Can You Put Mosaic Tile on a Ceramic Cooker?

Prepare the Surface

• The earliest mosaics were created on walls and floors in ancient Greece, Italy and Northern Africa. Many of these works were created so well that they endure to this day. Modern mosaic artists create designs on diverse surfaces that go beyond the traditional backsplash or countertop; California artist Laurel Skye, for example, has mosaicked hats and guitars. The trick is to prepare the surface so that the mosaic pieces have a hard and rigid base to stick to. A ceramic cooker usually has a metal exterior that is somewhat slick. To prepare a ceramic cooker to accept mosaic, it helps to roughen the surface and coat it with a heat- and water-resistant primer.

Use the Right Adhesive

• Mosaics are suitable treatments for both indoor and outdoor projects. If the piece will be subject to the elements, such as a ceramic cooker which is usually placed outdoors, a cement-based adhesive such as thinset is the appropriate material for setting your mosaic pieces. Once dry, it forms a permanent bond between the surface and the mosaic tile. Grout will add another layer of adhesion. Apply a grout sealer as a final protective layer.

Mosaic Materials

• Traditional mosaics are made from ceramic tile, glass, marble or found objects such as beads, buttons, costume jewelry and practically anything else that the artist chooses. For application to a ceramic cooker in an outdoor environment, ceramic tile and glass are the preferred choices, as heat and water will not harm them. Tile and glass can both be shaped with tile nippers to make any design you fancy.

Avoid Sharp Edges

• When applying tile pieces to a sharply rounded surface, you may notice that larger pieces create sharp edges where they stick out above the surface. In these areas, it's best to use smaller pieces, and lightly sand the edges and corners of the pieces with wet/dry sandpaper before setting them.