• Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
  • AWARDS
  • EDUCATION
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Breaking Flooring News
  • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
  • Carpet & Area Rugs
  • Hardwood
  • Installation Products
  • Installation Tools & Equipment
  • Laminate
  • Resilient
  • Specialty
  • Tile & Stone
  • MARKETS
  • Commercial
  • Residential
  • AWARDS
  • Installation Awards
  • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
  • Continuing Education
  • Webinars
  • Sponsored Insights
  • MEDIA
  • FLOOR Podcast
  • Videos
  • TISE 2025 Videos
  • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issues
  • Contact
  • Advertise
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
    • Sponsored Insights
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP
Flooring InstallationColumnsTile & Stone FlooringInstallation How-ToCTEF Tile Tip

CTEF Tile Tip: Which Trowel Notch is Best?

By Scott Carothers
basic trowel notch
Photo 1
quarter by 3/8-in. basic trowel notch
Photo 2
basic trowel notch
quarter by 3/8-in. basic trowel notch
December 1, 2016

As the economy strengthens, we are seeing increased tile sizes and diverse types of tile flowing into the US market. Each of these products has different requirements in order to achieve suitable mortar coverage.

In order to meet the ANSI A108 requirement for mortar coverage (80% in dry areas and 95% in wet and exterior areas), it is extremely important to select the trowel notch that provides the appropriate amount of mortar to properly bond the tile to the substrate.

For standard thin-bed mortars, the minimum amount of mortar after the tile is embedded is 3/32” while the maximum mortar thickness is 1/4”. When the new Large and Heavy Tile (LHT) mortars are used, the maximum mortar thickness after embedding the tile is 1/2”.

Regardless of which mortar is used, there are two critical items for consideration. The first is that neither of these mortars should ever be used to “fix” the floor, whether it requires filling the low spots or feathering out the high points. It is best to use the proper flash patch or self-leveling underlayment (with primer) to make these corrections. The second item is to select the trowel notch that will provide enough mortar to bed the tile which meets or exceeds the ANSI Specification while not causing excessive mortar to squeeze up between the tiles.

There really is no “one size fits all” trowel for every installation. The only way to make this decision is to experiment with a variety of trowel notch designs and depths. For this example, the installer’s basic notch, the 1/4” x 1/4” provides reasonable mortar coverage as seen in Photo 1. But notice the difference in the mortar coverage received by increasing the trowel depth by just 1/8”. The 1/4” x 3/8” notch in Photo 2 gives significantly better coverage which could mean the difference between success and failure.

The lesson here is to always test the trowel to be used on each job substrate to ensure that adequate mortar coverage is being obtained. Eliminating voids under the tile will solve the issue of hollow-sounding tiles and potentially broken tiles on the job.

KEYWORDS: ceramic tile installing tile Large-Format Tiles

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Scott carothers 2025

Scott Carothers is the Academic Director of the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) headquartered in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee (Nashville area). In 2007, he was hired and tasked with creating the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program and in 2012, he was part of the team that created the Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers (ACT) program. 

For eighteen years, he has been providing training and education to others in the tile industry. Carothers has been involved in the ceramic tile industry for over 44 years and was the owner of a successful retail store and installation firm prior to coming to CTEF. 

Carothers served as President and Chairman of the Board of the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), Chairman of the NTCA Technical Committee, named the NTCA Tile Person of the Year in 2005 and received the NTCA Ring of Honor in 2013. He is a voting member of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) Handbook, and NTCA Technical Committees. 

Scott has authored over 185 articles in tile industry print magazines including Floor Covering Installer, Tile, TileLetter, and eMagazine/Newsletter publications such as Floor Trends & Installation and TIleLetter along with covering numerous topics on the CTEF Blog, thereby sharing his knowledge and installation experience with his readers. Additionally, he recently retired from being a presenter and trainer for the NTCA Workshop and Regional Training programs and the NTCA Technical Hotline.

He may be contacted at scott@tilecareer.com or 864-222-2131.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • resilient flooring

    The 7 Types of Resilient Flooring

    The resilient flooring category is comprised of many...
    Resilient Flooring
    By: Resilient Floorcovering Institute
  • QuickDrain USA’s ShowerLine linear drain

    Tips for Curbless Shower Installation Using a Linear Drain

    Consider these four tips when planning for a curbless...
    Installation How-To
    By: Darryl Jones
  • 2024 New Flooring Product Guide

    2024 New Flooring Products Guide

    We explore this year's introductions in area rugs,...
    Residential Flooring
    By: FLOOR Trends & Installation Editors
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

close

1 COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE(S) LEFT

Loader

Already a Registered User? Sign in now.

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Subscription Customer Service

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

What Shaw Flooring Network Dealers are Banking on for 2025

What Shaw Flooring Network Dealers are Banking on for 2025

SolidTech R: Sustainable, High-Performance Flooring from Bottle to Floor

SolidTech R: Sustainable, High-Performance Flooring from Bottle to Floor

Shaw Flooring Network Retailers Report Post-Election Sales Surge

Shaw Flooring Network Retailers Report Post-Election Sales Surge

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the FLOOR Trends & Installation audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of FLOOR Trends & Installation or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Woodura Herringbone 2.0
    Sponsored byBjelin

    The Herringbone Floor of the Future

Popular Stories

company branding

Branding and Marketing Strategies for Flooring Contractors

Woodura Herringbone 2.0

The Herringbone Floor of the Future

Three individuals, a man and two women, discussing flooring options while reviewing samples.

Humans in the Loop: Why AI in Your Flooring Business Still Needs You


Download the Free Moisture Meters Guide

Events

December 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Growth Challenges in the Flooring Industry

What’s holding you back from growth in 2025?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

See More Products

FLOORtalk podcasts - Listen Now

Related Articles

  • ceramic tile installed in a herringbone pattern

    The Hidden Challenges of Ceramic Tile Patterns

    See More
  • Textured light brown floor tiles

    How to Successfully Achieve Credit Card Widths on Joints and 50% Offset Requirements on Tile Installations

    See More
  • marble shower with iron oxide discoloration

    Marble Tile in Showers: A Cautionary Tale

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • 9781622700158_c-15_.png

    Flooring and Floor Covering License Examination (C-15) - QuickPass Study Tool Book with Online Interactive Software

  • small-safety-book-alt.gif

    Start With Safety Book

See More Products
×
Photo 1
Photo 2

We’re rolling out the red carpet of flooring knowledge!

Stay in the know on the latest flooring retail trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
    • Sponsored Insights
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP