The concrete was hard
enough to step and jump on three days after it was poured. What you
don’t see at that stage is the process of curing it goes though that
takes about a month. Within that time it’s better not to lay our mosaic
tiles in their recesses. Waiting for the concrete slab to cure allows
adhesion with the mortar for the mosaic tiles to build up properly.
 |
The plywood board is easily extracted from the recess.
An unwelcome puddle of water is exposed underneath. |
By the time we could start it was already the
end of October. A day or two of rain, and we need to wait. A few days
of sunshine and it becomes colder. Proper setting of our mortar is
sensitive to moisture and low temperatures. With the first tile we had
started laying we realized that the opportunity was slipping away. The
rest of the job will have to wait until spring.
 |
A peanut buttery feel to the mix feels good
and is a suitable consistency. |
Each tile will have a stained concrete band
that is our choice for transition between the mosaic image and its
surrounding gray paving. In order to achieve a clean line we need to
fine tune our method of applying the stained concrete into the gap.
 |
We surround the mosaic tile with a strip of masking taped cardboard
to
leave room for the grout between the tile and the concrete band. |
When we grout this piece we will also have a
chance to see what other techniques we have to implement. This is a
technically easy stage but it needs the same attention to details as
we’ve invested in the process up to now. Grouting can drastically alter
the appearance of a mosaic tile. If that happens we’d like it to be for
the better. This is why I always tell people and try to remember myself: It always takes longer
than you expect.
