I was told by one guy at Menards to use a 1/4 teeth trowel for 6-1/2‘‘ x 1/4‘‘ floor tiles. I am worried this will be too much glue and will ooze out the 3/16‘‘ gaps between tiles. then it will be a nightmare mess, and can‘t grout.Also do you just lay the tiles on the glue? or press down ?how much?Thank you very much
No matter how much mastic you use for tile it will come up in the grout joint areas because you have to press down and what I hve found easy and everyone is different is to have a bucket of water and use a spacer to clean the mastic out of the grout joints as you are laying them. After they are dried you can still clean out the grout joint areas which it not hard either. Hope this helps
Trowels come in several shapes and sizes generally from 3/16 v-notch to half-inch square notch. The proper trowel size is basically matched to the tile size; the smaller the tile – the smaller the trowel; the larger the tile – the larger the trowel. I'd use 1/2 x 1/2 square notch for floor tiles that large.
Coverage is the most important thing you need.. Although I d NEVER use a mastic on a floor because it s much more expensive I ve always used a thinset (cement based) adhesive.. When setting a tile gently push the tile into the glue w/ a twisting / turning motion.. This sets the tile into the adhesive better.Occasionally lift a tile up by carefully prying up on it and check the coverage on the backing..You ll want approx. an 80% coverage.. A 1/4 x1/4 size trowel will work but by personal choice I ll use a 1/4 x 3/8 deep trowel if it s a hard bodied tile . For a soft bodied tile ( usually have lugs or teats for spacing on the edge ) I ll then put them together and use a 1/4 x 1/4 trowel. Use the RIGHT type of grout for the type of tile your using.. If you are using a mastic I d wash or clean out the grout joint since grouts won t properly bond to a mastic like they will to a cement type adhesive.. GL
