Mortar Bed Thickness For Wall Tile

The tile installation method includes how the surface is prepared the materials to be used and the type of tile to use.

Mortar bed thickness for wall tile.

It consists of cement water and very fine sand resulting in a thinner mortar generally applied no more than 3 16 inch thick. When mixing the mortar use only enough water to obtain a dry pack consistency. 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. 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.

Learn all about it here. The mortar can be applied to a concrete plastered base or screed with a thicker layer. A 3 8 x 3 8 trowel will leave a 3 16 bed of thinset beneath the tile. In the case of facing drywall the thickness of the mortar for good adhesion should not exceed 5 mm.

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. 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. The mortar bed sits over the sub floor and provides a smooth and stable base for the tile installation. Suitable sub floors for thick set tile installations include concrete slabs and properly installed wood.

The terms thinset cement thinset mortar dryset mortar and drybond mortar are synonymous. Thinset represents a modern alternative to the traditional mortar bed. 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. When laying on a similar base medium format tiles it is recommended to apply a layer of 3 4 mm.

Then it is leveled with a comb with denticles of 6 mm. 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. 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.

If you are installing tile the mortar bed should be 2 3 inches thick on the outer edge and slightly less at the drain. So a 3 8 u notched trowel leaves a 1 8 bed of thinset beneath the installed tile.