How Thick Should Thinset Be For Wall Tile

Today many glass tiles are produced in thicknesses matching ceramic tile but there will always be cases when the problem of various tile thickness needs to be addressed.

How thick should thinset be for wall tile. Thinset tile mortar has a smooth slippery consistency similar to mud. Mar 20 2019 the 2011 tile industry standards define the minimum bond layer thickness to be 3 32 after beat in but the maximum thickness has more to do with the manufacturer of the thinset mortar you are using. Excess thinset will squirt out of the grout lines and create unneeded hassle. Ten or fifteen years ago when nearly all commercial glass tiles were 1 8 thick installers had a recurring problem of having to fit thin glass tiles into a thicker ceramic tile installation.

A 3 8 x 3 8 trowel will leave a 3 16 bed of thinset beneath the tile. So a 3 8 u notched trowel leaves a 1 8 bed of thinset beneath the installed tile. Many thinsets max out at 1 4 in a single layer. This type of cement is designed to adhere well in a thin layer typically not greater than 3 16th thick.

Using a u notched trowel and embedding the tile into the thinset leaves you with a bed of thinset beneath the tile a little over 1 3 the size of the trowel teeth. For wall tiles that is typically 1 4 inch. 1 mix the thinset mortar. At this point the thickness of the thinset on the wall must be thicker than the tiles.

Tile set by the thinset method is adhered to the substrate with a thin layer of thinset cement. Thinset tile mortar. Ridge on a wall with smaller square notched than with a larger u notched. For most tile installations a square notched trowel with 1 4 inch notches produces grooves of the right thickness.

It is applied to the substrate with a notched trowel. Spread the mixture using a notched trowel whose notch size matches the thickness of the tiles. The key with ceramic and porcelain tile installation is to apply an even amount of thinset under each individual piece. If the mortar starts to harden while you work either on the surface or in the bucket discard it and mix a new batch.

The terms thinset cement thinset mortar dryset mortar and drybond mortar are synonymous. For thicker tiles larger notches are recommended. Thinset is a mortar that is made of portland cement silica sand and moisture retaining agents.