TILING

The next step in our long tiling ordeal was the tiling itself. We realized that we needed to get some modified thinset mortar if we were going to meet manufacturer's recommendations, so the cheap stuff we bought before wasn't going to cut it. "Modified thinset" is a type of mortar that is strengthened with latex (or similar substance).

After another trip to the home improvement store, I mixed up a batch of mortar and I was off to the races. We had about 100 square feet to cover, and I was eager to get it done. I started about 7pm on a Thursday night. Why so late? Because we had to wait 24 hrs. before the thinset under the concrete backer board was cured.

First, I had to "mud and tape" all of the joints in the concrete backer board. Once all that was done, I started laying tile. First, you slap it onto the backer board, then you backbutter the tile. Since we were using 13-inch tiles, the manufacturer recommended spreading mortar on the back of each tile to aid in adhesion.

The trowel for laying tile has some neat grooves in it, and I think it was this single fun part of the job that kept me alive. I finished laying tile about 5:45 on Friday morning.

Perhaps I'm a bit slow, I don't know.

That Friday was a hard day at work, but I prayed a lot and God got me through.

Pics later!