What is the difference between modified and unmodified thinsets?
Which unmodified thinset is better?
What makes a modified thinset modified?
Why do you drink so much beer?
These are questions I get asked a lot, along with ‘why is my dog on fire’ (because you used the incorrect product for a specific installation).
Unmodified thinset is simply a thinset which does not have any latex polymers or other products added to it. It is essentially portland cement, silica (sand) and lime. Recipes vary, but those are the basics.
History (pay attention – there may be a quiz…)
To understand modified and unmodified you should understand why modified exists. Way back in the 1940’s Henry M. Rothberg was a chemical engineer. Back then the standard installation procedure for floor tile was the full bed method. This was a 2″-3″ deck of portland cement and sand upon which tile was installed. The need for the thickness is at the heart of the development of modified thinsets.
It needed to be that thick in order to retain enough moisture for the cement to fully cure.
Concrete cures through a process called hydration. The cement chemically reacts with water and grows interlocking crystals – these interlocking crystals are what gives cement it’s hardness. These crystals grow as long as they are exposed to moisture (water). Once the water is gone the crystals slow and stop. So…
The longer the cement is exposed to moisture the longer the crystals grow. The longer the crystals grow the more they interlock. The more they interlock the stronger the concrete.
It’s all about moisture retention in the mix. Enter Latex (or rubber). Rubber was added to concrete mixes in the early 20’s to repair and solidify sea walls, and later added to brick mason’s mortar to make brick installations stronger. Adding rubber or latex to cement mixes helped the mix retain water for longer periods of time.
Mr. Rothberg realized that the common tile installation methods at the time had limitations. He set out to find a way to solve this. He began experimenting with the natural latex which was being used in sea walls and brick work but soon realized the these products had limited working time and were difficult to store for any amount of time before degrading.
He then set out to develop a synthetic form of latex which would be easily stored for longer periods and had an extended working time in order to be feasible for tile installation purposes. After developing and testing more than 300 different chemical compositions of synthetic latex rubber he finally found one that met his criteria.
It was introduced to the market as ‘Laticrete’. It was a liquid latex polymer which was added to concrete mixes to make them stronger and give them some flexibility.
That’s right, my favorite company actually has a story. 
The name is a pseudo-compound word formed from ‘latex’ and ‘concrete’. This was the name of the synthetic polymer Mr. Rothberg created for use in tile installation products in order to retain moisture in the mix and allow it to cure stronger and not be as brittle.
In the 1960’s the (then) Tile Council of America developed a powdered thinset with dry polymers which were activated by adding water. Soon afterward it was used by nearly everybody for nearly every installation. This actually led to a lot of problems, mainly due to misunderstanding of the product and it’s limitations – it was being used for everything with unrealistic expectations.
The latest modified thinsets have come a long way from the original TCA types and are now tested to minimum standards in an attempt to keep expectations realistic. Powdered or liquid polymers added to regular thinsets help the mix retain water for a more durable end result, as well as adding flexibility, bonding power, or any number of specialty capabilities needed for the numerous installation requirements.
Any thinset that has either a powdered or liquid latex polymer added to it is considered a modified thinset. Any thinset that does not contain these is an unmodified thinset.
This post began as a description and information on unmodified thinsets and which are better. I realized very quickly that this was not a subject that can be easily explained in one blog post. It can – but you’d get bored. So my next post will deal with that topic now that you know why modified thinsets exist and what they do.
Thanks Roger,
Modfied it is.
Hi Roger
What is your take on putting a scratch coat on Ditra and letting dry before installing the tile?
Thanks
Hey Gary,
How would you put a scratch coat on ditra? Thinset doesn’t stick to ditra. If you mean pre-filling the waffles that is something I do a lot. Makes it much quicker the next day setting tile.
I read this site and others for MANY
hours to find out the answer to one simple question. That is . . . whether it is better to use modified or unmodified thinset for shower wall tiles over a backerboard with a liquid barrier like Redgard. I did finally find a reference on your site that I think says that ONLY Schulter recommends unmodified over a waterproof surface like Ditra (and by extension like a waterproof coating like Redgard).
So . . to be crystal clear, do you recommend modified thinset for an installation with backerboard, Redgard & tile?
The Schulter argument of a stronger thinset due to prolonged moist curing conditions seems like a good argument.
Great site by the way. Very helpful
Hey Wayne,
Yes, modified thinset over redgard. Schluter’s recommendation is the 500lb. gorilla, very few like it and I know for a fact that modified works fine – I do it. You’ll lose the warranty from schluter, but my warranty is longer than theirs anyway. Redgard has no such restrictions.
