What Size Trowel For Subway Tile?
| Subway Tile Size | Tile Trowel Size | Recommended Trowel |
| 3″ x 6″ | 1/4 inch square notch | 6″ Mini Trowel 1/4″ Square notch |
| 8″ x 8″ | 1/4″ x 3/8″ square notch | Frosch Stainless Steel Square Notch Tile ... |
| 12″ x 12″ and 13″ x 13″ | 1/4″ x 1/2″ | Flooring & Tiling Notched Trowel Usoft G ... |
Full Answer
What trowel to use for subway tile?
What Size Trowel To Use For 3″x6” Subway Tile?
- Tile Trowel Basics. Trowels are used across a variety of home improvement projects and materials, including bricks, concrete, synthetic flooring, and swimming pools.
- Factors to Keep in Mind When Selecting a Trowel. ...
- Additional Trowel Sizes. ...
- Planning for Your Tile Project. ...
- Tips for Using the Best Trowel and Mortar. ...
- The Verdict for 3” x 6” Subway Tile. ...
What is the size of a subway tile?
More Creative Ways to Use Subway Tile
- Change the Color. Who said subway tile has to be white? ...
- Sprinkle With Different Colors. If you can’t choose just one color for your subway tile, multicolor subway tile is for you. ...
- Use a Pattern or Natural Look. ...
- Go Small. ...
- Go Large. ...
- Combine Sizes. ...
- Change the Dimensions. ...
- Add Some Texture. ...
- Bevel It. ...
- Add Tile Accents. ...
What size notched trowel for 12x12 tile?
Trowel Sizes Floor tiles measuring 12 by 12 inches are considered standard, requiring a notched trowel size of either 1/4 inch by 3/8 inch or 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch. What size spacers do you use for 12×12 tiles? If you want a standard look, tile installers recommend grout lines of 1/16 inch for walls and 1/8 inch for floors.
What size trowel for 12x24 floor tile?
The trowel you choose for your project will depend heavily on the tile size, how thick the mortar needs to be, and what type of surface you are working on. In general, the best trowel to use for 12×24 floor tiles is a square-notched trowel with notches that are either ½-inch by ½-inch or ¼-inch by ½-inch.
What size notched trowel for subway tile?
How deep should a notch be for a mosaic tile?
How Much Thickness Does Thinset Add to Tile Height?
How to Use Cardboard to Mock Thinset Thickness. A great trick for seeing how high your tile floor will be after it is installed on top of the thinset is to cut off the side of a box of tiles and place the cardboard beneath the tiles.
How are trowels measured?
Trowel measurements are determined by their length, depth, and the spacing between the notches (also known as teeth).
Why do you need a trowel to lay tile?
A trowel’s purpose is to provide a way for installers to control how much thinset they’re putting down. The use of a trowel ensures that you’re laying down the same amount of mortar every time – leaving you with a level surface to install tile over.
What Size Trowel For Subway Tile?
The size of the trowel for subway tile varies depending on the subway tile size, where a 1/4 inch square notch tile trowel is the right size for 3″ x 6″ subway tile. However, a 1/4″ x 3/8″ square notch trowel is ideal for installing 8″ x 8″ tiles, while a 1/4″ x 1/2″ square notch trowel is ideal for installing 12″ x 12″ and 13″ x 13″ tiles.
The Right Size Subway Tile Trowel Guide
Most homeowners install a single-size tile in a particular area or room. Consider these steps to get the right size to trowel for your home tile project:
A Few Essential Tricks For The Best Subway Tile Project
Efficient use of a trowel must be needed for applying a level layer of mortar to ensure smooth and accurate tile installation. A level surface makes the tilling task much easier.
FAQs
You should apply 3/16-inch to 1/8-inch thick thinset under the tile. However, the 3/16-inch layer of thin-set is good enough to offer a smooth back along with a strong bond to the tile to the backer board or floor. But if the tile has a rough surface on the back, you should spread 1/8-inch thick thin-set for proper installation.
Final words
Subway tiles are the smart choice for lowering the remodeling cost and enjoying the most sustainable and stylish finish. But all the benefits depend on using the right size trowel which is key for professional-grade tile installation.
What size notched trowel do I need?
If one of the tiles is fairly flat with minimum warping (cupping), you may meet the proper coverage requirement using a 3/8” square- notched trowel. 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.
Should spacers be used with subway tile?
Yes. Most subway tile has grooves on the sides so you don’t need to use spacers at all because it’s an automatic 1/16″ grout line.
Should I back butter subway tile?
Back Buttering: not a requirement You are also correct that back buttering the tile will increase the bond of the mortar to the back of the tile, but according to the ANSI Specifications, back buttering is not a requirement.
How thick should grout lines be for subway tile?
So what grout line size should I use? If you’re working in a small area with a small tile, such as a 3×12” subway tile on a backsplash or fireplace surround, you can usually have small 1/16” or 1/8” grout lines.
