My weekend tiling job turned into a three day mess

Last Saturday I started retiling my small bathroom floor with some 12 inch ceramic tiles. I mixed the thin-set mortar like the bag said, but it dried way too fast in the warm room. By Sunday I had to chip up half the tiles because they weren't stuck right. Has anyone else had this happen and found a good way to slow down the drying time?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_max8d ago

Oh man, that sounds like my kind of weekend project. Isn't it funny how a simple job always finds a way to humble you? Try mixing smaller batches and add just a tiny bit more water than the bag says, but not too much. A cool trick is to mist the floor with a spray bottle before you spread the mortar, it buys you a little more time.

murray.pat8d ago

Nah, @the_max, I've found extra water just makes it crack later.

tarar386d ago

Misting the floor first is a solid tip from @murray.pat. I've had better luck using a paddle mixer on a slow drill speed to get a really smooth mix, which seems to stop it from drying too fast. That extra working time lets you spread it without needing to mess with the water ratio so much.