Hey Roger,
Is it ok to install ditra over sealed concrete with a modified mortar? Would Mapei Ultraflex 3 work? Also, I was just wondering, would a modified mortar work as far as bonding ditra directly to unsealed concrete. Why do Schluter recommend unmodified?
Thanks,
Lee
Hey Lee,
Not unless the sealed concrete will soak in water splashed on it immediately. If it does not soak in water thinset will not bond to it. It’s that simple. Schluter recommends unmodified because it is their opinion that water retention in the thinset (which is the main purpose of polymers in modified) is not necessary between the ditra membrane and concrete.
Hi Roger,
Excellent site you’ve got here.
I found you rankings of unmodified thinsets in your post titled unmodified thinsets – a user’s guide. Also read you usually prefer modified, but haven’t found any rankings, likes or dislikes for those.
Any general preferences for modified thinset?
More specifically, I’m about to do:
Two showers (one with tile on the ceiling, I read that post, thats how I found you) they will have 3×6 subway tile over “Redgard Waterproofing and Crack Prevention and Membrane” applied topically on Hardibacker.
Two bathroom floors using 1×1 Hex – matte finish on Hardibacker.
thanks,
Loren
PS: I’m thinking of applying the Redgard on the sidewalks downtown because I think that “Crack Prevention” is a good thing, and the world would be a better place if everyone just drank beer like us, would you suggest roller or trowel?
Hey Loren,
My go to thinset is Laticrete 252 or 253, either of which will work fine with your installation. As will mapei ultraflex II or customs versabond.
Probably a really large trowel, and several coats, for the crack prevention downtown.
Good day Roger, I will be installing tile in a basement bath room. Can I use ditra directly on the concrete or do I have to install a sub floor, and if so what will be the best material Thanks Rick
Hey Rick,
Ditra is installed directly to the concrete.
Hi Roger ,
I have a bath/shower surround that was built in the late 80’s .All the ceramic tiles fell off last week.It looks like a yellow thinset was used.Oh, by the way the tiles were original.The walls are still in perfect shape.So I would like to tile over the existing remnants of the thinset .Is this possible and if so what thinset would you use? Is a primer of some sort needed ?
Mark
Hey Mark,
The ‘yellow thinset’ is old school mastic. It was a toxic substance used to install wall tile until ’87 or so. Once cured it did have water resistant properties. However, as you may have notice, it becomes brittle and hard over time. It is not a suitable product to tile over. You can if you want, I highly recommend against it. I have no idea what type of thinset may actually bond to it, it’s a dense product.
Roger,
My dog just burst into flames.
I have been working (slowly) on my shower. Things were going smoothly, but I am having a problem.
I installed a traditional shower pan and waterproofed the shower using the traditional method described in the fantastic e-book that I purchased from you. Then I put 1/2″ cement board over the studs of the shower and used mesh tape with mortar to fill the gaps.
Then I installed 12×12 porcelain tiles with 1/4″ spacers with Laticrete Mega Bond thinset:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_255417-73069-2102-0050-32_0__?productId=1072627
The shower stall is about 3’x3′ tiled floor to ceiling.
I finished tiling the entire shower stall about 6 months ago. It has been waiting for grout during this time as I tiled the floor, worked on finishing the vanity, and drank beer.
I returned to finish the shower yesterday, and I knocked one of the tiles off without much force. When I examined the back of the tile, there was no mortar bonded to it. I tried to remove the mortar from the cement board and it is well bonded to the cementboard.
At this point, I was worried that this may be a sign of a major underlying problem. I started pulling on some of the other tiles, and 3 more tiles came off, again without much force. None of these had mortar bonded to the back of the tile either. The remaining 68 tiles in the shower feel solid as far as I can tell. The structure of the shower feels solid, so it is unlikely a structural problem.
Why would this happen?
Since there is no mortar bonded to the back of the tile, do you think there is a bonding problem between the tile and the mortar?
Thanks,
Mike
Hey Mike,
At least you got the beer drinking part down.
Here’s what I think happened: The tiles that came off like that were likely either next to each other, or the last tiles you placed before you mixed up a new batch of thinset. Backerboard SUCKS moisture out of thinset quickly. If you aren’t diligent about soaking the backer with a sponge or letting your thinset sit a little too long the backer will suck the moisture out of the thinset and the tile will not bond to it, all the bonding ability is toward the backer at that point.
