Ceramic tile table top

[Terry - Somerset]

I am building a side table for the lifving room from oak. The intention is to use a ceramic tile 60 x 30 cm as the top sitting within a perimeter of oak rails (2x5cm) (already complete). What is the best way to fit the tile and what adhesive should I use. Options seem to be:

Supporting the tile - put a 2 x 2cm support around the inside of the top rails, triangular corner supports, mount tile on plywood base which is then supported on internal blocks fixed to the inside of the rail. My inclination is the first option as it will support the tile around the perimeter and ensure any "grout" around the edge will not simply fall through a gap. Any other suggestion I may have missed? Which would be best?

Second issue is adhesive and grout (approx 1 or 2 mm around edge). For glue to fix the tile to the support, options seem to be silicon, no more nails (or similar), epoxy. For the grout should I use traditional tile grout or more flexible silicon sealant. My main concern is that any subsequent wood movement will not cause glue failure or grout cracking.

With thanks in advance for any suggestions/opinions.

Terry

 

[NazNomad]

I'd fix it with a bead of silicon, that should be flexible enough for any wood movement.

Any grout that's 'flexible' should do - http://www.screwfix.com/p/mapei-buildfi ... -5kg/70239

 

[ED65]

You can believe it or not fix the tile using nothing more than PVA. You can use tile adhesive if you want but if you don't have any yet you're safe using PVA, in many craft projects they use common white PVA to mount unglazed ceramic to the substrate.

Movement isn't really an issue here as it should take place only outwards from the hole if that makes sense. Any framed table with with a manmade board as the centre panel is subject to the same basic forces and during the dry parts of the year if their frames shrank inwards, i.e. making the space inside smaller, it would have to either pop the mitres or bow the centre.