Lightweight substrates give mosaic artists a solid, dependable base without the bulk and back-breaking weight of traditional cement board or plywood. These materials—typically foam-core panels reinforced with fiberglass mesh, cement coatings, or specialty resins—have become the modern workhorse for portable, large-scale, or wall-mounted mosaic projects. They’re strong, dimensionally stable, and far easier to move, install, and ship.
In short, you get the durability mosaics have always demanded, in a format today’s artists can actually handle. Whether you’re creating architectural work, studio pieces, or anything that needs to travel, lightweight substrates solve the old problems without compromising the craft.
WediBoard - WediBoard is probably the lightweight substrate most talked about & used among mosaic artists. It's a German product typically used in the construction industry as an underlayment for bathrooms, showers, floors, and anywhere that needs a waterproof material. WdiBoard is recognized because it was the first of it kind to the market.
What is it exactly? WediBoard is a high-density foam board covered with a thin layer of fiberglass mesh and a cement coating. It is entirely waterproof and weatherproof, very rigid so it won't warp, super lightweight, and can be used indoors and out in all climate conditions. Available in 1/4" and 1/2" thicknesses, each sheet comes 3' x 5', so you can often get many projects from one piece. It's easy to cut with a utility knife, leaving a smooth edge that will need to be framed or covered.
You can use almost any adhesive with WediBoard, but it was created for use with cement-based adhesives such as thinset. Please make sure you are using the correct adhesive for your project. One of the drawbacks of WediBoard is its availability; it is not available at your local home improvement store. Contact your local tile and flooring store to check for availability, or visit our Website for pre-cut alternatives.
GoBoard, Durock Ultra Light, Kerdi Board, and other foam core products - Like WediBoard, all of these products are lightweight, rigid, water and weatherproof, and temperature stable. These products were developed for the building trades for showers and flooring underlayment. All the above cutting, hanging, and adhesive instructions for WediBoard apply. The upside is that you can find one or more of these products at most local home improvement stores.
Please watch our YouTube video to learn how to install a hanging system. It is essential to note that you need to plan and install any hanging hardware before beginning your project.
When installing any lightweight backer board permanently to a wall or structure, you need to use washers designed explicitly for lightweight substrates. Because these backer boards have a foam core, the screw heads will pull through the board. The washer prevents this from happening and securely holds the board in place.
If you want to work on your board in your studio and later install it, simply leave the areas where you will install the screws free of mosaic materials. After mounting in place, you can then add your mosaic over the washers and screw heard to create a seamless mosaic.
Check out this quick video demonstrating wrapping the edges when you aren't planning on framing. This method works on almost all lightweight substrates.
