Replies

1. 
   Sal_Maglie | Jan 07, 2002 01:50am | #1

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   I'm finishing up my 4th tile top table, and I found little information out there about doing them. I used MDF for the substrate which I thought would be better than plywood. Using q/s white oak, I don't think you'll have any severe expansion/contraction problems. For the mastic, I just used the typical home center stuff that's used on floors. Got about a 5 lb bag of the stuff that's mixed with water so you can do small batches. Just spread it on with a notched trowel. Grout was the same...powder form. My brother, who owns a one man tile business, told me the grout with sand in it is easier to use, but I liked the look of the other kind better so I unwisely ignored his suggestion.

   Grout is a PIA because of the water involved with sponging after the grout is filled in the cracks. Put the finish on your wood border first before laying and grouting the tiles. I still got some small dark stains at the wood border/grout edge on the first table I did so I posted a question about this to Jeff Jewitt over at his website, homesteadfinishing.com. He recommended coating the wood edge where the grout meets with some epoxy before laying the tile in order to seal the wood. I took his advice and didn't notice any staining.

   Some people don't use grout at all and just butt the tiles flush to each other and the wood border. If I had to do it all over again, I'd seriously think about doing it this way.

   As far as expansion/shrinking goes, I haven't had any in the 2 years I've had my coffee table done, but then I live in the desert southwest where this isn't a big problem.

1. 
   Howard_Acheson | Jan 07, 2002 02:30am | #2

   *I have made three tables like that and here is what I used. First, I used particleboard as my substrate. I applied the tile using a tube of silicone bathtub sealent glue and I used a polysulfide marine caulk for the "grout". Both of these products have high adhesive qualities but still allow a little movement. The marine caulk will not discolor, mildew or be stained by coffee spills.Just another choice.

1. 
   David_Heinlein | Jan 07, 2002 03:00am | #3

   *As mentioned before, pre-finish the woodwork. Also mask off the edges of the wood near the grout. A sanded latex caulk is available for any grout color. I use this against the wood to hide movement. Don't use tile mastic, use thinset. I also advise against using any substrate other than plywood, unless you plan to support it from below.

1. 
   David_McCaulley | Jan 09, 2002 03:55am | #4

   *I did a coffee table for my brother's neighbor a few years ago. I used 3/4" exterior grade (type "A" or "N", I forget which.), did a dry run by fitting the tiles, spacers and borders together to get a feel of the correct size. But invest in the exterior plywood. Have fun and good luck

1. 
   Mike_Maines | Jan 15, 2002 07:21am | #5

   *Plywood is the most dimensionally stable of engineered woods, relating to changes in humidity. It is also the strongest, so you don't need additional support underneath. The one thing it can do is warp, so you want to use good joinery for the frame. I would probably use 3/4" birch ply--it's dry when you buy it, and not too expensive.Sanded grout is for bigger grout lines, unsanded is for smaller grout lines.... If you really want a pain in the a** use epoxy grout. At least it won't stain.Like David H said, thinset is better than mastic, especially if you use the acrylic additive or get thinset with the acrylic already in it.Good luck & have fun!