not that I am looking forward to doing it again, but just in case I
ever need to find the products we used or if this helps someone else I
wanted to document some of the tips here.
First of all, the Type S mortar is fine for doing this, and it is
cheap, but if you really want an excellent product get this FlexBond
Mortar from Home Depot. It is very expensive, but I absolutely love
it. It is so much more sticky and cleaner to work with. Still make
sure you have a sponge nearby to clean off any drips or excess
mortar. We also used lots of Qtips and paper towels for clearing out
the tiny hard to reach places.
The other tip we learned from the first time is how this Deft Clear
Wood Finish hides and scratches, (we didn't clean off the drips very
well, and tried brushing it off with a hard bristle brush). Well, the
Deft hid the scratches very well and really brought the colors to
life.
One coat was plenty. See the before and after pictures.
