with acetone. For greater strength, if a metal has a surface coating, you may sand it off with a bit of wet/dry silica carbide sandpaper before gluing.

If you’ve ever had super glue cure in the bottle after only using it once, then you’ll love 

HoneyDoo Zuper Glue!  

"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