What is a Mortar Bed?
A mortar bed (or mud bed) is a mix of Portland cement and sand, lime would be added for vertical surfaces, that is normally reinforced with welded wire or metal lath. All of this is typically applied on top of a wooden, gypsum drywall or concrete substrate from up to 2, to prepare for the installation of ceramic tile or dimensional stone. In the past, all tiles were set in a damp or plastic mortar bed. Before the tiles were installed, they were soaked in clean water, usually overnight or several hours. The mortar bed would be installed and while still damp or plastic, the contractor would sprinkle dry Portland cement on the mortar bed, then take the wet tiles and beat them into the mortar bed, hence wet set. The combination of a damp mortar bed, dry Portland cement sandwiched between wet tiles would create a monolithic layer of tile, Portland cement and mortar. If installing a mud bed, for convenience, use TexRite Floor Mud or Wall Mud that is factory blended in a bag instead of mixing
