Tile Setting Supplies

A tile job is only as good as what’s under the tile and between it. Most failures, cracked tile, loose tile, grout that crumbles, trace back to a skipped step or the wrong mortar for the tile. Here’s the job in order, with what WBC carries for each step.

1. Flatten the floor: LevelQuik underlayment

Tile won’t lie flat on a floor that isn’t, and big tiles show every dip. If the floor has humps and hollows, fix them before you set a single tile. LevelQuik self-leveling underlayment, gray, 50-pound bag, is a cement-based leveler: you mix it with water, pour it, and it flows out flat on its own.

• Clean the floor, fix any water problem, and prime it with the primer the bag calls for. Leveler doesn’t stop water or moisture coming up through a slab.
• Don’t pour over moving cracks or expansion joints; carry those joints up through the tile instead.
• Mind the temperature. Cement-based levelers need the floor and the room warm enough to cure, typically at least 50°F, and in a Flathead Valley winter, where lows average 16°F, a warm room can still sit on a cold slab. Heat the space well before and during the pour.
• Wait for it to cure as long as the bag says before you set tile.

2. Waterproof wet areas: RedGard

In a shower or tub surround, the tile and grout aren’t waterproof; water gets through to whatever’s behind. RedGard elastomeric waterproofing, by the gallon, is a liquid membrane you roll or brush onto the backer board. It goes on pink and dries red, which tells you a coat has dried. Apply the number of coats and the thickness the label calls for, with fabric at corners and seams as directed; then tile sets right over it.

3. Set the tile: pick the thin-set for the tile

This is where most mistakes get made. Thin-set mortar isn’t one product.

Thin-set	When to use it
VersaBond fortified thin-set, gray, 50 lb	Everyday floor and wall tile, ceramic and porcelain, under 15 inches on a side
VersaBond LFT large-format tile mortar, gray, 50 lb	Large tile, 15 inches or longer on any side
Multiset thin-set, gray or white, 50 lb	General tile setting
White bonding mortar, 50 lb	Light-colored tile, glass and natural stone, where gray mortar might show through

Large tile needs large-format mortar. A tile 15 inches or more on a side needs a mortar made to support it without the tile sinking or slumping while it sets. That’s VersaBond LFT.

Gray or white is about what shows through. Use white under light stone, marble and glass, where gray can darken the tile.

Natural stone and glass are their own case. Some stone, many green marbles for one, reacts to moisture and needs a special setting material, and glass tile has its own mortar requirements. Read the tile’s installation instructions for the mortar it calls for before you buy.

Premixed mortar and adhesive

Premixed white thin-set, by the gallon, and the quart premixed adhesive and grout come ready to use, no mixing. They’re handy for a backsplash, a small wall or a repair. They are not a substitute for bagged cement thin-set on floors, large tile or showers; read the label for what each is rated to do.

Mixing and spreading

• Mix in the right tub. The 36 x 24 x 8-inch mixing tub gives you room to mix a real batch without slopping it over the side.
• Measure the water the bag calls for. Extra water weakens the mortar.
• Mix slow, with a low-speed drill and paddle, let it rest a few minutes as the bag directs, then remix. Never add water to revive a batch that’s stiffening; mix a new one.
• Spread only what you can tile while the mortar’s still sticky. Comb the ridges in one direction, set the tile across them, and pull up a tile now and then to make sure the back is covered.

4. Grout the joints

Wait the time the thin-set bag gives before grouting. WBC’s grouts are premixed, ready to use out of the container:

• Premixed grout in Haystack and Bright White, by the quart.
• Premixed sanded grout in Natural Gray (quart and gallon) and Delorean Gray (quart).

Sanded grout is for wider joints, where the sand keeps it from shrinking and cracking. For very narrow joints, check the grout’s label for the joint width it’s made for.

5. Seal the grout

Whether you seal depends on the grout. Cement grout is porous and soaks up spills and dirt, so it gets sealed; some premixed grouts are made not to need it. Read your grout’s label. Where sealing is called for, a penetrating sealer soaks into the grout and protects it without changing its look, and it’s the kind to use in a shower. WBC carries a penetrating tile sealer by the pint and a grout and tile sealer spray by the quart. Let the grout cure first, as its label says.

The Pick

Level the floor with LevelQuik if it needs it, RedGard the shower walls, set everyday tile in VersaBond and large tile in VersaBond LFT, use white mortar under light stone and glass, grout with the premixed grout in your color, and seal it if the grout’s label calls for it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What thin-set should I use for large tile?

Large-format tile mortar, like VersaBond LFT, for any tile 15 inches or longer on a side.

Can I use premixed thin-set on a floor?

Check the label. Premixed mortars are handy for small wall jobs and repairs, but bagged cement thin-set is the standard for floors, large tile and showers.

How long before I can grout tile?

As long as the thin-set’s bag says. It varies by mortar and by temperature; cold floors slow it down.

Do I need to waterproof a shower before tiling?

Yes. Tile and grout let water through. A membrane like RedGard on the backer board keeps water out of the wall.

Should I use gray or white thin-set?

Gray for most tile. White under light-colored stone, marble or glass tile, where gray mortar could show through.