Trowel size for mosaic on floor

[Dougs Third Go]

4mm is very small for a porcelain mosaic. Id be starting with the 6mm. Also as above, i wouldn't tile to the ply

but when you bed them in the excess addy has to go somewhere and nothing worse than filling the joints and having to scrape them out to get a decent depth for grout.

 

[Tiler Durden]

4mm is too thin for me on a floor. It increases the potential of tiles to be actually touching the sub floor. That’s why I suggested the thin bed solid bed tapered 6mm trowel. Don’t forget that trowel technique is a factor. Every Tiler might have their own way to comb the adhesive and can achieve similar results with different trowels. Perhaps no choice using a 4mm on very thin mosaics but these are porcelain so likely to be between 8 and 10mm thick.

 

[Dougs Third Go]

4mm is too thin for me on a floor. It increases the potential of tiles to be actually touching the sub floor. That’s why I suggested the thin bed solid bed tapered 6mm trowel. Don’t forget that trowel technique is a factor. Every Tiler might have their own way to comb the adhesive and can achieve similar results with different trowels. Perhaps no choice using a 4mm on very thin mosaics but these are porcelain so likely to be between 8 and 10mm thick.

op quoted tiles as being 7mm thick so on the assumption that a solid bed needs twice it's depth of notch to create a solid bed I'd say 4mm would be adequate, as long as a wiggle down was applied.

 

[Tiler Durden]

Oh yeah, I had to go back and check and he does indeed suggest they are 7mm thick. Yes 6mm might be too thick.

 

[reeshar]

Just to add an update to this, first of all thank you for all your comments, it was much appreciated. I decided to go for a tipped notched trowel I picked up, which was basically a standard 3mm notched trowel with two little carbide lugs at either end of the trowel. This laid a solid screed 3mm thick, with a combed surface of an extra 3mm above it. Sorry if this is basic info, I'm writing it all out for whoever might stumble across these posts in future looking for ideas on the same issue. The tiles have been down a month or so now and are solid as a rock, very happy with how it's gone. First real tiling project!

Cheers again guys for your advice and ideas.