You can just reinstall those tiles and it will be fine. It isn’t an issue with the entire shower at all, just with those particular spots and the ability of the backer to screw with your thinset.
Oh, and put your dog out.
Roger,
Thanks for your advice.
If I install the tiles again with mortar, do you have any advice to remove the old mortar so there is not a height difference between the re-installed tiles and the adjacent tiles?
Thanks,
Mike
A razor scraper works best. A drywall knife may work as well, depends on which mastic they used.
Roger,
It’s not mastic. I installed these tiles with mortar to the cement backerboard wall. Any advice on removing the mortar from the backerboard so there is not a height difference between the tiles and the adjacent tiles?
Thanks,
Mike
Ah shit Mike, I got your comment confused with Mark’s above. Hazards of answering 30 questions a day – sorry about that.
You should be able to chip the thinset out of there with a chisel and hammer. I normally use a 5-in-1 tool and a hammer, if you have one of those.
Roger:
I am working on my basement bathroom and I installed a subfloor consisting of 3/4 inch XPS panels and then 3/4 inch Pinnacle T&G subfloor. For my floor tile, I want to use Ditra. Can I use a modified thinset (317) to bond the ditra to the pinnacle subfloor or would you recommend adding a layer of ply first? Thanks,
Craig
Hey Craig,
Neither. You can go directly over the t&g but you need to use a modified thinset to do that.
Thats even better!!! Don’t have to buy ditra. Thanks!!
Actually yes you do.
I meant you need to use modified thinset to install the ditra over plywood. Sorry, didn’t mean to get you excited then piss on your parade. 
Thats OK, it wasn’t a big parade!! So I am clear, I should use Ditra , check. Now I wasn’t clear in that the Pinnacle subfloor is OSB, so that is why I thought I might have to add a layer of ply. Modified thinset between the Ditra and the floor, unmodified between tile and Ditra.
Oh, OSB. Yes, you need to install a layer of ply over that. You CAN go directly to the osb, and it does work, but I can’t guarantee the bond of thinset to the osb, so I don’t recommend it. Modified between ditra and wood, unmodified between ditra and tile.
Hi Roger
I am opting to go with 3/8 or 1/2 cdx plywood over my 3/4 osb to get the 1 1/4 or close with the 3/8.
Then 1/8 Ditra on top of that.
Question is do I use thinset between the plywood and osb and how would you fasten the plywood.
Thanks for your time.
It is taking more beer than I thought it would.
Hey Gary,
Even if you use the 1/2 cdx you STILL need a proper substrate beneath your tile to bond to. So it’s either 3/8″ with ditra or 1/2″ with ditra, you still need the ditra or a similar approved substrate.
No thinset between the two plywood layers. You just fasten them to the bottom sheet with screws – only into the bottom sheet, not into the joists as well.
Roger-I have a question on Gary’s OSB/plywood question. I am getting ready to lay a floor that is on 3/4″ T+G plywood with 1/2″ plywood glued and screwed on top of that. I then added 1/4″ hardi-backer brand cement board made by Tavy on top of everything. (all of this is on 2×10 at 16″) I ran 1-5/8″ screws so everything was tied together and set the hardiboard in mortar. I was trying to build a rigid base. Sounds like this was a mistake. Unlike other cement board, I like the hardi-backer board because it is precise. Too late for this project, but how should I do this in the future? Don’t glue the plywoods together? Use shorter screws? Don’t mortar the hardi-backer board down? Thanks for your help.
You want two layers with no glue between them. The top layer is screwed only to the bottom layer, not to the joists. You do need thinset beneath the backer, always. I use 1 5/8″ screws.
OK-it looks like I will have to use an epoxy mortar as you stated since I am laying green tile that I assume is serpentine. No one has this locally so I am going to have to special order it. What size of notch trowel should I use for epoxy on 12×12″ marble? (I need to know so I can figure out how much to order, and since I have not ordered it yet, I cannot read the package instructions to figure out how much to order-Catch 22). Do you recommend buttering the back of marble if you are using epoxy? Since I am installing in a foyer, am I foolish to install a moisture-sensitive marble that will have outside snow and rain tracked in? My wife says yes, but that has nothing to do with tile job. Will this outside moisture cause a tile to curl or am I ok since it would be epoxied down? There is a product from Floor+Decor which has a store 1 hour away-it is NA3900 which is a 2 part epoxy Made by North America. ($72 for 3 gallons). I see Latapoxy 300 is 3 part. The NA3900 is a lot cheaper-will it be ok?
