Took me way too long to realize I was mixing thinset wrong on tile jobs

I've been doing floors for like 8 years solo now and last week I was on a kitchen backsplash in a house over in Riverside. My mix kept getting clumpy and I was fighting it all day. The homeowner's a contractor so he came over and watched me for a minute and said hey man you're dumping the powder into the water too fast and not letting it slake. He showed me his way where you sprinkle it slow and let it sit for 10 minutes before stirring again. Night and day difference. Now I feel like an idiot for all those years of lumpy thinset. Has anyone else had a basic skill they did wrong forever and then someone just casually showed you the right way?

2 comments

2 Comments

william3207d ago

Dump the powder in too fast and that's exactly what happens man. I did the same thing for years before a tiler buddy set me straight. He told me to pour it in a steady stream like a waterfall not a waterfall and let that slake time do its thing. Thinset needs to hydrate proper or you'll get those clumps that just won't break down no matter how much you mix. Another tip is use a mixing paddle with those spiral fins, not the standard ones. Makes a world of difference getting it smooth. And don't be afraid to scrape the sides and bottom of the bucket mid mix. That trapped dry powder is usually what ruins the batch. You're not an idiot, most of us learn this stuff the hard way lmao.

gonzalez.vera7d ago

Totally agree with everything you said here @william320. I've been there too, standing over a bucket of lumpy thinset wondering where I went wrong. The waterfall tip is gold, it really does make a difference when you take your time adding the powder. And yeah, scraping the sides is so easy to forget but it saves the whole batch. Feels good to know I'm not the only one who messed this up multiple times before finally getting it right.