What THINSET Should You Use??? 

Can't tell you enough how great a dude you are for your knowledge and help in teaching the world this craft, Keep up the great work!

Your explanation here was the best I ever found about using modified vs. unmodified thinset mortar. Last year, I was asked to replace a bathtub and tile surround. Based on my research and knowing the client, I chose Schluter Kerdi-Board as backing for the tiles, but was thrown off by them requiring unmodified mortar, really hard to find. Struggled with this quite a bit, but good to know for future jobs that modified also works for Kerdi-Board now. You really know your stuff, Isaac! Thanks for sharing it with the world!

Isaac I’ve always appreciated your honest and straightforward approach, glad to see you doing well brother, great job. -Carlton

Certainly appreciate that knowledge and experience put into teaching.

What a nice teacher and skilled man…

Love your stuff you are dead on, I have been tiling for 35 years and one good point to make is never tile a backsplash over drywall mud ever, the GC doesn't even know it must be primed. Thanks Karen. Sealtite Groutworks Colorado!

Thank you for this video. It cleared up some questions I had about thinset. Keep up the great videos.

Really enjoyed this video. This is exactly what I needed to see to motivate me to tile above my shower insert. Thanks man!

So glad I found this video. I've been combing the internet for alternative kerdi thinsets other than their own brand. Thank you!

Great video with a ton of information,thank you for paying it forward,GOD BLESS

This was really great to hear little details. Definitely learned some new things!

Thank god I found tile coach, returning my Mapei uncoupling thinset the Lowe’s guy told me to use. Luckily I didn’t use it yet. Gained years of knowledge in 1 day of education from your RU-vid

Straight to the point. Thank you. Every other video I looked at vacillates in their recommnends to the point where I had the same question(s) coming out as going in.

Some great information in this video. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

Well done Isaac and class!!

this is really cool. keep it up big fella. You taught me plenty for years!

Finally all my questions are answered, amazing video thank you so much for explaining this

thanks for explaining it helps me a lot ! that's my question all the time about the modified and unmodified, now you explained here very clearly! thanks 🙏👍

I'm getting geared up to redo our shower/bath and was planning to use Kerdi. This has been very helpful!

Love it man keep up the amazing work.

Thanks for teaching good accurate information!

Great basic info! Thank you.

Fantastic video. Thank you.

Great job my friend, I wish you success. I am also a professional in installing tiles and marble. I have 15 years of experience. I am from Morocco

Thanks! And keep going, even when things seem rough, cheers✌🏻

I just started using Tri-Lite. Love that it's light weight and spreads easily. Just easy to work with compared to some other mortars I've used. My only gripe is the short open time. I essentially have to mix small batches because I learned the hard way, the stuff firms up pretty quickly. I'll probably try the Multimax Lite on my next job since it seems to have a much longer open time.

Awesome very informative Thankyou!!

Thanks Coach!

Nice job for trowel size I always use whatever the thickness of the tile is

Amazing videos boss, very informational ❤

Love the tile coach ❤ 🇺🇸

Awesome Isaac, one day would love to take a class just to take and pickup any tips that haven’t learned already; as THERES always something you can learn and improve upon, no matter how long been in biz, imo. Think it’s cool that you do thee classes to help ppl as well, not too many out there that do things like this, o keep it up. Cheers bro✌🏻

This is gold! Thanks coach!! 🙌

Very nice, coach. I haven't done the math yet, but notch trowels should just have a tile square inch rating to know where they are appropriate. I have also switched to the Schluter all-set for basically everything. A little more spendy, but it works great everywhere.

Wish there were teachers like him in Socal

Great information thanks so much

Clear and concise, my only recommendation would be use a red marker or digital monitor. Thanks

I broke in soaking the tile. Everything was set in a fresh setting bed with neat cement. When thinset mortar first came out we were skeptical. My boss was very slow to accept it. I remember the original thinset was plenty sticky and had pretty good workability. In the Bay Area we called it Bond On. A few years went by and Custom came out with the recommendation to add a liquid polymer to the thinset powder instead of water for extra strength. It looked to me like they reduced or removed the original ingredient in the dry powder and sold the liquid as 'value added'. Marketing genius! They later tried recommending that the polymer be added to colored grout (with disasterous results) and quickly got away from that recommendation. It looks now like the industry has pretty much given up on liquid additives altogether. Thinset mortars are basically back to square one in my opinion.