Yes, the NA3900 will work fine. I would use a 5/16″ square-notch trowel. It is always a good idea to backbutter any type of natural stone. If you choose to do that a 1/4″ square-notch trowel will be fine.
Curling is normally only caused by extended moisture differential. In an application such as yours it won’t be a problem.
I have a 12 x 18 room that is exposed to full sunlite and other than a 10′ section that borders a hardwood floor, it borders outside wall. My question is other than perimeter, what would you recommend for expansion especially along the hardwood floor.
I have found sources for Laticrete and Durabond on line but have a couple of questions pretaining to them. The Ditraset says not for greem marble. How do I know if I have green marble (not thinking its color).
The spectra lock grout site indicates not for some stone due to scratches.
Do you think that would be a problem with marble?
Do you think presealing the marble is necessary?
I reallly enjoy your site. Thanks
Hey Gary,
If you have green marble it’s green – it actually is the color. It will be fine for marble – either of them. If the marble is polished (shiny) then it is not necessary to seal it first, you can seal it when you’re all done. Expansion on floors with direct sunlight needs to be minimum 3/16″ wide and soft joint every 8 – 12 feet in each direction.
I really appreciate your fast response. I may be a little thick but is the 3/16 refering to the perimeter and where I want to use a 1/16 grout line that could be the soft joints.
Am I correct that the D-25 can be used between plywood and Ditra when mixed with D-L16 or D-L36. and between the Ditra and tile if mixed with water? Again, I really appreciate your help>
The soft joints need to be 3/16″ as well. You can likely get away with 1/8″, but standards say 3/16″
You are correct about the D-25.
Hi Roger
With my above project having lots of sun, I have no problem putting in control joints, I am just not sure what way to go.
I would like to have 1/16 spacing but with the 3/16 required control joint would it look better to go 3/16 all the way?
From my understanding, I would need one control joint in the 18′ length and the perimeter joint would cover the 12′.
Would you consider this reasonable risk?
Do the control joints go thru the Ditra.
Thank You
Yes, the one along the 18′ will be fine. Which would look better is entirely up to you. I HATE large grout lines – hate ’em. So I would likely opt for smaller lines and larger control. Actually, I would probably have 1/8″ control joint, but I own that installation, knowwhatImean? If it doesn’t work I’m the one buying it. Haven’t bought one like that yet. Yet.
Have I mentioned I hate large grout lines?
Hi Roger
Would Mapei Keralastic between Ditra and OSB?
Thanks again
Hi Gary,
No. You need to use a thinset approved for use over osb. There isn’t a thinset approved for use over osb, by the way.
Your best option is installing an additional layer of plywood over the osb. If you aren’t concerned with a warranty (and going directly over osb you won’t get one anyway) then you can use a better thinset like ultraflex 2 or 3 and it should work just fine.
I understand schluter approves use over osb. They also can not tell you what particular thinset to use for that application – believe me, I’ve tried. So although they approve it there is no thinset manufacturer that will stand behind an application over osb. Catch 22, the industry is full of them. Sorry.
Hi Roger
Do I comb the thin set when back buttering a tile?
Thanks
If your substrate is flat then no, you shouldn’t need to. If you need more space for adjustment then yes. It depends on how flat your substrate is.
One more question…is it true that the longer the floor goes without being grouted the more tiles will break loose or develop hollowness for that reason? Seems to me that grout not meant to hold floor in place & if it is set properly it should be ok without grout. Right?
No, it’s not true. A properly installed floor can sit forever without being grouted.
Hello, Roger.
I had about 900 sq ft of 13 x 13 ceramic floor tile installed in my house about a week ago with CBP megaflex thinset. The floor has still not been grouted because I found hollow tiles throughout the installed areas that I wanted the installer to reset first. With everyday that passes more tiles are developing hollowness and the installer wants me to believe it is because the floor is not grouted and that the grout will fill the voids and solve the hollow sound problem. I pulled up a few tiles myself yesterday that had maybe one hollow corner and discovered the back of the tiles had no thinset whatsoever on the back. The tiles came up in whole pieces relatively easy. I am certain the tiles are ceramic and not porcelain. The installer is now telling me this is normal and does not mean the tile was not properly bonded just because no thinset transferred to the back of the tile. Would you please let me know what you make of all this? Thanks so much for your help!
Jackie
Hi Jackie,
The tile was not properly set. It was apparently not backbuttered nor was they trowel used large enough to make a proper bond. A proper bond will fully bond to the substrate as well as the back of the tile, if not it isn’t correct. Grout will not fix it – but you already knew that.