How do I know what size trowel to use on tile?
Finding the right trowel for the job is quite simple when you know that, generally speaking, the trowel size should match up to the tile size – the smaller the tile, the smaller the trowel; the larger the tile, the larger the trowel.
How thick should my Thinset be?
The terms thinset cement, thinset mortar, dryset mortar, and drybond mortar are synonymous. This type of cement is designed to adhere well in a thin layer – typically not greater than 3/16th thick. For example, a 3/8″ notch trowel will produce a 3/16th inch thick coating after the tiles are pressed in to the cement.
Is Mastic OK for kitchen backsplash?
But for a backsplash wall, consider using tile mastic. It costs a bit more than conventional thinset, but it doesn’t require mixing and it can be applied right from the can. In addition, mastic holds faster than thinset mortar, so there’s less chance of the tile sliding down the wall while you’re working.
How long does it take to read a tile trowel?
Finding the instructions on the trowels or the bags of thinset is a hopeless endeavor. It seems as though it’s a big secret. Estimated reading time: 11 minutes.
What is a Euro trowel?
The Euro notched trowel is an innovation that is designed to collapse the ridges in the mortar in a more efficient way. This type of trowel will often be specified when installing the really large thin porcelain tile panels that are becoming more popular today. See trowel at Amazon.
Why do you need notches on trowels?
The notches are important on trowels. They leave an even and consistent amount of mortar down to set your tiles into. Furthermore, the purpose of the notches is to give the mortar a place to “collapse into” once the tile is installed and compressed down. But here’s the problem:
How big is a mosaic tile?
Certain glass mosaic tiles such as the mixed linear glass mosaic tiles that you see in the video. Subway tile and other ceramic tiles up to 6×6 inches square. Pebble tile. As well as other applications. See trowel at Amazon.
What is the minimum coverage for tile?
For a more exact definition, the American National Standard Specifications for the Installation of Ceramic Tile (ANSI, for short) came up with the following guidelines: dry areas need a minimum of 80% coverage. wet areas (inside a shower, for example) need a minimum of 95% coverage. Natural stone tiles need a minimum of 95% coverage.
What is a trowel used for?
This trowel is used for some thin waterproof membranes. Additionally, certain uncoupling membranes are installed with this size trowel. Again, you’ll need to check what the manufacturer requires for the particular membrane that you are using.
Can you trowel mortar on a wall?
Best Practices when Troweling mortar. Yes, there are even best practices when troweling mortar on a wall or floor. Please keep in mind these are not rules but simply recommendations. The bottom line is always to get the required amount of mortar coverage on the back of the tile.
What size notched trowel for backsplash?
All tile manufacturers offer a recommended trowel size. Mosaic installations up to 2 inches can use a 1/8-inch notch, as can wall tiles of up to 4 inches, as a general rule. 16-inch tiles need a 1/2-inch-deep notch, and anything over 24 inches should use a 3/4-inch notch.
How thick should subway tile Thinset be?
The terms thinset cement, thinset mortar, dryset mortar, and drybond mortar are synonymous. This type of cement is designed to adhere well in a thin layer – typically not greater than 3/16th thick. For example, a 3/8″ notch trowel will produce a 3/16th inch thick coating after the tiles are pressed in to the cement.
Should I back butter subway tile?
Back Buttering: not a requirement You are also correct that back buttering the tile will increase the bond of the mortar to the back of the tile, but according to the ANSI Specifications, back buttering is not a requirement.
How do I know what size trowel to use on tile?
Finding the right trowel for the job is quite simple when you know that, generally speaking, the trowel size should match up to the tile size – the smaller the tile, the smaller the trowel; the larger the tile, the larger the trowel.
Is Mastic OK for kitchen backsplash?
But for a backsplash wall, consider using tile mastic. It costs a bit more than conventional thinset, but it doesn’t require mixing and it can be applied right from the can. In addition, mastic holds faster than thinset mortar, so there’s less chance of the tile sliding down the wall while you’re working.
What is the best adhesive for backsplash?
They are by far the most widely used tile material for wall and backsplash applications. Mastic is designed for use with ceramic tiles. It comes ready to use in buckets of all sizes, while most thinset is sold in 50-pound bags.
Should I use mastic or thinset for backsplash?
Thinset can be used in very wet areas, even areas that will be completely submerged in water. Mastic can be used in dry or damp areas only. It cannot be used in areas that will be submerged in water, such as swimming pools. Thinset can be used for showers, bathtubs, backsplashes and other areas.
What size notched trowel for subway tile?
What size notched trowel for 4x16 Subway tile? Start with a 1/4x1/4 square notch trowel. Move up to a 1/4 x 3/8 if you can't get good coverage. However, with a flat-backed tile and a flat wall, you shouldn't need to. Click to see full answer.
How deep should a notch be for a mosaic tile?
16-inch tiles need a 1/2-inch-deep notch, and anything over 24 in ches should use a 3/4-inch notch.