We bought a birdbath at the end of last year that sports a top that turned out to be just a little too lightweight — it blew over and broke. The nursery replaced it with some cajoling, however, we’re still in the same spot — with a tricky top. The base is very secure, and I was wondering if there’s a material that would secure the top to the bottom. They’re made out of a ceramic-type material.
— Sheila Barkes, Mishawaka, Ind.
THE GOOD THING ABOUT GETTING OLDER: Though I have to grab blindly for reading glasses, I also, at this point in my life, find it pretty easy to grab for knowledgeable and talented folks I have met to help me when I feel stumped.
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ENTER KAREN AMI: Ami is the founder of the Chicago Mosaic School in Lakeview. It’s a great place where ordinary Joes and Janes can explore their inner artist, learning and doing the art of mosaics. I enrolled in an eight-week class last winter and fell in love with and gained great respect for the myriad possibilities of the art.
For your question, I turned to Ami, who, by the way, has a mosaic globe on display in front of the Field Museum as part of the city’s Cool Globes exhibit. Ami is well-versed on adhesives and creating pieces that are meant for outdoor living.
TAKE YOUR PICK: You have two choices of adhesives to attach your birdbath bowl to its stand, Ami says: silicone adhesive or thin set cement. Both can be purchased at hardware stores.
Silicone has more flexibility, Ami says, so if the birdbath gets moved around or bumped, it won’t crack. The thin set cement (which comes in a powdered form that you mix with water) is more brittle.
THE ARTFUL PLUG: Before you cement the base and bowl back together, mosaic it, Ami says. Her motives aren’t purely for romoting mosaic (but why shouldn’t they be?). Ami points out that mosaicing the birdbath would add weight to it and protect it from blowing around in windy weather.
— Elaine Matsushita, Home&Garden editor
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If you find yourself looking at a problem with something in your home and asking: “What to do? What to do?” Write to me: Home&Garden, baiduhai, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60611, Attn: Stump the Editor. Or e-mail [email protected].