I went from 0 knowledge to tiling an entire main bathroom with large format tiles and a window in the shower area, just by watching many, many of these videos over the course of two years. It's been a year since I tiled the bathroom and no tiles have fallen, no water dripping in my living-room, all thanks to Sal! Thank You so much.
Man I always do this back buttering business, even on subway tile backsplash. I don't care if it takes longer I rather take my time than get a call back from the customer. The only call backs I want to have is to come do more work for them. On a side note watching Sals videos has help me be a better installer. I watched and researched the installation materials he uses and man let me tell you, the pro installation materials do make a difference. I went from custom which you can find at Home Depot to Mapei and now I'm using laticrete. I have to make special trips to get it but its worth it. Next in my list Is becoming a member of the tile contractor something something
As far as back buttering goes, it is always advantageous, but not absolutely necessary. The benefits are better bond because the mortar gets "keyed" into the tile and substrate, however on flat backed tiles with proper toweling the proper coverage will be achieved and is sufficient to garentee a proper install. Do I back butter? yes most of the time, but not always, usually don't back butter smaller tiles. If tiles have deep patterns on the back, then yes, fill those voids then set the tile. A tile that has been back buttered will not achieve proper coverage and transfer of thinset if it is set into a bed of mortar that has not been properly applied, however the mortar that does transfer to the tile will achueve a tenacious bond, which is good but the part of the tile that is left unsupported will be prone to failure. Coverage by back buttering is not equal to coverage by transfer of the bond coat.
i taught myself how to tile (now self employed) in spain where its dry and hot. i always soak my tiles in water for a few mins before hand and lightly wet the surface area to be tiled. i apply the directional method straight on the tile giving 100 % coverage with a 1/4'' notch trowel. dont know why i did it this way, just seemed the most logical for maximum adhesion. never had a lifted tile or problems afterwards. glad i saw this vid as it showed me i'm pretty much doing it right. thanks.
Thank you very much for the vids!! I am doing a walk in shower and have about 8 hours of youtube vids under my belt, and most are yours Sal!! Thanks again...and keep up the good work!
Thank you for your clear and well presented tutorial. God's blessings always guys. I'm a 70 year old woman and I'm going to lay them two or three per day. Once again thanks.
It would have been nice to see the progression include directional troweling without back buttering. I heard some advice to make swirls in the thinset when applying to the ceiling to form vacuum pockets to hold the tile up. When I actually did my ceiling I did straight lines, back buttered with straight lines and had no problem at all with the thinset holding the weight of the tile. I think it's actually a lot easier to hold the tiles up than people expect as long as you have good coverage and a good mix of thinset.
Thanks...one of the most informative on proper installation without the wild background music that only distracts me (as I've seen in other DIY'ers video).
This eliminates a lot of trowel and error! Sorry, I had to. I like to have a moist towel over my mud bucket. The thinset I use seems to dry pretty fast. So I just make small batches and do the same with grout. I'll take any advice. I've laid maybe a total of 4,000sq feet and I'm still learning. Professionals like these guys make it look easy. Tile experts and drywall pros, hats off from the painters and finishers
Great video guys! I'm glad that you explain the reasons for the techniques. Nobody ever does that, they simply tell you what to do without explaining why or demonstrating the reasons not to. It was a real education. Thank you!
I really enjoyed the way you formatted this instructional video about the "dos and don'ts" , I am not in this field of work , however I am doing a tile project; so I found your video extremely helpful and educational, which I appreciate. So thank you and keep the videos comin' boys !
Thanks guys. I think your basic point to people watching is that you want good coverage of thinset on your tile and surface to avoid voids behind the tile. If in doubt, butter the backside of the tile before installing over the troweled thinset on your surface. In actual installation situations, going much beyond that can create much squeeze out of thinset in your grout joints, particularly the tighter your joints are, which is pain and unnecessary. Sal, do you remember the days before Hardibacker of lath, scratch and brown coat walls? An old tile setter once taught me to cut baking soda into my mud on my board right before floating. It certainly made the mud float easier, but you didn't want to leave it on your skin very long!
Floating is a dying art, in most of the country, except a few places where it is alive and well. recently there has been some renewed interest in learning how to do it by many installers.
