How Long Should Mastic Set on Floor Tile before Grouting
How long should mastic set on floor tile before grouting? If you are seeking an answer to this question, you may not like the response…
To being answering the question listed above, how long should mastic set on floor tile before grouting? , you will have to determine just how thickly you laid down that mastic to begin with. This adhesive should always be spread rather thinly if you are going to use it at all… which brings us to another point – it is best to use thinset for most projects. Why? While thinset incorporates natural elements such as air and water, mastic simply doesn’t. Now, let’s jump into the answer to that question.
If you have already applied this adhesive, you are probably frustrated due to the fact that it never seems to dry. Well, this is partly because it never will dry. You see, mastic will stay slightly pliable forever. However, it will dry (for the most part) after quite a few days… sometimes months. Really, it depends upon the amount of moisture in the room that you are re-tiling. If you are working in bathroom, you may decide to re-do the project with thinset. This way, you can be sure that your tiles will not slip down as time progresses. Of course re-do any project is not something that most people want to think about, still it is one of the best options.
Removing that sticky goo from the back of those tiles isn’t really that hard, though it is rather messy. Still, it is far better to remove it and replace it with thinset than it is to watch your tiles slip and slide for the next five years. Hopefully, you now know the answer the original question (how long should mastic set on floor tile before grouting?). For the most part, this type of adhesive is rarely ever used anymore, since it takes so long to dry.
The next time that you have a tiling project to complete, consider using thinset right away. Although many older contractors used to use this adhesive, it is no longer optimal considering the many new types of adhesive out there.
Now that you know how long should mastic set on floor tile before grouting, you can decide whether or not you want to re-do the entire project. If your tiles are not slipping too much, you may be able to get away with them as they are (unless water comes in contact with them). Otherwise, this may be one project that you’ll just have to scrap and re-do.