Roger,
I am finally finished all the subfloor work and am ready to lay my porcelain tile.
My question is should I apply thinset to the back of my tile to fill all those honeycomb indentions to make the back a smooth surface? I believe some people call this “burning” the tile?
John
Hey John,
Yes, it allows a full bond to your substrate and strengthens your installation.
What is the proper thin-set mortar product that provides suitable adhesion to Grace Construction Products (“Grace”) brand “Vycor Plus” on a horizontal surface backer-board application? Vycor Plus is a “25-mil cross-laminated HDPE” peel-and-stick flashing used in the construction trades.
I have a 20sf exterior porch stoop that was flashed (on its perimeter only) with Vycor Plus at the corner transition between the 3/4″ plywood subfloor and the exterior wall sheathing. I need to install cement backer board (1/4″ Hardi-Backer) over the subfloor, and this includes a small margin area (~3″ wide) that is covered with Vycor Plus. The backer board is being installed in preparation for porcelain tile. I want to ensure the best possible adhesion between the backer board and the Vycor. Is a fortified thin-set such as Laticrete 254 or Versabond okay? This is what I plan to use for setting the 12×12 tiles atop the backer board.
Thanks for your advise and a great site!
Hi Cprahl,
When placing thinset beneath backerboard it does not need to bond to anything, it is there only to fully support the backerboard so there are no voids beneath it. The screws are what attach the backer to the subfloor. If you do need a bond the 254 would likely work – it sticks to absolutely everything I’ve ever put it on (as well as everything around it).
There is a name for a pseudo-compound word made of two words. It’s called a “portmanteau.” It comes from Alice in Wonderland during a scene in which Humpty Dumpty is explaining Jabberwocky. It’s derived from the French word for a suitcase with two sides. TMI?
It’s never too much information Nate. Ever.
I am installing tile on 3/4 osb with 6mm rubber underlayment then 1/4″ cement backer board. How do I affix the backer board to the OSB ?
Hi JR,
Why are you using rubber underlayement? And what type? Normally you would lay down a layer of thinset and use backerboard screws to attach the backer. If the rubber is made specifically for this application then the manufacturer should have detailed instructions on what particular methods need to be used.
Hi Roger,
For what type of installations is back buttering tiles suggested or required? Thank you,
Ruthie
It is technically required for large format tile – any side over 16″. I tend to backbutter nearly everything over 12″ x 12″, it’s just a better installation method long-term and ensures full contact.
Hello,
I am wondering why you love Laticrete products so much? I am looking for a thin set and a grout and am considering Tec, Laticrete or Porcelanosa’s installation products. Are you familiar with Porcelanosa?
Thank you,
Ruthie
Hi Ruthie,
They are easier to work with (for me) and they have certain specialized setting materials I use often. They are just extremely good quality products. Tec also makes very good products. I have never heard of nor used porcelanosa – no idea what that is.
Hi Roger,
Thank you very much for your quick response! Easier to work with sounds good to me so for the following applications will you please let me know your laticrete preferences?
For the thinset for the shower walls, all wall tiles will be applied to hardibacker with hydroban.
Large format ceramic 12″ x 35″ tiles: 255 Multimax, 254 Platinum, or ???
Clear turquoise glass 3/4″ x 3/4″ mosaics: either of the 2 above or switch to the Glass tile adhesive mortar?
Ceramic 12″ x 13″ and 12″ x 8″ tiles: same as the large format tiles?
And for the grout for the shower wall tiles above, 1/16″ spacing for ceramic tiles and closer to 1/8″ for the glass mosaics:
Epoxy (SpectraLOCK PRO premium grout) or Cementitious (PermaColor)?
I have never worked with an epoxy grout before but I would love a grout that is very low maintenance once installed!
Have you used the SpectraLOCK Dazzle, either metallic or glow and do you have any feedback?
I haven’t decided the type of tile yet for the floor but am considering a marble random tile. It is like a large flat pebble look but made from marble pieces. Whichever thinset and grout you recommend for the wall tiles, could that work for the floor also or do you suggest a different one?
Thank you,
Ruthie
Hi Ruthie,
With tile that large I would go with the 255. You can use the same for the glass, it’s normally better to stick with the same thinset on one application. The same can be used for the smaller ceramics. I would use the spectralock given the choice – the end result is well worth the initial effort. I have use the dazzle, I would be cautious with that as it may scratch the glass tiles. The same thinset can be used for the floor tile, but I would likely switch to the 253 gold or 254 platinum.