Interesting. I would have thought mud showers would have long since become a thing of the past. The alternative options today when installed right are certainly more cost effective and probably every bit as good as floated walls, maybe better? You do nice work, Sal. I saw you floating a shower floor in a video and was reminded of a story you may get a kick out of. In 1977, I was a lot younger than I am now and quite by chance took a summer job as a helper at a tile company in Abilene, Texas. That turned out to be one of those life direction altering events that happens sometimes. One of my first times to actually go out on a job, I went with a gruff, older guy to help him dry pack a shower floor. We pulled the mud pan off the truck and he quickly told me ratios of portland to sand and said to mix it "dry", then went into the house. I did the best I could with the information I had and remember thinking I had nailed it. When he came back out to get the mud, he started yelling that it was too wet, started stomping around, cussing, kicking buckets, etc. After I had heard enough, I blurted out, "Alright, what do I have to do to fix it, do I start over or what?" That kind of stopped him in his tracks. He grabbed the shovel, threw some dry sand and portland on the pile, and chopped through it a couple of times with the hoe. Then he took a handful of the mix, squeezed it tightly, showed it to me and quietly said, "If you squeeze it and can see water, it's too wet. It only needs to be damp enough to set up the portland." That guy taught me to set tile, install plastic laminate and lay wood flooring and helped set me on a course to making a living working with my hands in the years that followed. And he never raised his voice with me again!
Thanks guys, I used this technique around the house and it definitely gives solid results - I had to change some of my work and it was so hard to take off my dried tiles, it was ripping drywall off.
Good video bud , make sure everyone knows your trowel size is just as important to get the most coverage. I️ wouldn’t use this size trowel on a tile bigger then a 12x12, it’s important to collapse the air gaps by moving the tile side to size ATLEAST and inch or two before it’s in its final placement. Keep the videos coming
Hi Mr. Diblasi, I just watched some of your videos the other day. I have been watching Home Repair for a while. I became a DIY person after paying professionals to do the work. I have plenty of loose floor tiles with no butter what so ever. People need to watch these videos before paying someone to do the work.
Congrats both guys. great video! Do not forget to use margin trowel and wet sponge after each tile is back buttered and properly taped with rubber mallet during your installation.
Sal, love your videos sir. Invaluable information for someone looking to install floor tile for the first time. Think I've watched about 30 of your videos in the last couple weeks.
Hi Sal, I completely agree with blobbing the tile this way on the floor. On the walls, I do not see it as much as blobbing the back (approx. 12 blobs per 12 by 24 inch tile) of the tile is a commonly used method in large union jobs throughout my area in Toronto, Canada. The wall is skimmed first then the tile is skimmed and blobbed...the finish does give 90percent coverage or more and allows for more play when installing large rectified tile.
Spot bonding is something to be avoided, The TCNA handbook has only two methods for spot bonding which requires the use of specialized epoxy mortars is to be used in dry areas only, interior only and As stated in the handbook "Will not withstand impact." Look them up. Best to not use this method at all and there is no instance where it is approved for floors.
This video was great... A lot of remodels I've done show questionable and lazy work. On the other hand I've seen some really clever work. Backbutter and take your time. Anti-lippage products help a ton
YOU GUYS ARE A GREAT TEAM! I think your video was very well put together,. And it was easy to understand , I'm new to tile install,. But I really think after seeing you guys , I think I'll do a much better job,. and I won't use my spatula next time. Thanks guys !
Great video. I learned a lot, actually I understand why some of my kitchen floor tile is cracked. The method the installer used was a swirly pattern method. Next time I'm doing it myself! ...with the help of these videos of course! Thank you!
keep in mind, when he did the wrong (small) trowel test, he was using a completely flat and perfect surface. On real life uneven and rough substrates it would be way worse, so really good advice.
Happy New Year Gentlemen! Sal!!! You're channel is so educational AND your video's have an easy to follow progression. Thanks for sharing you knowledge.
Thank You So Much for your videos Sal. You're Awesome! If you have time, Could you do a video on plank tiles please? Like the tile planks that look like wood.
Amateur here, DIYer: 1. Backbutter the tile with lines, apply to a thin smooth coat of mud on the substrate... if it achieves the same good coverage this is okay, right? 2. (For a repair job replacing small ceramic tiles on a wall) should I apply the tile adhesive the same way thinset should be applied? With 100% coverage? Thanks.
would have liked to see a direct comparison of directional vs non-directional trowling. Since only the directional was back buttered, it's hard to know how much the air pocket theory for non-directional trowling actually affects coverage?
Sal DiBlasi I just watched the video. In the demonstration of non-directional trowling, the installer doesn't move the tile side to side AT ALL! Intentionally leaving uncollapsed ridges to prove a point doesn't prove a theory. Apples to Oranges. I just want to see a honest comparison.
