How to Hide the Mud Set on a Bathtub Wall

Mud, also referred to as mastic, is smoothed over backerboard or vapor barrier before the tile and mortar are installed on bathroom walls. There should be no mud visible after the tile installation. If mud is still visible outside of the tiles, the mud was put in areas where it wasn't required. You can hide it with a fresh coat of paint, but before trying to cover it up, attempt to remove it first.

Wet grout sponge
Butter knife
Citrus degreaser
Wire brush
Hot-air gun or blow dryer
Paint or lacquer thinner or isopropyl alcohol
Medium-grit sandpaper
Paint

Instructions

- 1
  Chip away the dried excess mud from the wall, using a butter knife.
- 2
  Soak the remaining mud with a citrus degreaser and allow it to saturate the mud for 15 minutes.
- 3
  Scrub the soaked mud with a wire brush.
- 4
  Heat any remaining mud with a hot-air gun or blow dryer, if the degreaser doesn't work.
- 5
  Resoak any remaining mud with a solvent such as paint or lacquer thinner or isopropyl alcohol for 15 minutes, then scrub the mud away.
- 6
  Sand any remaining mud down with a piece of medium-grit sandpaper, then paint over it to blend the area with the wall.

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