My bathroom tile job in Austin went sideways when I mixed the thinset too wet

I was laying subway tile in my guest bathroom and added an extra cup of water to the thinset, thinking it would spread easier. The whole wall started to sag after about twenty minutes, and I had to pull everything off before it set. Has anyone else had a mortar mix go wrong, and what's your fix for getting the consistency right?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_jade5d ago

You ever think the temperature of your mixing water might be the culprit? I've had batches set up way too fast when it's hot out and I used warm tap water, basically turned the thinset into a mess before I even got it on the wall. That sag you described sounds like it might've been a combination of too much water plus the heat in Austin causing it to behave weird from the start.

leer122mo ago

Ugh, that's the worst! I just follow the bag's directions to the letter now, and mix it way thicker than I think it needs to be.

grant_gibson2mo ago

Wait, you actually read the bag's directions? I just eyeball it every time and hope for the best. That's probably why my last batch turned into a weird paste, @leer12. I can't believe you have the patience to measure it out.