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How To Make Mosaics: Is Hardboard A Proper Foundation For Mosaics?
Hardboard makes a good foundation for your mosaics as long as you limit the size of the overall mosaic, limit the tesserae size, and don"t display the mosaic in a wet environment. Avoid hardboard for outdoor applications because of the potential for deterioration. Assuming your tesserae are the size of a quarter or less and the overall size of your mosaic is less than 24"x24", I have found that 1/8-inch thick hardboard provides an adequate foundation. If your tesserae are small, it"s surprising how flexible the mosaic is, even with grout, which means it can withstand some warping before the grout cracks or glass pieces pop off. If your tesserae are big or if you incorporate large pieces of stained glass into your mosaic, the thickness of your foundation must be greater because the mosaic can"t withstand as much warping (i.e., the thicker the wood, the more resistant to warping). For example, suppose your mosaic is 24"x24" and you use a single piece of yellow stained glass to represent the bright sun lighting up the world. Suppose the sun"s diameter is 10 inches, which makes up a good chunk of the mosaic. It"s easy to see how a little warping can stress that single piece of glass causing failure (i.e., breaking, popping off). It"s like ceramic tile on a concrete-slab foundation. As the concrete cracks and moves, stress is applied to the ceramic tile and, if the stress is great enough, the tile breaks. Therefore, you must consider the tesserae size when choosing the thickness of your mosaic"s foundation.