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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?
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the_max5mo 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.
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murray.pat5mo ago
Nah, @the_max, I've found extra water just makes it crack later.
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tarar385mo 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.
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