Hi Roger,
You suggest the 253 gold or 254 platinum for the floor tiles. Is this appropriate whether I use small marble pebbles or large 17″ x 24″ ceramic tiles?
Can I use the SpectraLOCK grout on the floor also? With either pebble or large tile? The grout joints for the large ceramic tiles would be 1/16″ but the spacing for the random marble pebble will be (as you know) all over the place from very small to very large.
I am a bit concerned about the marble “pebble” because of the larger amount of grout to maintain and keep clean. What are your thoughts regarding this?
I have your Creating a shower book for waterproofing with liquid topical products. Thank you for this, it’s great! When we tape and mud the joints should we use the same thinset that we will use for the walls? We are using hardibacker on the floor with the same liquid waterproofing. Should we use whatever thinset we will use for the tile there also?
Thank you very much for your help!
Ruthie
Hi Ruthie,
Either of those thinsets will work well with either of those tiles (or pebbles).
You can use spectralock with both as well. The pebbles, however, will demand a LOT of spectralock – just be prepared for that. It is, however, the most easily maintained product for that application. The initial installation is a bit spendy and arduous, but the long-term result is well worth it, in my opinion.
You can tape and mud the seams with whatever thinset you have, it doesn’t have to be the same on you’re using for the tile, it’s just handy that way since you already have it. Same with the floor.
For what it is worth Porcelanosa is not a manufacturer o setting materials they manufacture and supply ceramic tile.
Hey Roger,
I am just wrapping up my master bath and wanted to thank you for your tile tips. I used the Red-gard and love it!
Unfortunately, when caulking the corners of the tile this weekend I noticed that I have a very annoying problem.
I installed a 42″ x 72″ high quality acrylic floor pan EXACTLY as per the manufacturers instructions. It specifically said that setting in feather-light or weigh-light would void the warranty. So I did as stated in the instructions and used sand mix. Now, there is a an embarrassing “crunching” noise when you walk inside the shower pan.
Is there any remedy for this short of ripping the f-ing thing out??? The tile job came out soooo nice,
I do not want to screw it up….PLEASE HELP!
Thanks,
Jeff C.
Hi Jeff,
Unfortunately the only thing you can do is take it out and set it in a bed of concrete. Unless the crunching is ONLY around the drain, in which case you may be able to take the ring out and pack concrete into it.
So is it best to use a modified thinset over a waterproof product like Redgard or Hydro Ban? If so what would be your recommendation on a modified thinset to use in a shower installation?
Hi Michael,
Yes, Schluter is the ONLY one that recommends unmodified. I prefer Laticrete 252 or 253 as my normal go to thinsets. Versabond works well, as does mapei ultraflex.
Roger: I found “Ditra Set” locally, so I will be using that to install the tile on top of the ditra…………need to know if I should be using Laticrete 272 to set the hardee on plywood and the ditra on the hardee.
Thanks, hopefully I wont have to bother you again for a little while !
Hey Chuck,
The type or brand of thinset between hardi and ply doesn’t really matter. You should use the 272 between the hardi and ditra.
Hi Roger, I have a stupid question. Is it necessary to use tile adhesive for a wall tile installation (or any tile installation for that matter)? I’m looking to avoid VOC’s as much as possible since I have allergies and there are lots of VOCs in adhesives. Is mortar/thinset enough to set tile? Isn’t that the way it used to be done years ago before adhesives came on the market? Thanks for your help! Great website!
Hi Georgiegrl,
No, it is not necessary to use adhesive and I in fact advise against it. There is no tile installation of which I am aware in which thinset cannot be used anywhere an adhesive can. Thinset will work for any of them.
Hello Roger,ready to start tiling my bathroom and have a starting point question . I’m using a Swanstone shower pan and tiling a 3 x3 shower stall and the bottom half of the bath walls. I’m using a 10 x 16 tile to be installed with the 10″ wide and the 16″ high. As a starting point for my bottom row should I start on the bathroom walls and cut off the 4 inches ad i go around pan or use the shower pan as the starting point and then fill in the 4 inches around the bottom of the bathroom walls. The curb of the shower pan is 4 inches. I guess I’m asking what would look better to the eye.
Hi Jack,
It normally looks better if you cut around the shower base. The shower is already higher, so it’ll look normal. Filling in the 4″ on the walls will look like you tiled the shower and decided ‘hey – you know what would look cool…?’.
KnowWhatIMean?