- 1). Clean the subfloor surface that you intend to build the mud bed onto with a pH-neutral cleanser and a mop. Remove the dirt and debris from the floor without saturating the floor in cleanser, and then rinse the subfloor with clean water. Wait a few hours for the floor to dry after cleaning. Drying times will vary according to floor type, with concrete subfloors requiring longer times to dry than wooden. Pat the surface dry with a clean cloth if you wish to speed up the drying process.
- 2). Abrade the surface of the subfloor if smooth, using a floor sander for wooden floors or a concrete grinder for concrete floors. Only a light texturing of the floor is necessary, so a single pass with medium-grit sandpaper or a light grinding pad will create enough of a texture for the mud bed materials to sit on without sliding in place.
- 3). Cover the subfloor with a layer of roofing felt. Overlap the felt 4 inches for each new row rolled out across the floor, cutting the paper where needed with a utility knife. Secure the felt to a wooden subfloor using a power stapler, placing staples about every 6 inches. Secure to concrete by lifting each felt row and spreading a layer of asphalt mastic over the floor with a steel trowel. Press the felt back into place to adhere it.
- 4). Cover the felt with a layer of metal lath, stapling the lath to the wooden floor as well with a staple every 6 inches. Overlap the lath edges 2 inches on each side, and cut the lath with tin snips for proper fit. Secure the lath over concrete subfloors by tying the adjacent pieces together to maintain their position with wire ties placed every 6 inches over the overlapping sections.
- 5). Mix 1 part Portland cement with 4 parts sand to create the mortar mix for the mud bed. Substitute a latex additive for the water in the mortar mix to add strength to the material. Pour all of the ingredients for the mix into a wheelbarrow and mix thoroughly using a spade. Add only enough of the latex additive to create a mix that holds shape when balled in your hand.
- 6). Spread the mortar over the lath and felt using the trowel. Push firmly onto the mortar to set it against the felt through the holes in the lath. Build the mortar to a depth of 1 1/4 inches. Use a carpenter's level as you proceed to maintain the level of the mud bed across the surface. Cover the entire subfloor with the mud bed, and then wait two hours for curing time before placing the tiles.
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