All tile manufacturers offer a recommended trowel size.
Wall tile adhesive trowel size.
Here is a list of the most common trowel sizes and what they re used for.
Mosaic installations up to 2 inches can use a 1 8 inch notch as can wall tiles of up to 4.
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.
Smaller tiles are smaller notches and vice versa.
A 6mm x 6mm trowel will leave a 3mm bed of adhesive beneath the tile.
1 4 x 1 4 square notch.
Use this for 8 8 s and some of the 5 16 thick 12 12 builder grade tile.
Mosaic tiles and wall tiles up to about 4 by 4 inches call for a v notch trowel with 3 16 by 1 4 inch notches while larger tiles require a trowel with a square or u shaped notch to obtain proper adhesive coverage.
This may also be a good trowel size for thicker 5 16 mosaics.
Twelve inch square tiles for instance are best applied using a trowel with 1 2 inch by 1 2 inch notches.
A great trowel for installing small ceramic tile such as 4 25 x 4 25 6 6 and 3 6 subway tile is this 1 4 inch square notch trowel.
The trowel size determines how much thinset to put on the substrate as well as how thick the bed of thinset should be under the tile.
1 8 x 1 8 notch.
This trowel size is good for uncoupling membrane.
1 4 x 3 8 square notch.
When you use a square notched trowel with the same size notch and teeth i e.
Tile trowels come in many shapes and sizes generally starting out from a 3 16 v notch up to the 1 2 square notch.
1 4 x 1 4 u notch.
So a 10mm u notched trowel leaves a 3mm bed of adhesive beneath the installed tile.
The other main consideration is where the tiles will be set on the floor or on the walls and ceilings.
This trowel size is used for thinner membrane installation and not typically used for tile.