Crystal River High School

created by sandra groeneveld

Select from one of the five compositions below to get a better look at the different layouts utilized at Crystal River High School.

The Devil in the Details

This page contains an overview of my approach to this project. The images below descibe my method.

01 "The devil is in the details." The extra care and planning one puts into any work always pays you back with a superior result. What follows are a few things I did with the Crystal River Project to keep the bar high.

02 This was the start of the color selection for the Farm theme. Having samples on-hand from various sources gives me the freedom to take advantage of the subtle differences in the tiles' color and texture.

03 Color tests: the selected colors are cut to the proper unit size and mixed together. This is essential for how I work. These sample boards can be used also if a client approval is needed before proceeding.

04 Keeping notes on the approach is helpful in many ways. With multiple themes, it serves to refresh my memory when (sometimes) months after the tests, I finally start that particular mosaic. Also these notes are important in calculating the quantity of raw materials to order.

05 A handful of the tests completed for this project's various themes. With these small panels, I also started using epoxy grout. The color had to be verified as well as investigating the unique challenges that using epoxy grout might bring about.

06 For more evaluation of the epoxy grout, I made a stepping stone using the colors from the various themes. Stepping stones are my testing ground. They are placed outside in the elements to see how the materials fare over time. Also, the shaping of a smooth finshing edge gives great feedback to how responsive the material is.

07 For various reasons, wood was the best solution in this project; a good quality stable maple plywood was used. I follow the manufacturers' suggested use for the materials. In this case roughing up the substrate before applying a bonding agent. The deadly claw was my idea. It is effective and gives you a great workout.

08 The boards are lightly sanded with coarse sandpaper and protective tape is applied to the frame.

09 According to the manufacturer's instructions a couple of coats of watered down bonding agent is applied first to soak into the wood.

10 Then full strength coats of the bonding agent is applied with a roller. This process makes sure the mortar bonds properly to the wood as well as creating a flexible membrane to help absorb any movement to avoid cracking. Taking these extra steps ensures good adhesion with dissimilar materials, in this case wood & mortar.

11 The material starts out a shocking pink and dries to a garish red, letting you know it is ready. It has a nifty rubbery feel.

12 The mortar I use is also formulated to be crack resistant.

13 A thin skimcoat is applied so I end up with an even surface with tooth.

14 The protective tape is removed and guides can be drawn on the suface with ease. All the prep work is now done and the creative part can begin. What is underneath the tiles is what guarantees its longevity.

15 An early morning with raking sunlight brought attention to a few tiles that were not flat. It figures I noticed this for the first time when all the work was completed. Some surgery was called for.