Thicker ceramic tile?

[Davej]

Ceramic tile project -- and there are a few issues... years ago I did some ceramic tile but the stuff then was thin and flat. Now I'm feeling out of date. The tile I have now is 4/10 inch thick (maximum) with a slight texture on the front surface and a grippy crosshatch pattern on the back side. Scoring and breaking seems fairly unreliable. What success rate should I be seeing? Also the serrated trowels they sell now have big square notches. I'm doing a wall so these square-notch trowels seem like a bad idea. Why the switch to square notches? Any hints? Thanks.

[gfretwell]

Square notch trowels are for thin set mortar, V notch are for mastic. What are you using? When tile starts to get out in the 10mm range, particularly in higher grades of tile, scoring and snapping will require a very good tool, not the el cheapo at the home store. Most pros will be using a wet saw. I had zero luck scoring/snapping the Lea Acero I put all over our house.

[Red Green]

Davej wrote in news:46345739-225f-4719-9d15- [e-mail]:

You can get an inexpensive 7" wet tile saw for like $85 at the Borg. Even less at Harbor Freight. It'll come with 1 or two diamond blades. I kick my ass for not getting one long ago.

I cut through some tile pretty thick stone tile (not glazed clay) quite easily. Trimming slivers off and notches is also a breeze.

[gpsman]

And still, there will be a certain minimum learning curve.

"Pros" use nothing but a wet saw (and snips), notwithstanding those many if not most who might be paid to install tile.

If scoring glazed tile doesn't chip the glaze, it risks it, and unglazed edges can be hit or miss too, usually miss. Even a cheap saw, per Red (or rented), is better than scoring, and a homeowner probably shouldn't try any significant snipping... unless their tile is cheap and/or they've got plenty extra. -----

- gpsman

[Davej]

I'm using the adhesive mastic from Lowes and installing it on ordinary wallboard in a kitchen.

I'm using a cheap wet saw for every cut when I originally thought I would use the score and snap tool for most of the simple edge work.

[gfretwell]

You should ve able to get a V edge trowel at Lowes.

[SteveBell]

If the big-box places don't have the right trowel, check with flooring stores. Since Lowes sold you the mastic, they _ought_ to carry the trowel, but they're Lowe's....

The mastic container will tell you what trowel to use. It's usually something like 1/4 x 1/4 x 1/4 meaning the notches are 1/4" deep, 1/4" wide, and 1/4" apart.