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By
JOHN SILLAOTS,
Photos By CHRISTOPHER CAMPBELL |
GARDEN GAMES TABLE (part 2) |
Because tiles vary in size, set the tiles first before cutting
the tile baseboard to its final dimension. There are two things
that will ensure a successful tile installation: straight tile
alignment and consistent tile spacing. To align the tiles, attach
two 3/4" guide strips in an L-shape to the 3/8" baseboard. These
straight edges keep the first rows of tiles aligned and square.
To keep the tile spacing consistent, insert 1/8" strips of wood
between tiles during installation.
 To
adhere the tiles to the baseboard, use a latex-modified thinset
mortar. I used a product called Super Flex manufactured by TEC
Specialty Products Inc. Spread the thinset mortar onto the baseboard
using an 1/8" notched trowel. Cover as much area as you can
comfortably tile in five minutes. The angle of the notched trowel
from vertical determines the height of the mortar ridges. What
you're after is enough mortar to cover the bottom of the tile
when pushed into place. Too much and it will squish up into
the space between the tiles--too little, and your tiles won't
be held securely to the plywood.
Let the tiles set for 24 hours before cutting the baseboard
to size. Use a tablesaw, with the blade lowered so it doesn't
quite make it through the top of the plywood. This prevents
the blade from being damaged by the tile or mortar. Use a sharp
utility knife to complete the cut through the baseboard.
Next, centre the tile-covered baseboard on the project top and
fasten it with glue. Make sure any glue squeeze-out is removed
when doing this--hardened blobs of glue will interfere with
the installation of the top trim members. Gluing large flat
parts together like this can be tricky because they slide around.
You can eliminate this problem by hammering three or four 1"
finishing nails part way into the project top, then nip off
the nails with wire cutters so only a tiny tip of metal remains
above the surface. This trick prevents movement of the tile
base board completely. Place a heavy weight on top of these
parts before setting them aside to dry. After 15 minutes, check
the edges again for squeeze-out and remove any while it's still
soft.
Top Trim
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The area
around the tiles is capped by top trim members and trim strips.
After ripping a standard 1 x 6 to width for the top trim members,
use the leftover wood for the trim strips. Glue these to the
underside of the top trim, on edge, then mitre the ends of the
assemblies after they're dry. For my project all four sides
were mitred to a length of 25". This created a 1/8" grout space
between wood and outer tiles, though exact sizes will be slightly
different on your project. After gluing the trim parts in place,
I sanded the top surfaces at a slight angle to shed the rain.
Before grouting between the tiles, apply finish to the exposed
wood. I used three coats of Helmsman Spar Urethane on the top,
and a flat black exterior latex on the plywood. When the finish
has dried, grout the tiles using more thinset mortar. Apply
a generous amount of mortar to the surface of the checkerboard
and force it into the joints with a rubber-faced float. Make
sure that the joints are completely filled so that there are
no air bubbles or gaps. Remove the excess mortar by pulling
diagonally across the tiles with the float. Rinse a sponge in
clean water and wipe away any remaining mortar. Continue to
rinse out the sponge and wipe away mortar until the joints are
smooth and level with the tiles. After about 30 minutes a hazy
film will appear on the surface of the tiles. Wipe this off
using a soft cloth.
Installation
A 12" dia. lazy Susan bearing allows the table to be rotated
so it can be adjusted to take full advantage of the sun. The
bearing is sandwiched between two discs of 3/4" plywood. Lay
out these discs with a compass and cut them out with a hand-held
jigsaw. The bearing is attached to the plywood discs with 3/4"
screws. Attach the bearing to one disc first, then drill oversize
access holes to reach the screws to attach the other side. For
my installation I used a 31/2"dia. steel post and attached the
bearing assembly to the post with metal L-brackets. Another
option would be to use a cedar 4 x 4 post set into a concrete
footing to support the table. If you choose the 4 x 4 approach,
make wooden support brackets using the template from the plan
and secure them with biscuits and polyurethane glue. This treatment
results in a more decorative look.
The final step is to add the game pieces. You could use traditional
game pieces, but a local craft supply store provided something
more appropriate for the garden--tiny wooden birdhouses. Paint
the birdhouses to coordinate with your tiles and even between
games, your outdoor games table will look great.
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| 1
- Garden Games Table | 2
- Tile And Error |
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