Tiki Bar Revamp - Amped!

Making a plain functional bar into a dynamic design keystone is as easy as choosing the tiles, cement, and grout!  Check it out!

To create this bar, I started with a basic frame from K-mart.  I chose it for its powder coating and it's easy component assembly structure. Although quite stylish in its own right, it needed to be tikified!

I broke out the glass and did some minor adjustments so that I could fit hardy board (a concrete board available in the tile section of your local hardware store) in it's place, then I glued the hardy board in with construction adhesive (ie. Liquid Nails).  For the front panels I cut out the hardy board to fit. Then I drilled holes for bolts so that I could attach it after it was tiled.  (Hint - get some masonry drill bits for the hardy board and invest a couple bucks in shiny new regular drill bits for the steel.  Also use some oil for the metal holes and make the holes plenty big so that you don't have to stress about fitting it all together later as washers will ensure it won't be going anywhere.) 

To cut the hardy board I used two methods: For straight cuts I used a razor knife and a straight edge to score it. Then I snapped it. For the curved cuts and notches I used my angle grinder with a masonry wheel. (be sure to use your safety gear here - goggles, ear plugs, close toed shoes, leather gloves, and for extra happiness face shield and leather apron - and follow all safety instructions given with your angle grinder!  Also, be aware there is a potential for kicking and exploding disks -If you are unsure of this tool and procedure, stick to square shapes!)

Next I decided on which tiles I wanted to incorporate. As I am the tile maker, I made the tiles to fit the design - as a tile customer, just choose the tiles you want and order them online - purchase 10% extra for mistakes, cuts etc.  Tiles can be cut with various tile saws.  The basic type is a contraption where you score a line on the tile and then snap it. The  fancier saws are wet saws that work more like a rotary arm saw. These can be rented from a local tool supply shop
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Next I glued all the bolts and washers into the hardy board so that they wouldn't spin or knock around under the tiles. I used a two part resin. Rubber gloves are especially recommend here. Once the bolts are glued in be sure to raise the hardy board off of your work surface with some extra wood so that there is no pressure on the bolts.

Lay out the tiles as they are going to be cemented next to the hardy board.  Make sure you have them just right and that your measurements are right on.  It helps to have a second pair of eyes and hands to help with the actual cementing so that you don't get off track as you go.  Once you put the tile down it is pretty stuck, you can nudge it a bit, but not much.

Time to mix the thin-set! Be sure to wear a mask and rubber gloves as you don't want concrete in your lungs or on your skin.  Mix up your thin-set per manufacturer's instructions.  I add some latex additive on the suggestion of a tile setter I met at a show. it adds a bit of elasticity to the mixture, which is helpful when transporting mosaics as I often do. Generally the manufacturer recommends putting a thin base coat down with the straight sides of your trowel and then adding more for the grooved coat. Make sure you don't mix and put too much out. This really depends on the intricacy and scale of your tile design. Start with a small section and then gauge from there.

Push all the tiles into the grooved cement. Then clean up any excessive oozed out cement that will interfere with grout work with a very wrung out, damp sponge. 

After the curing duration, per the instructions of your thin-set, go ahead and grout the mosaic panel.  Mix the grout per instructions given by the product.  (Wear your mask and gloves again)  Apply the grout over the mosaic panel.  As Tortuga Tiles have a good deal of relief this is best achieved with gloved fingers and a moist sponge. Keep rinsing and wringing out your sponge and keep wiping the surface until you have nice smooth grout lines and cleanish tiles. If it is hard to wipe out grout from the recesses, use a nail brush to dislodge the grout.  Do not use excessive water in this stage as it will lead to cracks in the grout later.  After 15 minutes wipe the tiles with a dry cloth to get rid of the dust coat left from the wiping.

The next day seal the mosaic panel with grout sealer/enhancer per the instructions on the product.

Now it is just a matter of bolting it all together...

And mixing some drinks!!

Materials 

Tortuga tiles
Bar frame
Consumable Supplies

·         hardy board

·         bolts, nuts, washers

·         two part resin epoxy to glue bolts in place

·         thin-set concrete

·         grout

·         optional -latex additive

·         water

·         sealer/enhancer

Tools

·         drywall knife

·         straight edge

·         optional - angle grinder or other masonry cutting tool

·         optional - wet saw or scoring rig

·         mixing spoon or optional mixer attachment for drill

·         trowel with straight and ridged edge

·         buckets

·         sponges

·         nail brush

·         wrench for bolts

Safety/Comfort

·         safety goggles

·         rubber/latex gloves

·         leather gloves

·         close toed shoes

·         apron

·         dust mask

·         vapor mask (for the resin)     

 I hope you find this article helpful and inspirational.  Although this is written based on my own practical experience I make no guarantee as to its accuracy, reliability, legality or safety of the given instructions.  Licensed tile setters/contractors should be consulted/hired for guaranteed results.