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CTEF Tile Tip: Troweling a Different Way?

The method of applying thin-bed and medium-bed mortars has changed over the years. Today many installers use (or should be using) the straight line troweling method as described in the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) Trowel and Error video.

This method requires that the mortar be keyed (or forced) into the substrate with the flat side of the trowel and then notched in one direction, either left to right or up and down. The tile is then moved in a perpendicular motion to the mortar ridges. This back-and-forth motion lays the ridges into the valleys, normally yielding full mortar coverage on the back of the tile. This process has been in use for well over 20 years and has solved many of the mortar coverage issues previously found in the field.

With the ever-growing size of tiles found in the marketplace, the need to achieve full mortar coverage has become even more important. In order to achieve full mortar coverage, the air found in the valleys of applied mortar must find its way to the nearest grout joint. Common sense would tell us that finding the route to the closest joint would speed this process. This is especially necessary with rectangular-shaped tile.

While still using the straight line troweling method, we need to modify our technique just a bit. The change is that the mortar is now spread the same direction as the short side of the tile. By doing this, the distance the air must travel is reduced. Moving the tile in the back-and-forth motion will bring the ridge into the valley, thereby forcing or “burping” the air out from under the tile. If you listen carefully during this process, you can actually hear the air being removed. The air is gone, the ridges are collapsed into the valleys and full coverage is achieved.

While this method normally works really well, there is one more critical step in the process. Occasionally lift an installed tile to verify that you’ve got the coverage you need. This simple test will ensure you are well-covered and provide the quality your customers deserve.

This article was originally posted on www.floortrendsmag.com.

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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.