The use of thin-set mortars have met the challenge of properly installing ceramic and porcelain tile for years, and still do today. Large-format tile in the past was 8” x 8” and was for the most part, installed using a 1/4” x 1/4” x 1/4” trowel. However the game has changed and continues to transform. Tiles have gotten larger, longer and proportionately have more inherent warpage.
Today’s popular larger tile sizes can be 6” x 36”, 1m x 1m or larger, and include an industry-standard allowable amount of warpage (where the center of the tile is higher than the edges or ends). In order to accommodate and support this high spot in the center of the tile, mortars needed to also adapt. What was formally known as a medium-bed mortar is now known as a large and heavy tile (LHT) mortar. Although these mortars do not yet have a standard established for the product or the installation method, one is on the way and should be in place in the near future.