How Long Does Tile Mortar Take to Dry

Over the years, I’ve done a few tiling projects and they have been some of the most impactful projects in my homes. I think that tile is a great design element and tiling can be such a fun DIY project! It’s amazing to look around a room you just completed a tile project in and feeling that satisfaction looking at beautiful newly installed tiles.

There are also a lot of things to consider when tiling. It’s always a good idea to understand the details and familiarize yourself with what is involved in a home improvement project so you know what to expect before getting started. Today, I want to share some information specifically around mortar such as:

• What mortar actually is
• How long it takes tile mortar to dry
• How you can make your thin-set mortar dry faster
• How soon you can walk on newly installed tile
• Alternatives to using mortar

Note: This post may contain affiliate links, you can find more information in my disclosures here.

What is mortar?

There are different types of mortar.

• Thin-set mortar: Thin-set mortar is an adhesive used for tile installation and is used to adhere tiles to surfaces, including walls, backsplashes, and floors. It’s a combination of cement, fine sand, and a water-retaining agent. It ultimately helps create a strong bond between thin-set mortar and different surfaces, including concrete, cement backer board, and plywood.
• Brick mortar: Brick mortar is meant for heavy-duty materials. It’s typically used in building to bond bricks or stones on exterior walls, interior walls and brick walls.

In this post, we’ll be talking about thin-set mortar as a tile adhesive.

How long does tile mortar take to dry?

As a rule of thumb, you should give thin-set mortar a minimum of 24 hours to dry before proceeding to grout your tiles. However, it could take as long as 48 hours to dry completely. There’s no harm in waiting longer than 48 hours to ensure everything has dried and cured completely. Most importantly, you should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions and guidelines regarding the tile mortar drying time during your tiling project.

The drying time of thinset mortar will depend on various factors, including:

• how it was mixed
• amount of water used
• the amount applied to surface prior to tiling
• air circulation, and
• environmental conditions such as temperature, and humidity of the space.

The thin-set mortar might look dry around the edges or in the grout lines but those portions receive more air. However, other parts might not be getting the same air flow and may still be wet or not fully cured and ready for the next step.

I recommend checking the drying time and cure time details from the mortar manufacturers that are specific to the kind you’re using.

Only once the mortar has fully dried and the curing process is finished, can you grout the new tiles and complete your project.

Example: Mapei’s Ready to Use Premium Mortar

I’ve used Mapei’s Ready to Use mortar in the guest bathroom and in the hallway bathroom. I highly recommend it, it’s just so easy to use because it’s pre-mixed! The instructions say to let the mortar dry completely before grouting. On walls, grouting may be done the day following the installation. For floors, it says that grouting may generally be done after 24 to 48 hours, depending on the tiles used. Larger tiles will generally take longer. I used 12×12 porcelain tiles in the hallway bathroom recently and let my floor tiles sit for about 2 days before grouting just to be sure and let it cure properly!

How to make thin-set mortar dry faster

If you need to start walking on your tile and grouting faster and have a limited amount of time, I recommend looking into using a quick-setting mortar. This may be able to speed up the curing time.

If you want to stick with traditional thin-set mortar, you can try to:

• Improve Air Circulation: You can open windows and doors to improve air circulation and ventilation in your space.
• Adjust Temperature: Thin-set mortar will typically dry faster in warmer temperatures. However, it shouldn’t be too hot either. That might cause the thin-set mortar to dry too quickly which can cause issues like cracking. Typically, a room temperature of around 70F is ideal.
• Decrease Humidity: Consider using a dehumidifier to adjust the humidity levels. High humidity can slow the drying and curing process.

Note: It’s a good idea to avoid rushing when installing large format tiles, heavy tile, tiles in heavy-traffic areas, or setting your tiles on a vertical surface.

How long before you can walk on installed tile after thin-set mortar?

Newly installed tiles shouldn’t be walked on or disturbed during the drying process. It could cause serious issues. Walking on newly installed tile without allowing ample time for the thin-set mortar to dry can result in sinking or shifting. This might compromise the bond between the substrate and your tile and ultimately cause loose tiles.

It’s best to follow the manufacturer’s instructions on how long to wait to walk on newly installed tile as the dry time might vary depending on the type of mortar. It’s important to allow for enough time to let the mortar cure after all the hard work of installing it. Typically, you should avoid foot traffic for at least 24-48 hours on newly installed tile to let the thin-set dry for best results.

Are there any alternatives to thin-set mortar?

One great alternative to the traditional way of tiling with thin-set mortar is to use a Musselbound adhesive tile mat instead. You can use Musselbound in certain settings instead of thin-set mortar. I used Musselbound during our primary bathroom shower remodel for the first time to install ceramic tile. I really liked it using it during that tiling project and would definitely recommend it especially for tiling projects like backsplashes.