How to tile a birch tabletop?

brittlite

Hello

I want to add some pennytiles to this old birch trolley top

I've read mixed instructions - prime/don't prime, apply a cement backing board first which seems like a bit of overkill.

The trolly will be used for my coffee machine. My question is does the top need priming or backing before applying the tiles? Also, what adhesive do you recommend?

Thanks in advance

JacobZ

Hi @brittlite,

This sounds like a fantastic little project, I am excited to see how it turns out.

I don’t think a cement sheet backing is necessarily required here, provided the birch top is solid, firmly fixed and doesn’t have any noticeable flex. The main concern with tiling directly onto timber is movement, which can cause the tiles or grout to crack. The timber of your table looks dry, so movement from drying out is unlikely. As long as there is limited flex in the tabletop, you should be fine to proceed without a fibre cement sheet.

I’d sand the surface back to clean, bare timber using 80 grit sandpaper to rough up the surface and remove any existing coatings, then brush and vacuum it to remove any sawdust from the surface. From there, I’d suggest priming the surface with https://www.bunnings.com.au/dunlop-1l-primer-additive_p6829434 . The primer will help to seal the surface and help the adhesive bond to the surface better. I'd then suggest using the Dunlop 2kg Wall And Floor Tile Adhesive which is a flexible adhesive suitable for prepared indoor timber and can be used with mosaics such as penny tiles.

You can then apply your grout, tidy up and add any trims that you might like. If you wanted some guidance on these steps, please let me know and I will advise further.

The application is a bit different, but the information in https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/home-improvement/splashbacks-benchtops/how-to-lay-a-mosaic-tile-splashback is certainly worth a read.

You might also like to have a look at @lifestylebymari's Tiled side table project and @kimamery's Tile mosaic table centrepiece for some examples of projects with tiles over timber products.

It sounds like a great little upgrade for the coffee station. Please keep us updated with how it turns out.

Jacob