Love you channel Isaac. Keep up the great videos. Couple questions. Would recommend using a modified thin set under Kerdi membrane other than the Schluter brand? Also where can we get the bucket liners that you use? I’ve seen them in your videos before. Thanks

Wish I would of watched this a couple days ago I used unmodified for my Kerdi band with the hardiebacker and man did it dry quick. First time doing anything like this tho live and learn

Wish we had a guy like u here. Would have loved to take lessons from u

love the content. When I get into 3x12s, or similar longer and skinnier tiles I like to use the 3/8ths. Ive found most of these tiles have some type of warp to them. I have usually found that if you pop one of them off the wall, the middle of the tile doesn't get great coverage while using the 1/4x1/4.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! You are the first tile professional to mention 2" x 2" mosaic sheets (at 13:50). I've been trying to get specific questions answered but no one answers. So glad you offer private coaching classes. I plan to contact you there.

Prolite from Custom, my all time fav for setting tile. But dont try it on Schlter Ditra, boy oh boy. Just doesnt want to bond

Please upload a vedio on full drainage systems

I use white wall grout most of the time. works well with subway

I have a "Warmboard" radiant heating flooring, which has an aluminum surface. I want to tile over it, with a decoupling membrane below the tile. Requesting a recommendation on the type of thinset to use.

I've been using too small notched trowels. The largest I ever used was 1/4 x 3/8... and that on 24x24 tile. Too much work to get adequate and even coverage. This should make a significant improvement on time.

Thanks for your videos. I had a quick question. I have a tile deck that I am redoing, the waterproofer recommends J-Drain 1000 over the waterproofing, I was also recommended Laticrete tile and drain board. Is there a substantial difference?

Thanks for the added info on planks. Most floor installs I see are planks and there isn't much info about trowel size for planks. After all, a 6x36 is smaller than 12" and larger than 12". Lol. Q: Would a 1/4 x 3/8 work on a 1/4” thick plank 9x47 if you back buttered the tiles?

What modified thin set you can recomend for tub surround cement board? ( before water proofing)

What about trowel size for a 2x10 subway tile? Supplier said to use an 1/8 x 1x8 but that seems pretty small to me, so I was going to try and check coverage and then maybe go with a 3/16” or 1/4”, if needed. Also does trowel size differ if you’re using an adhesive vs a thinset? I’ll be doing a backsplash in a kitchen. Thanks!

Imo, it depends how fast you work and the size of the tile and where it's going. If it's a very large format tile and you work slowly you can just mix up smaller more frequent batches and use an unmodified thinset which cost less than half as much.

Coach I have a question about grout and thinset. First I am not a professional tiler. I have renovated two bathrooms for myself and the last one I did I keep getting a lot of thinset filling up the space between the tiles so I would to go back and scrape it out clean between the spaces. I got tired of doing that so I just used it like grout, smooth it with a damp sponge and let it dry . Well it came out pretty good although it was a little more sandy than sanded grout. It been a few years now but it still looks good with no cracks. Also this was done on walls not the floor. What is your opinion ?

Thank you for your videos they are very informative. Our local tile store sold me laticrete 317 unmodified thinset to use with schulter membrane which I installed. You mentioned no need for unmodified? They also indicated I could use 1/4x1/4 notched trowel for 12x24 tile on shower wall. Wondering about the implications of using 1/4x1/4 vs. your recommendation of 1/2x1/2 notched trowel and using unmodified thinset. My walls are fairly flat with (1/8" tolerance)

I usually use the most expensive thinset in the store for floors and one notch down for walls.

Hi can you still use lht thinset for small mosaic on the shower floor? I don’t want to buy more than one thinset if I don’t have to. Thanks.

Would you recommend Tri-lite for schluter membrane?

Great lessons. If we put tiles over radiant floor ( concrete floor) what do you recommend, modified or unmodified

I need to re-apply a tile that has a new section of plywood. There is no room for backerboard in order to make it level with all the other tiles. It’s in the corner of a closet on the other side of the water heater so I would like to waterproof the plywood with some aqua defense. Will Mapei modified thin set dry on top of a waterproof membrane needing air or is it going to dry via chemical reaction?

quarter x quarter for 1 inch mosiacs? that could be a disaster imo. personally would use a V notch on most small sheet tiles and a 3/16 is a bit small, so i modify which ends up being like a 1/4 to 5/16 V. As for 6x6 tiles i think 6x6 quarry is a good candidate for 1/4 X 3/8, especially wire cut. I also find 1/2 X 1/2 trowel a bit small for anything longer than 3ft, i use a lot of 4ft or longer plank tiles and always back butter and the half inch trowel just is not enough in the center of the plank because of the bows, so i modify the trowel and deepen it to about 11/16 . you also have to keep an eye for wear on the trowels because it doesnt take long before a 1/2 towel to loose depth quickly from scratching concrete even with a Marshalltown, so im always modifying my trowels, keeping them at the proper depth with an angle grinder and blade. i use those cheaper type thick grinder blades (i believe they are like 1/4 wide) that come with a new angle grinder to modify my trowels .

