How Thick / Stiff Should You Mix Thin Set Mortar For Laying Tiles?
I’ve laid a good amount of tile in my home and made the mortar work for me, but I’ve always wondered what is RECOMMENDED in terms of thickness / stiffness of the mud?
Should it be like creamy peanut butter? Or stiffer or looser? I notice that peanut butter consistency is actually pretty dry and hard to spread, since the trowel very quickly gets some of its “notches” plugged up after a short stroke. Also if the tile is not laid very quickly, it’s very difficult to press the tile down very far without risking breaking the tile.
A soupier mix is much easier to spread and the tiles are more adjustable, but you have to be careful not to get any thicker spots or those spots will ride high.
So, I’d like to hear from people who are experienced as to what they find works best.
I’d say peanut butter or slightly thinner but I find there’s a great latitude in what you can use.
Bottom line, to address your question directly, it’s less important what consistency you use than you find yourself comfortable with it (in other words there is no “magic amount”)
like cake frosting, you use a knife to lay it out, if you get one with 1/8 cut groves it will set better. also butter both sides of the tile. The back of the tile and the floor and then put them together, this keeps out air and space that expands and causes tiles to pop loose.
also make sure you placing it over a approved backing board for tile or the warranty will not be any good and you will see a lot of tiles breaking.
It’s really just a matter of finding the consistency that allows you to easily trowel it on without it being so soupy that it does not stand up. The stiffness of the mortar will has very little effect on how it cures up and hold the tiles. As long as it is not to the extreme one way or the other it will work just fine.
I usually test by getting a big blob of adhesive on my float and if it falls of in one i know i’m good to go but if it runs and drips i know it’s to runny.
I was just at a tiling class last night at the big orange DIY store… the tile guy there says to make the mortar like pancake batter… that consistency. That seemed to work really well when we were placing the tiles.
I like mayonaise, it’s easy to work with,doesn’t fall off the knife,holds the ridges without any slump,and easy too press in place.
More toward s the peanut butter consistency. It must hold its ridges but be easy to spread and not slump like you said. If your breaking any tile when setting it in place, Your pushing to hard and not pressing and using a slight twisting motion when setting it. Or the trowel size is not the right size.. Careful of taking classes at the orange place.. I went there ( to get paint) and saw a picture of a tile setter using a 1/4″ v notched trowel on a display when the guy was setting a 12×12 tile..
Careful about just adding some more thin set if your mixture is to runny. Always mix and let set 5/10 minutes to let it slake. Then remix. .. If to thick , you must add water and more thin set and mix well again and let slake.. Any flooring questions e mail me through my avatar and check my qualifications there … GL