Hearth pad mortaring question

[charly]

Is it crucial to apply mortar to my Durock or can I just butter the back of my bricks? Having lines marked out already , I thought it would be less of a headache, keeping mortar off the lines as I go. That this is laying flat and not a wall I thought maybe just buttering the back would give me a good job as well. Don't want to find out down the road I was wrong.

 

[begreen]

Usually the mortar is spread over a section of the cement board right up to one of the chalk lines. That gives one an accurate guide. But I would guess it should be ok to butter the backs with a notched trowel. Use spacers to keep the grout lines even.

There are lots of instructions on how to do this on the internet. You might also try the excellent tiling forums at www.johnbridge.com .

http://www.ehow.com/how_7471985_lay-brick-flooring-home-interior.html
(broken link removed to http://portstone.com/portstone_website_1_003.htm)

 

[CT-Mike]

Like Begreen said, typically you spread your mortar starting from one of your layout lines. Install along the line and go from there.

 

[charly]

Thanks for the input. I'll apply mortar to both the board and the brick.

 

[CT-Mike]

If you put your mortar on the cement board, and back butter the tile, make sure that you seat the tile firmly and clean out the extra grout that will fill up the grout lines.

 

[charly]

If you put your mortar on the cement board, and back butter the tile, make sure that you seat the tile firmly and clean out the extra grout that will fill up the grout lines.

Just got done. Used a 1/4 inch notched trowel to scratch coat the board and then buttered the brick and scraped the excess off the back of the thin brick with the 1/4 inch notched trowel. Cut myself wooden spacers. About a half hour later I was pulling out the spacers I made so I could sponge clean any cement off the tiles. While pulling some of the spacers a few of the bricks broke loose,,,, uggg! Now I'm thinking either still wet or not enough mortar. Well I re-buttered the loose bricks, cleaned the board and replaced the ones that lifted off. I'm hoping once they dry more they'll be OK. Hopefully filling the joints in a few days will strengthen up any bricks that could have been worked in better. Learned as I went I guess. Started just buttering the bricks at the end end not scratching them with the notched trowel. Hard lesson here if they keep coming loose. I definitely had the mortar wet enough.