Should You Back Butter Floor Tiles

When you back butter the tile you re keying it in.

Should you back butter floor tiles. Normally if you feel the need to backbutter mosaics it is easier to simply use a larger trowel on your substrate. I use a round notch trowel on floors and areas that are subject to a lot of water this is a solid bed technique. Back buttering is giving the tiles a ribbed bed of adhesive back skimming is giving the back of the tile an un ribbed skim of adhesive these methods are to be used with normal spreading of your adhesive ie on your wall floor. What you should do when fixing is every now and then is fix a tile then remove it and see what coverage you have on the back of the tile this s a good indication that you could be using the wrong trowel if you havent good a good coveage on the tiles.

This will exhibit the need for backbuttering since you can actually see the open pores in the back of the tile. Back buttering also insures near complete 95 surface adhesion between tile and substrate. This is a stronger move than merely pressing the tile to the floor. I constantly have to tell people that you really don t need to.

If you want a more scientific analysis of whether you not you should back butter check out the video below. The thinset is well adhered and then when the wet thinset touches the wet thinset on the floor that s a much easier bond to make than thinset to dry tile with depressions in it. The same applies to porcelain or ceramic or any other type of tile as well just on a more microscopic level. How to back butter tile correctly.

Sometimes i get asked how to backbutter mosaic tiles. Depends what size trowel you use most people use 6mm i prefer 8mm or if tiles are really bad 10mm on walls. Back buttering tile can be effective. I am also using a tool called the back butter buddy.

How to back butter like a pro as a seasoned tiler who does back butter i have experienced the many difficulties associated with traditional back buttering techniques including arm fatigue and occasionally dropping tiles while trying to. Although not necessary for tile coverage back buttering can be effective by increasing the bond of the mortar to the back of the tile which is an excellent benefit.