Tile Thinset Coverage

Proper mortgage coverage is critical to preventing failures.

Tile thinset coverage.

Thinset dries very quickly once it s troweled out. Per ansi a108 19 for gauged porcelain tiles or gauged porcelain tile panels slabs installed on floors in any single square foot under the embedded tile thin set coverage will be a minimum of 85. 40 50 sq ft. Because thinset is not affected by moisture it is best for floor tile and any tile in wet areas including shower floors walls and ceilings and tub surrounds.

16 inch or larger. 90 100 sq ft. 4 inch 12 inch tile. Natural stone tile requires 95 coverage in all areas.

75 85 sq ft. For shower areas the recommendation is for at least 95 coverage. Running them all the same direction gives the air a way out when a tile is set upon them. The thinset that was applied to glue down the tiles has been applied over a dirty surface and instead of adhering to the substrate it adhered to the dust and oils sitting on top of it.

Round the number up to the next whole number. 12 inch 16 inch tile. Actual jobsite coverage may vary according to tile size and thickness exact joint width job conditions and grouting methods. When troweling in circles or swirls air gets trapped in the ridges.

Coverage shall be sufficiently distributed to give support of the tile especially at corners and edges. You may not think this is that big of a deal. 12 inch 16 inch tile. A 120 square foot room with 16 inch tiles will take a minimum of three bags of thinset.

Tile thicker than 3 8 inch. Custom building products versabond 50 lbs. For example a 10 by 12 foot room is 120 square feet. Divided by 95 the result is 1 26.

Fortified thin set mortar is a professional formula all purpose mortar polymer modified to provide good bond strength for floor and tile projects. Once traffic starts walking over it those stresses start moving the tiles and eventually they pop off the floor and get loose. 16 inch or larger. Tom meehan co author of working with tile taunton press 2011 and a second generation tile installer from harwich mass responds.

Divide the square footage of your project by 95 the maximum coverage of a 50 pound bag of thinset. Coverage based on 50lbs bag mesh mosaics. Fortified thin set custom building products versabond 50 lbs. Any tile installation can fail from a lack of using a tile adhesive primer.

General recommendations for thinset coverage for tile are 80 for most interior work and 95 to 100 for exterior work. Tile thicker than 3 8 inch. Versabond cures quickly even in cold climates and adheres to most surfaces. According to the ansi and the tcna handbook tile requires a minimum of 80 mortar coverage in interior applications and 95 for exteriors and wet environments.

Less air trapped in the thinset will mean improved thinset coverage. Mapei recommends adding 5 to 10 in overage to ensure that your entire project is covered. 60 70 sq ft.