Pre sloped mortar bed

[merv dessent]

Hi ,this is my first time on this site and I wanted to ask a question.
I made up my mix yesterday using 5:1 and used Latex to give me extra strength at the 3/8 in level around drain.
I know that people have different ideas on Latex but went there anyway.
This morning the bed is pretty firm but I have a loose dusty top level on the surface.
I was trying to get the whole bed installed yesterday within 45 min but went over this time period although I did dampen down the last mix in the bucket before I used it.
Any advice ?
Merv

[Houston Remodeler]

Merv,

Can you walk on the mudbed without your shoes making dents? If yes, then you should be fine. Vacuum the dust and proceed.

[merv dessent]

Hi Paul
Thanks for the reply
Yes I can.
The top surface is a bit dusty though
I have lightly dampened down the whole bed using a plastic spray bottle with warm water.
The bed has only cured for about 14hrs so I dont want to disturbe anything at this point

[Higher Standard Tile]

Merv,

This is a preslope. So are you loose laying a conventional pvc or cpe pan liner on top of it or are you planning on bonding something directly to the preslope?

If you are loose laying a pan liner the dusty surface is no problem. If I have to bond to a mortar bed that is a little dusty, I just vacuum real good and use a loose mix of thinset.

Damp curing is always a good idea. I usually just cover with plastic when I'm done and pull it off the next morning. 14 hours should be plenty for a preslope.

[merv dessent]

The next stage for me is to lay down an Oatley pan liner over the pre bed and dam..
Then I can mix up my top mortar bed and start laying it down.
I was concerned about the pre slope because if this was not right I was going to rip it up and start again.
Yesterday I got a bit behind on time and my pre slope mix was drying up.
Although I dampened it down slightly I reckon the base was curing faster than the top layer and this is what caused the dusting on top.

[cx]

Originally Posted by Homza

Damp curing is always a good idea.

What Homza

[davem]

Sounds like you'll be fine Merv.

[merv dessent]

The next stage for me is to lay down an Oatley pan liner over the pre bed and dam..
Then I can mix up my top mortar bed and start laying it down.
I was concerned about the pre slope because if this was not right I was going to rip it up and start again.
Yesterday I got a bit behind on time and my pre slope mix was drying up.
Although I dampened it down slightly I reckon the base was curing faster than the top layer and this is what caused the dusting on top.

[merv dessent]

Thanks very much for all your feedback today Guys
Appreciate it
Merv

[Higher Standard Tile]

Merv,

The preslope just has to lay there, so nothing to worry about. Just view it as a practice run for your mud on top of the liner.

Just make sure your mix is damp enough. You don't want it too damp but if you are going a little slow a little extra moisture is good.

I say mix it like damp sand on the beach. Ball it up in your hand, it should hold the shape but not too much should stick to your hand.

Also the spray bottle idea is good. When I am putting a finish on it I might spray a little moisture on the surface.

But remember the mortar bed doesn't require a slick finish like you might see on a concrete floor. A little rough is good, the thinset sticks better to texture.

But if I float a floor and it comes out a little too rough and I'm not going to tile right away I sometimes skim coat it with some thinset just to keep the surface from wearing off from foot traffic.