Mortaring 100725

The big blue tiles are mortared, and (surprise, surprise) they took a lot more time and material than I anticipated.  That hardly EVER happens.....

Glad I did the blog for the step riser, as it reminded me of some critical steps I'd forgotten.  So the steps for doing this were:

1. Painted the concrete surface with CLR, using a disposable foam brush.
2. Sifted and mixed Speed-Set mortar.  First batch was WAY too thin.  I had to wait seemingly forever for it to set up, and there wasn't nearly enough to finish the job.  I used the rest of the bag for the second batch, which was a bit lumpy.  It may have gotten damp being stored in the barn.
3. Sprayed white vinegar over the concrete.
4. Applied mortar to the concrete.
5. Back-buttered the tile.
6. Set the tile, leveling it so it inclined away from the house for proper drainage.

I think I'll grout tomorrow so the chiminea can go back in place.  I still need to figure out what to do for a bullnose, and measure to see if I have enough white & blue & tiles for the face.  But that can wait----one step at a time!