How much thinset do i need for tile

This thinset calculator will help you answer the question "How much thinset do I need? Using this tool, you will learn what thinset is, as well as the basics of how to mix thinset. You will also find out how to distinguish thinset vs. Keep on reading to learn more. Thinset is an adhesive compound used to install materials, like tiles and bricks , onto substrates, like walls and floors. Thinset is a mixture of cement and sand, with some additives and polymers that make the mixture more flexible, workable, and more adhesive.

How to mix thinset is very similar to how you mix mortar. However, you can now find dry pre-mixed thinset that needs only water to get activated. Thinset comes in two general types: the unmodified thinset and the modified thinset. The main difference between the two is the presence of polymers, usually latex, in the modified thinset. Due to the presence of latex, modified thinset needs to dry well to set properly, and thus it is perfect for installing tiles onto concrete and plywood.

Concrete and plywood can help modified thinset dry faster by absorbing some of the water in the thinset mix. On the other hand, like concrete, unmodified thinset cures stronger in the presence of moisture. For this reason, tile installers prefer using unmodified thinset onto surfaces with membrane-type waterproofing materials. These materials do not absorb water, and the trade-off is that the thinset takes a little longer to cure. Nevertheless, you can always refer to the packaging of the thinset to know what thinset is best for your project.

In this thinset calculator, we focus on determining the volume and weight of thinset required while considering the size of the tiles to be installed and the typical density of the thinset. How much thinset you need depends on the total area of your project and the size of tile you wish to install.

Larger tiles need thicker thinset to support the tiles, while smaller tiles can get away with a thinner thinset to secure them. To achieve a consistent thickness throughout an area, we can use a notched trowel that leaves a uniform set of thinset beads across the substrate.

The notch size of the trowel defines the size of the beads it produces. When installing the tiles, these beads get squished flat and decreases the chances of trapped air between the tiles and the substrate. You can use the table below as a guide on what trowel size and thinset thickness you should use for specific tile sizes:. There are other notch shapes and sizes available on the market today, but these are the most common ones in use. As you can see from the table, the smaller trowel sizes provide thinner thinset thicknesses for smaller tiles, while the larger trowel sizes provide thicker thinset for larger tiles.

Here are the steps you can follow to use our thinset calculator to find out how much thinset you need:. My question concerns troweling sizes for my project.

I am going to tile a 23ftsq entry with 3 tile sizes: 18" x 18", 12" x 12", and a mosaic border. The tile is porcelain. It seems all the mortar elevations will differ if I strictly follow the trowel recommendations. The trowel notch recommendations come from the tile and mortar manufacturers and are used as a general guideline for tile installation.

This ideal plan would be to experiment with the three you have listed using a large and heavy tile LHT mortar. This mortar will allow the surface of the different tiles to be flush. When installing the mosaic tile, use the same trowel to spread the mortar as was done for the other two tile sizes.

Then apply a small amount of mortar along the flat side of the trowel and move it perpendicularly to the ridges which will knock them down into the valleys creating a flat mortar surface. Properly align the sheet and very carefully beat it into place with a bearing block and rubber mallet. I plan to use LFT medium set mortar for the entire job. I would not recommend installing the tiles at two separate times.

Your best job will be achieved if you install both tiles at the same time. This way you can assure that there is no lippage, one tile higher than the adjacent tile. There are numerous manufacturers that provide lippage control devices to aid in keeping the tile surfaces flat. When laying out the mortar and using the trowel, should you be going all the way down and removing the mortar to the floor when creating the ridges?

If not, how do you keep an even depth? The mortar should always be keyed forced into the substrate with the flat side of the trowel which allows a skim coat of mortar to remain. Add more mortar, move the notched side of the trowel in one direction which creates straight mortar ridges. It is not necessary to remove the mortar on the substrate under the trowel notches. In fact, it is better to allow this coating to remain. Therefore, do not press so hard that a grinding sound occurs. Great video and instructions.

All makes sense to me but leaves me with one question. I'm doing 12x24 tiles for tub surround. I'm starting with the center; two full horizontal tiles and two cut pieces at each end. The end tiles are cut to fit the ends, so there is no room to move them and collapse the ridges. As you have described your installation technique, you are troweling your mortar vertically north and south while moving the tiles left to right. If you change the direction of the troweling to horizontal left to right , you would move the tile up and down, thereby eliminating the problem.

Are you ready to correctly trowel the mortar on your next tile installation job? Certified Tile Installers do. Note: This article was originally published on June 7, , tweaked in , and further updated here. You don't become a tile installer or a business owner overnight. It takes time, enthusiasm, pride, reliability, respectfulness, a willingness to learn, and dedication.

No two jobs are the same; each one has its own unique nuances. As a qualified installer, you need to be able to communicate how to deal with those nuances and qualify yourself to not only meet but exceed expectations.

Being qualified will exponentially increase your value and you will have endless opportunities. Crossville's Latest News and Views. Daltile's Trend Hub. Neuse Tile Services Blog. The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation CTEF provides education and installer certification for professionals working in the ceramic tile and stone industry. Why Certification? The most likely dangers of using it too thick are cracks see photo , delamination, and lippage.

Please note that the thinset being shown as a patch in the previous pictures is one designed to be used on plywood an ANSI A If you try to do that with an el-cheapo thinset, good luck. The correct way is for the adhesive to be troweled on covering the entire area. You can use thinset to install tile over an uneven cement floor and leave the floor perfectly level. You can also use thinset mortar to level out an uneven cement floor or fill small holes in the floor without installing tile.

That depends on how consistent the tiles are. Its direction is similar to a brick wall, where the longer side is across the surface. This creates a more pleasant layout and makes the room look wider. Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel. Skip to content Home Psychology How many bags of thinset do I need per square foot? Ben Davis February 24, How many bags of thinset do I need per square foot?