Sal DiBlasi That one was a little better, but the installer was cleary applying more pressure to the tile with directional trowling, which is what collapsed the ridges. In the example of non-directional trowling, he deliberately moved the tile with very little downward pressure. You can see a clear difference in the amount of pressure on his fingertips, again to prove the theory. I assume that an honest comparison would have a VERY small difference in coverage. Like 2% maybe?
What can I say, it seems that you just don't want to believe it no matter what. What could be the possible benefit to discouraging one method over another for no apparent reason. These are recommendations from well respected entities, the NTCA is one of them and I am a member. They are trying to promote better coverage for better installs, this can only be a good thing for the industry.
Hi, Guys! I enjoy your videos, BUT I watched your video on using Schluters All Set, and as you instructed, followed the directions on the bag exactly. 6.5 its qtr to one 50lb bag. I timed everything to the second. It was as thick as fudge! (I have no previous experience, so thought OK, this is what the experts, you, said to do. First, I burned up my heavy duty hammer drill. One bucket ruined.Next, after buying a heavy mud mixer, I tried again, using your "do it exactly this way" instructions. Still very thick, but went ahead and installed the Schluter membrane. Very difficult with lousy end results. So next, I called Schluter customer service-great people by the way-and told them my story. Their rep said add another quart of water. I next called the local Schluter rep and he agreed. So off we went, with great results! So, what gives?
Can't really say, I have used Schluter thinset countless times, mixed it according to the instructions every time and had no issues with it at all. Calling Schluter was the right move. I am a consumer just like you, I buy it and use it as instructed. I have had issues with thinset periodically, from several manufacturers, it is rare but it does happen, and when it does happen I dump the thinset and move on, I tell the manufacturer what happened and they always try to make it right by supplying replacement product. Part of being a contractor is dealing with issues, finding a solution and moving forward. If you had had more experience, you would have realized you needed to add more water, that is also part of the whole process, make adjustments where needed. In that video, you saw exactly what i did, and what the outcome was, you had a different end result, the solution was simple, but because you had no past experience , you did not know how to resolve it, now you do, you are now one step closer to becoming a better installer.
I'm looking at a big or All Set right now and the directions clearly state to use 7.5-8.5 qts for setting membrane and 5.5-6.5 qts for setting tile... Maybe it changed in the last 3 years
Mate, with regards of water getting behind the wall tiles, it should not be getting behind, if you tile your floor first and grout it mapie ultra colour which the water does not get though, then you have no gaps. Then do your walls and leave a 3 mm gap of the floor and fill it with silicone then it should not wick up. If do your walls first and if it gets burred in the screed then it will wick up, that's a big no no. I always waterproof my floor substrate and walls and waterproof the top of the screed as well, always use grouts which the the water does not get though ie. Mapie, kerakoll. If you do that you won't ever have any problems.
Countless failed installs prove you wrong. Water will always find its way under the tile over time in a wet area, end of story. You are fooling yourself if you think otherwise.
Great informative video. Not to be mean, but just saying...at time 13:13 I disagree with the statement "all the ridges were collapsed." Because, it's quite obvious, all of them were not.
I have learned a lot from you two guys and really appreciate the tips and feedback you give We hired a pro (so we thought talked a good game ) Everything he did was correct accordingg to the videos that I have seen from both of you It seems he suddenly went stupid one day . Before we know it he has thinset on surface of the natural stone floor tile and all over the surface of the ceramic tile on the wall. We are concerned about getting this removed as it has been on there for a couple of days Can you guys do a video of how to remove excess thinset from the surface of different types of tile ? In the meantime can you tell me the best method to remove all of this thinset with the least amount of damage. This is not grout but actual thinset Any help or suggestions would be a big welcome He says he can scrap it right up I am not so sure
He is nearly done . My concern is he may use something that will ruin the tile. In our area these guys just go out of business and open up under a different name if they get into a botch job. Contracts hold very little water I just want to make sure he uses the right product to clean and not make matters worse Thanks fro the reply
On the stone you need to be very careful not to use a cleaner that will etch the stone, on the ceramic not as big a problem. Sometimes a razor will do the job, just be careful not to scratch the tile.
hello sal thank you both for the great video and tips. I was looking through your videos because I was trying to find one where you can teach us what to do when floors are really uneven. if you ever come across a nasty uneven floor like I did please share with us what your procedures are. thank you sal keep the vids coming
Jose Miranda if the subfloor is way off level it might be best to tear up everything and inspect the joists. Here in Pittsburgh we've seen many joists hacked through and lead to structural problems. One recommendation would be to reconfigure the plumbing , sister new joists to the old ones and try to get the new subfloor as level as possible. Obviously follow your local building codes 👍
Jose Miranda very good work i'm can this work.عمل جيد وممتاز وانا اعمل فى مصر بنفس التقنية الحديثة لهذا العمل وعالج مشاكل كثيرة فى العمل واتمنى ان اعمل معكم.او نعمل سويا.