I have a big doubt I will install 24x48 tiles on the wall above the bathtub in a bathroom, I ordered 2 Schluter Kerdi - 54 SQ FT for an area of 3x8 5x8 3x8 each Durox cement board wall above the bathtub, but I don't know if I should use this type of membrane Kerdi, redguard, or aquadefenc, I am very overwhelmed with so much information and I do not want the tiles to start to detach from the wall, what is your recommendation

Thanks for all you do, it is greatly appreciated. Is there any particular reason you recommended the Tri-Lite over the Multi-Max Lite? My bathroom is just about ready for tile and I have 5 bags of Multi-Max Lite and was going to use it to set my Laticrete Strata Mat on concrete, 12x24 floor tiles and 12x24 wall tiles. Thanks again and God Bless

Does pot life time begin when the thinset is first mixed or after the slake mix?

Which thunder to lay membranes or water proofing?

Thanks for the video! Would anything change if securing kerdi board to a concrete wall? Still use modified?

Is Sturdi Flex a good thinset for shower? 12 x 24 tile and foam shower pan.

Good evening, Do you have any recommendations on some budget friendly software for someone who is starting up their business again.

Can you use Tri lite under the pre sloped kerdi pan? Also can you use the multimax lite for the kerdi pan? Also what is the difference in tri lite and multimax?

You didn’t mention 1/4” x 1/2” trowel. That’s my go to trowel.

I am having extreme trouble finding a thinset that will work with my kerdi membrane to ceramic tile. All the recommendations just do not seem to be available in ND. Any suggestions on a more common thinset to use? AllSet not available; Laticrete Hydro Ban - not available, etc. We have Homedepot, Menards ,and Lowe's in the area. None of them have the recommended.

Hello, I have a camp that I want to make a hearth for. The bottom is 5' by 5' and the back will be 5' by 6'. Do they have a pre-mixed motor that I can use? I am a paraplegic and my camp does not have running water so I am trying to find the easiest way for me. I plan on using 12" by 12" slate tile. This is all for a wood stove to sit on and have back wall protection. Are there any calking gun alternatives? All and any help is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hey when do you or how do we enter these classes!? We would be happy to be there. 😅

I use versabond for everything

Hello, I have a situation with an older house and I intend on redoing the tub surround. I have all the old tile down and intend on using Hardie Board as a backer. THe problem I have ran into is parts of the tub edge is so far from the stud, that the Hardie Board does not sit on it, and would actually slip behind it by about 1/8 to 1/4 inch. This would be the back wall. Then on the wet wall, the studs are actually against the tub edge, and when you put the Hardie board on it, it sits out proud the thickness of the Hardie Board. I know this can't be rare, but how do you handle this. Thanks and thanks for the video. I found it very instructive.

Can I use laticrete or mapei modified over Schluter ditra

Can LHT thinset be used on drywall that has no redguard?

What size of trowel is could use for 4x16 subway wall tiles?

what home depot brand thinset should I use for 12x24 porcelain tile for shower wall?. Prolite Premium large format?

what size of trowel for a 6x 24 plank wall application. also was wondering best thinset to put on kerdi membrane heated floor in shower.

What brand of thinset do you use ?

Do you back butter large tile if it's for the walls? And are you still using a half inch when you back butter?

what is the best modified thinset for installing the RSS shower pan?

What size notch for 6"×25" porcelain on Kerdi board shower wall?

Have no idea what my contractor used on my tile floor over Ditra membrane because my tiles crack even when a very light object drops on it like a knife. Four drops, four cracks. Perhaps the type of the thinset was incorrect.

Kerdi and glass tile ?

Hey man, why don't you move to Florida so I can attend you classes, ha. 😛

Dude! How do I sign up for a class?! How far are you from the Atlanta, GA area?

Is Schlueter thin secret good for LHT tiles. ?

Do the 12x24 tiles using the 1/2x1/2 trowel need to be back buttered ? ...ANYONE ?

Where are you located? To take course.

Do I need a membrane on the walls if I use hydroban on hardibacker walls. I will use a membrane on the shower floor sealed with hydroban

So you’d recommend LHT on top of Ditra membrane for an 18x18 granite tile?

Hi Isaac what you do think of Custom Building Products VersaBond 50 lb. White Fortified Thinset Mortar it’s a homedepot product but the price of $13 is insane cheap but reviews are great I would like your professional opinion thanks.

I am using modified versabond. It has been 48 hours and it is still wet

Hey where are you located? Really like your videos and been cranking out Tiffany work in Rockland county NY and Bergen county NJ for 10+years. Network?

Where are u located

FYI truwerk is going to a 403 error, google kicks back truewerk.

There's a boatload of science & technology that's packed into modified thinset mortar. It dries as hard as cement, so if you're laying tile, please work fast, or it will set up hard.

I believe new york subway tunnel have 4 1/4 x4 1/4 tile installed on the walls in a running bond pattern. No sure hoe the 3x6 tile evolved.