Let’s Tile the Wood Tabletop that We Use on the Deck!

Here is the story of a little wooden table that we use on our deck in the Spring, Summer, and Fall. I hope you find it interesting and informative. If you want just the information on how I tiled it, use the Table of Contents to skip to that section.

Pub table – year 1

Three years ago, I bought a wooden pub table at the Goodwill to use on our upper deck. The table was only $25 and refinishing it was pretty easy. I sanded it with my orbital sander then applied a couple of coats of oil-based spar urethane. It came out beautifully! You can read all about that project here.

However, over the Summer & Fall season, it sustained weather damage. When I brought it out from the shed the following Spring, I was shocked at just how badly the top looked! While the legs looked good as new, the wood on the top of the table was beyond repair. I now had to decide whether to scrap the table or replace the top.

Pub table – year 2

Since the original table was only $25 and the size was perfect for the upper deck, I decided to replace the top. I found a nice piece of 2′ x 4′ wood at Home Depot for just over $30. The size I needed was 2′ x 3′ so I asked them to cut it at the store. Working on the tabletop took a bit longer than it did the first time. When they cut the wood, it left both sides splintered at the edges. To cover that issue, I used wood trim. I both glued and nailed the trim into place, then used wood putty to fill all the little splintered areas. I then sanded the top and applied 2 coats of spar urethane like I did the first time. I loved how the wood grain looked! All the details of that project is here.

This is going to sound like a repeat because, well, it is.

However, over the Summer & Fall season, it sustained damage. When I brought it out of the shed the following Spring, I was shocked that the top was looking bad AGAIN – after only one season! I wasn’t ready to address the problem yet, so I waited until this Summer to decide if I wanted to fix it AGAIN or find something else to use. The picture of the damage is what the top looked like after the two seasons.

Pub Table – year 4 – Wood or tile?

Step 1 – Prepare the top

The nice thing about using tile is that I can apply it right on the old top. The first step was to use a putty knife and hammer to remove the metal corner pieces & the wood trim from the edges. When they were removed, I lightly sanded around all four sides using sanding sponges. The top was now ready to be tiled.

Step 2 – Tile

Once the top was ready, did a dry-fit of the tile again to make sure the pattern was the way I liked it. I then placed the tile sheets under the table in the order I would be using them on the top. After that, I mixed up just enough thinset to do a couple of sections. When I applied the thinset to the top, I used just enough for the first tile. I used that process to prevent the thinset from drying too quickly. The 12″ x 12″ sheet has 36 small tiles that are attached to mesh. After I applied the thinset to the wood, I used a trowel to create grooves so the tile would adhere evenly. I set the first piece in place, pressing it gently so all the little tiles would come in contact with the thinset. I continued that process until all 6 sheets were installed. I placed spacers between the sheets of tile and also between some of the mosaic tiles while the thinset dried.

Step 3 – Trim

Step 4 – Grout & seal

Now it was time to grout. Grouting can be a messy process and for that reason, I don’t have a step by step account recorded in pics. This was the first time I’ve used premixed grout. I was surprised at how thick it was. I found it at Habitat and that might be why it was a bit on the thick side. I usually use a tile float to apply grout but due to the small size of the tabletop, I used a putty knife instead.

The space between the tile and the trim is larger than it is between the mosaic tiles, so I was careful to make sure the grout filled that space well. Even though the grout container states that it is pre-sealed, because the table will be sitting outside, I applied 2 coats of grout sealer anyway. I used a small artist brush and painted each grout line. This is way more tedious than applying the sealer to the entire top, but I’ve found that it is WAY easier in the long run since there is no need to wipe the excess off the tile.

Finished Tiled Tabletop

The tile came out just beautiful! I’m SO hoping that ‘3rd times a charm’ works with this tabletop! I know very well how brutal Mother Nature is on outdoor furniture, decks, decor so my fingers are crossed!!!

Before & Afters

I have now invested about $130 into this little table. I really hope the tile lasts for YEARS!!!

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