Mortar Bed Thickness For Wall Tile

Thinset mortar is not usually recommended for large heavy or uneven tiles.

Mortar bed thickness for wall tile. Then it is leveled with a comb with denticles of 6 mm. If you are installing tile the mortar bed should be 2 3 inches thick on the outer edge and slightly less at the drain. When laying on a similar base medium format tiles it is recommended to apply a layer of 3 4 mm. Thinset represents a modern alternative to the traditional mortar bed.

The terms thinset cement thinset mortar dryset mortar and drybond mortar are synonymous. That doesn t give much leeway for leveling. Many thinsets max out at 1 4 in a single layer. The mortar can be applied to a concrete plastered base or screed with a thicker layer.

A good way to tell if you have the right dry pack consistency is to make a ball with the mixed mortar similar to a snowball. The mortar bed sits over the sub floor and provides a smooth and stable base for the tile installation. This type of cement is designed to adhere well in a thin layer typically not greater than 3 16th thick. A 3 8 x 3 8 trowel will leave a 3 16 bed of thinset beneath the tile.

If the thinset is combed with a 3 8 inch notched trowel when a tile is pressed into it and the grooves flattened the resultant thickness of the mortar is 3 16 of an inch the recommended thickness for thinset. It consists of cement water and very fine sand resulting in a thinner mortar generally applied no more than 3 16 inch thick. As a general rule the finish thickness of thinset mortar with ceramic tile installations is around one eighth inch once the mud has been compressed under a tile. Suitable sub floors for thick set tile installations include concrete slabs and properly installed wood.

For example a 3 8 notch trowel will produce a 3 16th inch thick coating after the tiles are pressed in to the cement. 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. So a 3 8 u notched trowel leaves a 1 8 bed of thinset beneath the installed tile. The tile installation method includes how the surface is prepared the materials to be used and the type of tile to use.

A thick set or mud set tile installation consists of finish tiles set over a 1 1 4 to 2 thick portland cement mortar bed. 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.