Outdoor coffee table

[Anthony deliso]

I am looking for plans to build an outdoor coffee table  that I can lay ceramic tile on top, as an inset.   24"D  X 48"L x 24" H.

Would like to have some plans that would work for outdoors?

Thanks, the [e-mail]

[Ken Darga]

Installing ceramic tile on wood will crack---

the wood expands and contracts.

[Jay Boutwell]

Hello Anthony,  Speaking from experience from being a cabinet maker and building a lot of cabinet counter tops and laying tile floors I can offer you this advise that has worked for me.

Building a table that will be exposed to moisture can be done if you built the table out of some thing that is resistant to moisture to give you a long time use of the table.   You can use plywood as a base for the tile however you should seal the edges as well as the grout joints using epoxy based grout and limit its exposure to as much water as you can such as covering it in rainstorms and or wet weather exposure like storage outside for long periods of time.  The mortar should also be epoxy based.  Both epoxy based mortar and grout are used commercially in shower and bath room floors and is on occasions used in kitchens where a lot of water is expected such as in commercial restaurants.  The floor in my own kitchen is tile that is sitting on top of 1/4 inch dura-rock cement board that is attached to 3/4" plywood sub floor and has been there trouble free for better than 25 years.  The cement board is held in place with roofing nails and under the cement board I placed some epoxy based mortar before nailing it in place with the roofing nails.   There is no cracking and no squeaks and is like a concrete floor.  The reason for the epoxy based material is not only being a tough adhesive but concrete and tile are porous and water will penetrate.  That penetration of water will cause rot to the sub structure.

The best base for the tile would be a cement based board of which is available in both 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch thick sheets.  It is sold under the name of "Dura-rock" and is available at home stores including Home Depot and cost under 15 dollars for a 3x 4 sheet.  Also available at tile outlets.  Attach it to the table top using water resistance screws that are available but I have used roofing nails with success.  When attaching to the table top do not  make the attachment a firm ridged application but merely allow the cement sheet to remain in place.  Any wood movement will not cause your tile to crack. 

If I was doing this I would use the cement board and build it like an insert that fits in the table top and apply it with silicone and seal the tile sheet to the table with a silicone making the insert to table top a close fit.  The silicone will allow the insert like tile sheet to move within the top of the table.   That way there is no mechanical fasteners that attach the tile insert to the table top.  Use a few spots of silicone between the table  top to hold the tile insert in place and the silicone with allow what little movement that there would be from wood movements.  The silicone seal around the edge would prevent water from entering under the tile insert and the table.

When you go looking for the cement board avoid the other product that they may try and sell you as it is a single sheet of what they claim to be waterproof.  It may be water proof but I have also seen failure in the product from the sheets coming apart similar to that of plywood.  The cement board is actual a cement sheet held together with fiberglass matting.  Cement board is more resistant to movement than the other product.  Cement board is a little more labor intensive but then you get a better job.  It is harder to cut unless you use a carbide edges scoring tool and score it on both sides and break it like sheet rock rather that use a saw blade.