I had my cousin do my bathroom floors a company that he was starting up there was a quarter to 0% of backing on the subfloor under the back of board he left half inch gaps did swirls the mortar for the towels had less than 10% contact a nightmare I'm having to repair this all by myself now I had and redo my entire home everything in the flooring has to be replaced nothing was done correct he took me for a lot of money because I did not know thank you for your knowledge he was to replace subfloor new from water damage there is a 3 by 4 Square whole subfloor not screwed into four by four flooring
It's meant to show technique not skill. If you tile professionally this is very slow but at great speed it's hard for a novice to really see what you are doing.
This would be a lot more convincing if you did directional troweling WITHOUT back buttering, because that seemed to be the bigger difference. You changed 2 variables at once.
It does seem like if it's been back buttered like that, it could have practically have been just placed on the bare board, and it would have still shown complete coverage after pulling it back up to demonstrate the coverage.
Great video , thank you guys! Also we are redoing our shower tile, they had the common mold resistant blue sheet rock behind with some basic sheet rock mud on the rock . Of course after removing the old tile job they did one tears up the rock a little. We put on a little more mud to level everything and create a flat surface again, and sanded it flat. My question is will the tile cement hold good to sheet rock mud, or should I re-sheet rock the whole thing with just the rock , no mud at all before tiling again?
On Slab on Grade, there is usually a mortar that mason laiid onto the concrete to receive the tile. This usually make an overall thickness of 50mm. that is used to concealed aluminium door frame which is usually 45-50mm high. Do you have any advice on that?
another thing not to do with thin-set is let too much time go by when working. Mortar has a bucket life. I've seen a dew vids (even Sal), letting the adhesive sit too long, then putting a semi-fresh dab on the back and setting in time-expired adhesive.
1 thing that's not addressed on here is exactly how thick do you apply the thinset? The first 3 tiles I installed, I think I used too much but when pulling the notched trowel across the wall and the tile it almost seemed like way too much thinset. So should it just be thick enough to fill the voids on the tile or should it be 1/4, 1/2 inch thick. In my life I've done everything you can imagine that has to do with labor, but installing tile is the one thing that just completely terrifies me. But, I've got the supplies, and I've watched countless videos. I'm not going to let this task beat me. Just tough trying to do it at the age of 66 with only 1 working shoulder. Thanks Sal and Jeff for all of your help.
Depends on the type of thinset, the key is coverage, 80% in a dry area, 95% in a wet or exposed area or for natural stone. Substrate preparation is also important, a flat surface will require less adhesive and be much easier to work on. So use the correct trowel and use directional troweling with proper technique.
From what I've seen and what little I've done, the notches in the trowel determine how much thinset gets left in there. Your job is to put enough down first that you get nice even ridges with no gaps when you notch it, and then you have to hold the notched trowel at a 45 degree angle. The notches to the rest. I had a similar experience to yours on my first tile job. I ended up using far too much thinset because I started out too thick because I was holding the trowel at too steep and angle. I'm living and hopefully learning.
Home Repair Tutor, Actually yes, I've seen different types of thin set at the store, does really make a big difference, if you don't use exactly the one recommended by the store?
if installing a product, e.g. DITRA, use what the manufacturer recommends. As an example, DITRA calls for modified thin-set when adhering it to a wood subfloor. So you'd want to use a modified thin-set for that. Sal has a great video on this installation. Sal and I plan to do more videos on thin-set options down the road. I'd never go with what the store people tell me to use over what the manufacturer recommends.
can you tell me what kind of tile to use on a kitchen floor also if using hardbacker and what thinset should be used to set the backer board and what kind of thinset should be used to lay the tile. Thanks, Ha we won this past weekend great game
Love your vids sal and appreciate you sharing your knowledge.Quick question for since I can’t seem to find it,when thin set starts to stiffen in bucket can I just add more water and carryover to next day to keep from setting or does thinset lose its strength if u keep remixing with water to carry out longevity?Been using same mix for two days adding water at night and mixing before bed as well as in morning.Just running a test to see how long I can make last.Maybe a dumb question but curious on your thoughts.
Never add water to soften it after initial mix and slake. Pot life varies but most are between 2 and 4 hours. You can remix a couple of times without adding water to soften it, but that is it. After that it is trash.
