How to make a tile-topped table?

[murphymom]

We have a nice set of metal patio furniture with a table that I need to resurrect. It had a glass top that went bye-bye when my husband accidentally dropped something heavy on it (a big potted plant, I think). Instead of replacing the glass I'd like to make a tiled tabletop, but am unsure what kind of material to use under the tile as a base. I need something stable and sturdy enough to hold up to weather and moisture (it will be outside all the time, with a cover over it in the winter), but can't be too thick or heavy as it will need to fit into the frame thingie the glass went into.

Any ideas what would work best? I'm nervous that a piece of plywood might warp in the weather.

[NMDemDist2]

1. i think concrete backer board would work.

https://www.hometime.com/Howto/projects/drywall/drwl_10.htm

[Longhorn]

2. My husband, the remodeling contractor,

and cabinet specialist, concurs. One brand name is Hardiboard but it's what AZ/NM ;) suggests.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. My concern about backer board is structural .......

It is not very strong or resistant to deflection. It is okay for walls when installed right against studs - all the forces are downward. But in horizontal applications (floors .... and table tops) it requires serious support. It goes over the structural floor (two layers of plywood), not over the joists. In essence, it has to be fully supported. If asked to span a tabletop unsupported, I expect it would deflect sufficiently to unseat a fair bit of the tile.

I'd do this project with 5/8" - or better yet, 3/4" - plywood. Seal the parts that will be exposed with paint or polyurethane, install the tile on the unfinished surface and seal the grout. The result will be a strong table sealed against the weather.

[Longhorn]

5. To clarify, it never occurred to my husband that someone would think he meant

to install the Hardiboard alone. That's my fault -- he doesn't always know why I'm asking him these questions and may not realize that it's a DIY board. He still advises installing Hardiboard over plywood because he believes that one cannot seal plywood sufficiently against the weather but he doesn't disagree with your suggestion. He does advise that the OP use the correct adhesive to set the tile -- thinset on the Hardiboard or tile adhesive on the plywood.

On edit: He adds that the plywood needs to fastened onto the frame in such a manner that it cannot deflect (warp or twist) when subject to the elements, including moisture in the air. He decided to take this opportunity to give me a primer, which I will try to relate accurately here. He said that wood moves so you have to use an adhesive that moves with the wood. He doesn't know of such an adhesive that is rated for outdoor use but there may be one. Hardiboard does not move but will need to be glued and screwed to the plywood -- they make products for that purpose. He does believe that a combination of plywood and Hardiboard will last longer than plywood alone and he definitely believes that particle board will "swell like a sponge."

[Warpy]

3. Concrete is a little hard to handle

so for a table top I'd go with particle board. It's nearly as stable as concrete backer and a whole lot easier to cut to size. I'd also buy milled lumber to edge it flush with the surface of the tile.

Friends have tiled simple wood tables and had them last for years. In fact, those tables may still be in use (a pity because the tile work wasn't great). There is no need to use a difficult to handle material like cement backer board on a small area like a table top.

[babylonsister]

6. We did this a couple of years ago.

We used a thin sheet of plywood, then my husband put brackets on the bottom to reinforce and so the plywood wouldn't warp. It's not the most professional, but works for us. Here's a pic; from this angle you can see his brackets were too wide, but he's no carpenter, tiler, or DIYer usually, so I was impressed with the finished product.