Mosaic tile art

You’re so anxious to hang your first masterpiece that it seems like the frame store is taking forever finish the frame. Finally, they call to tell you it’s ready for pickup. Wow, they did a great job and the frame makes your mosaic look even better. You can’t wait to hang it on the wall and show it off.

It weighs a ton and you’re nervous wondering whether a 10-penny nail in flimsy drywall can hold all that weight. You wisely decide that the nail must instead go into a wall stud. The last thing you want is your heavy mosaic crashing down, popping off tesserae, breaking the custom frame, and cracking the ceramic floor tile. You find the exact spot for the nail and poke around hoping to find a stud somewhere close to that spot. Oh, no! The nearest stud is six inches to the left. If you install the nail in that stud, the mosaic won’t be centered on the wall and will look terrible. Good grief, now what? Relax. This is easy. In my eBook, we walk step-by-step through the process of adding a solid support system in the wall that’s plenty strong enough to hold your heavy magnum opus. This isn’t rocket science so don’t panic. You can do it. Yes, you can!

If your masterpiece has any size to it, it’s going to be heavy. For example, one of my projects is only 27”x32” but it weighs a whopping 24-pounds. Always be safety conscious. Never create a safety hazard. You must always ensure the support system is adequately strong enough to bear the load of your heavy mosaic.

Some artists don’t hang their pieces because they don’t want to risk a falling hazard that can harm people or damage the piece. They commonly use free standing easels made of sturdy wood, low to the floor, and well-balanced to minimize the risk of tipping. Typically, these easels are used in galleries, but some people use them in their homes. Personally, I’d rather see my mosaics on the wall. To me, they look better and make the ho

me feel cozier. Besides, who has room for several free-standing easels throughout the house?

The complexity of the support system depends on several factors, such as the mosaic’s weight, location of the lag bolt with respect to a wall stud, and safety concerns for your children. For example, if you find that the lag bolt location is just to the side of a wall stud, you may not need an elaborate support system like the one we install in the eBook. Instead, a small piece of 2x4 attached to the side of the stud may be sufficient.