If you want minimum 1/8” bed of thinset beneath the tile cupped by 1/8”, you must use a trowel that will leave a 1/4” bed of thinset beneath the finished installation. You can also expect to find a couple of shades of gray, brown, and tan (or almond). It is easier to keep a standing ridge on a wall with smaller square-notched than with a larger U-notched. According to The Tile Association, the smallest gap you should allow between tiles is 2 mm (0.08 inches). These shifts often lead to gaps appearing in your wood floor.[v161475_b01]. They are cream coloured and the grout is grey. If, however, the other tile has quite a bit of cupping you may need to use a larger 1/2” square-notched tile trowel to get proper coverage. Bathroom Floor: 5sq/m meters of 12mm porcelain tile, tile size 200x200mm; Bathroom wall (also used as shower backing) 20sq/m of 8.5mm 250x400mm. The type of tile determines the tile trowel size. I am not sure what size of gap would look/work best. Actual finished grout spaces will vary from 1/8" to 1/4" if 3/16" spacers are used. When we purchased our ceramic tiles the supplier told us we could easily get a 3mm gap with these, the tiler has laid a 5mm gap and it looks huge going up the walls (floor to ceiling)!! This is sometimes difficult with vertical installations. Tiling a Fireplace Like a Pro, Our Top Tips For Using Tile Spacers Effectively, Rubi Tile Cutter: The Professional’s Companion since 1951. and 95% minimum total coverage in a wet area (showers, tub surrounds, etc.). 20 years ago, 8×8 floor tiles and 4×4 wall tiles were in fashion and the more common sizes, but now, the more common and fashionable sizes include 12×12, 18×18, 12×24, and even larger for floor tiles, and 8×10 and larger for wall tiles. For medium format tiles 20×20 cm, the size is 6 mm. Tile spacers allow you to achieve a consistent pattern when fixing wall/floor tiles and help to ensure that all tiles are laid equidistant from each other (providing a symmetrical finish - as you or your customer would expect) in order for the grout to then be applied. 1. When you calculate the amount of cupping in the tile to determine the properly sized trowel, you still need to visually inspect the coverage to ensure you use the proper size of trowel! Hi. You are using an out of date browser. The size and spacing of the trowel teeth are the basis to measure tile trowel size. I am tiling my shower walls around the bathtub and have a question about the gap size between the bottom course of tile and the tub. Notice the 1/2” square notched bed on the left side has the most coverage with the 3/8” square notch in a close second. For example, if you take two 12-inch tiles and compare them side to side and there is a variation of 1/16 inch in the two tiles, you are recommended to use at least a 3/16-inch grout joint to hide the inconsistency. It is worth to buy spatulas with different teeth. As these are porcelain tiles you do need the gap to allow for variation in tile size. If smaller spacers like 1/8" are used, it will accentuate the size difference of handmade tile. For example; you have two different 24” x 24” tiles for two different floors. Though some manufacturers have their own, non-standard sizes square tiles, the majority of tile manufacturers use the following size grades: 2”, 3”, 4”, 6”, 8”, 12”, 16”, 18” and 24”; and most tiles that are specifically made for flooring are found in the larger sizes, from 6” upwards. Apply more to make a layer of adhesive roughly 1/2-inch thick. For a small square tile is recommended to choose a spatula with prongs of 4 mm. In basic terms it is easier to wiggle a tile into a bed of thinset put down with a u-notched than with a square-notched. Since a 3/8” U-notched trowel and a 1/4” square-notched trowel will both leave a 1/8” layer of thinset mortar beneath an installed tile, why choose one over the other? Should I use a U-notched or a squared-notched trowel? They suggest you insert the spacers at right angles to the tile, to facilitate removal. Visual inspection is simply fully embedding the tile into the bed of thinset mortar, then removing it and looking at both the substrate and the back of the tile to determine whether you have proper coverage. lol, ditra matting at a good trade price is about £8.50 sq mtr plus vat... glue required to stick it down about 40.00 + plus vat, NOT TOO SURE ABOUT TILING DIRECT TO A VARNISHED BLOCK FLOOR,AS YOUR NOT STICKING TO THE ACTUAL SUBSTRATE,ONLY TO THE VARNISH,I THINK MAYBE SANDING THE FLOOR BACK TO ITS RAW STATE TO GET A BETTER "KEY" IS ADVISABLE HERE, COAT WITH ARDEX P 51 PRIMER, FIX WITH ARDEX 7001 FLOOR ADHESIVE,THAT SHOULD DO THE JOB NO PROBLEM, YOU MUST MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO SECTION OF THE WOODEN FLOOR HAS DE-LAMINATED FROM THE SUBSTRATE. Current trends are moving towards leaving much smaller grout lines between tiles. Shower walls can be covered in glazed ceramic or porcelain. Before you begin setting tile, decide which tile trowel to use. As a general rule, floor tiles should have grout lines of 1/8 inch or larger, depending on the type and size of tile; most floor tiles are 8 inches by 8 inches, but larger versions are available. and 95% minimum total coverage in a wet area (showers, bath surrounds, etc.). Whether the tile is in a bathroom, kitchen, or around a fireplace where the wood butts up to the tile, there will be a grout line that needs to be filled. For example; you have two different 24” x 24” tiles for two different floors. Sponsored Links. All tile manufacturers offer a recommended trowel size. Grout Lines for Floor Tiles. Attaching brick slips to painted plasterboard and other questions. First you must know how much thinset mortar you want beneath the tile in the finished installation. A 3/8” x 3/8”’ trowel will leave a 3/16” bed of thinset beneath the tile. This is both the width and depth of the teeth. Angles to the type of tile determines the tile, but some materials pose challenges. 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