mortar

[jakeh2009]

I have a bunch of spare ceramic tiles, ranging in size all are 4 inches wide and length are from 1.5 to 3.5 inches. well i want to build some steps out of them for dino to climb on and get to other parts in his tank but they are very slick, was wondering if dry-set mortar would give me texture, my brother gave me a bag he had laying around. Im not familiar with the stuff so i figured i would ask you guys if that would work, then i could put some type of sealant over it. But if it will not add texture than can you guys advise me something that will do that, and what brand and type of sealant to use, trying to do this for as cheap as possible, also what can i use to glue them together? i have some craft/hobby glue but im not sure if that is working, unless it just takes a while to dry. thanks for any input people, really do appreciate it

 

[hartungs]

It is tough working with smooth ceramic tiles. If they are the type of tiles I am thinking about, then they will need to be sealed. You would probably be better off going to Lowe's or Home Depot and purchasing new porcelin tiles that do not need to be sealed. You can use a silicone adhesive to "glue" them together. Another option for you to do is make a set of stairs out of styrofoam. There are a couple of threads that detail step by step how to do it.

 

[GoFast]

yeah, working with the smooth portion of the tiles will be very difficult at best. trying to get any type of grout to adhere to it will be just about impossible. Even glue, is iffy on it's holding strength.

 

[jakeh2009]

alright thank you guys, ill probably just go with the styrofoam, just need to get grout and sealer, should have plenty of foam around. will just scratch the ceramic idea.