Tile thinset question..

[Wjembser]

I am going to tile my 615 sq. ft. garage soon and I have a question, I've done my research but want to confirm a few items.

Do I need to put the thinset on the floor and butter the back of the tile or can I just put the thinset on the floor.

And if I need to put it on the tile as well why do I need to do this. This will be my daily driver garage..

Thanks..

 

[dipper]

no need to back butter tiles in that situation, unless you are working around an area that you can't get you trowel into. If it's a large area you can spread the thinset out with the notched trowel and lay you tiles directly on that.

 

[CudaDude]

I'm definitely not an expert but from my little tiling experience and things I've read I would say yes, you need to back butter the tiles also. You don't want any voids under the tile, especially with the weight of things that will be on it in a garage.

 

[tnfloorman]

No need to back butter, you just want to make sure you get good transfer onto the tiles by pressing them into place, but not squeezing all the thinset out. The biggest think is make sure you use the right notched trowel.

 

[gregtwojeeps]

The OP did not state the tile size so I am guessing. Most pros will not back butter 4 in. tiles , but 6" and above they will to assure as the poster above stated " no possibility of air holes" in the thinset which will allow the tiles to crack under the weight of a car or heavy floor jack.

 

[Wjembser]

The size will be 12x12 or 13x13".

 

[Wjembser]

No need to back butter, you just want to make sure you get good transfer onto the tiles by pressing them into place, but not squeezing all the thinset out. The biggest think is make sure you use the right notched trowel.

What notched trowel is recommended for an application like mine. 615 sq. ft. no drain, concrete floor.

 

[mayday0017]

The whole point in using a notched trowel is to give the right amount of thinset with out it squishing out into your grout lines and still maintain a consistant tile height. I would never back butter in a normal situation, the key is just to pay attention to what you are doing and make sure to "set" each tile not just lay it on top of the thinset.

 

[Dakota00]

For a 12"x12" many use a 3/8" notched trowel, but I use a 1/2" trowel for better coverage, less likely to have air pockets and for a slightly thicker mortar bed. Back buttering is not a must, but if you plan on doing any work in your garage with a floor jack, jack stands, engine stands and such. I suggest investing a little extra time in back buttering your tiles especially if you have little to no experience in setting tiles.