ReadyMade: Instructions for everyday life

Outward Bound

Build a tiled chair to withstand the elements.

by by Thomas Wold

Photos by Photo by Winni Wintermeyer

If you are a regular reader of my column, you’ve figured out that I make furniture. Most of what I do, though, deals with the indoors world and requires a controlled environment to survive. It’s sad to think about, but put anything I’ve made outside for a season or two, and inclement weather would transform my fine craftsmanship into fuel for your next beach bonfire. Which leads me to think about building for Mother Nature…

THE INSPIRATION
When faced with the challenge of dreaming up some furniture to live in the great out-of-doors, material selection was the starting point. My immediate choice was tile. It’s a tried-and-true material that has been used on the exterior of many an old building throughout history. Plus, basic square ceramic tiles can be purchased
inexpensively at any hardware store. And because I didn’t want to have to cut the tile, the uniform shape of each piece would require that all sides have even gaps and spacing, which would help guide the design.

Materials and Construction
Any proficient tile setter will tell you that the most important step in any successful tile project is planning. The layout is paramount. I wanted to do a chair for this project, so all the sides and planes had to reflect the individual tile size. I started with 200 4” tiles and designed the chair to reflect that dimension. Pictured below is the form I made, using 1"-thick plywood, based on the 4” tile. The form is quite basic, just wood cut on a table saw and affixed with water-resistant wood glue and a lot of screws.
I decided to forgo mortar, the traditional adhesive for tile, and instead used construction adhesive designed to stick to ceramic. This is the type of glue used in a caulking gun; just read the label to make sure it’s compatible with the materials you choose to glue together. Now—before you go crazy—do a dry run of the tile layout. If the spacing is slightly off register, you can add thin strips of wood to the form. Start at the bottom and test all sides and planes. Make adjustments, if needed, then check the tile spacing again, and start gluing. Don’t use so much glue that it squirts out the sides of the tiles. Work as cleanly as possible to minimize unnecessary cleanup.
After the tiling is done, let the glue dry overnight. Then it’s grouting time. I used ready-to-go premixed grout. Apply it based on the manufacturer’s recommendations. Basically you’re squeezing grout in all the cracks with a soft grout spreader and wiping off the excess with a sponge and water. It’s important to cover every bit of the wood form so our “friend” (that would be rainwater) doesn’t seep into that layer. After a good cleanup, the chair is ready for some hard outdoors livin’.
I really liked thinking about this project as a good way to hone tile skills. The form can be just about any shape you can think up, from cubes and benches to tables and planters. Build a whole set if you like. Just find the tile you fancy and start designing. See you next issue.