Mortar Bed... again š«
So for our trial mortar bed we made it too wet, and it seems for the real deal I made it too dry! When we mixed the mortar bed we went for "sandcastle" consistency, but maybe I needed it a bit wetter. The top is sandy and does not seem to be a hard, cohesive surface. It hasn't been a full 24 hours yet (only 18) but I can already tell it's not right. I also think I probably worked it too long and that's why it's not hard on top.
Any tips to possibly fix it without ripping it all out? I can add pictures soon if those would be helpful.
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My thoughts are take it out and start again. Instead of a bucket, get a BIN...like you see in the photo.
Mix it so that when you put it in your hand and "squeeze" the mix stays together. Or, just follow the directions on the bag, EXACTLY. I believe for Mapei 4-1, it's 1 bag, 2 quarts of water. If you're careful, you won't damage the drain. Just try again, it's no big deal...This part of the shower building process is pretty inexpensive as far as materials goes, but SUPER DUPER DUPER important as far as the finish goes. I just think, based on your experience, you're taking a chance of making things worse by screeding with thin set or trying to fix what you have there.