I had a rough experience tiling my bathtub area over the weekend. I used a 1/4" x 3/16" v-notched trowel for my 11.5" x 24" tiles, but after it dried, I discovered that I only had about 5% adherence on the mortar. Now I'm planning to start fresh with a 1/2" x 1/2" square notched trowel and replace the backer board. My main concern is how to effectively remove the dried mortar from the backs of around 40 tiles. Any advice on the best methods would be appreciated!
3 Answers
Another option could be using an angle grinder fitted with a diamond blade for masonry. It can be a bit aggressive, but it works well to get tough mortar off without damaging the tiles.
You might want to try using an oscillating tool equipped with a diamond-coated grout blade or a scraper blade. Just make sure to wear safety glasses and something like an N95 mask since it can get a bit dusty! It's usually pretty effective for these kinds of things.
Out of curiosity, did you back butter the tiles? That could influence how well the mortar sticks. If the walls are flat and square, it shouldn't be too hard to achieve a good bond.