Tile, Grout & Mortar Diagrams
12 diagrams · 4 calculators
Tile layout patterns, large-format lippage, wet-wall assemblies, grout-joint and type selection, and thinset trowel coverage and mortar class — the setting-material diagrams that keep tile bonded and flat.
Calculators in this category
Tile, Grout & Mortar · 12 diagrams
- Tile, Grout & Mortar
How trowel notch size sets the mortar bed and the coverage per bag
A bigger notch lays a deeper bed for bigger tile — so it uses more mortar and covers fewer square feet per bag (¼″ square ≈ 80 sq ft/bag; ¾″ U-notch ≈ 30). Match the notch to the tile size.
- Tile, Grout & Mortar
Thinset contact coverage — why combed ridges must be collapsed (80% / 95% rule)
Combing the mortar isn’t the goal — contact under the tile is. Ridges left standing leave voids (<80%); sliding the tile to collapse them plus back-buttering gives the ≥95% contact ANSI requires for wet and large-format tile.
- Tile, Grout & Mortar
Which ANSI thinset class to use by substrate and exposure (A118.1 / .4 / .15 / .3 / mastic)
Substrate and exposure pick the class. The classic trap: over a sheet membrane use UNMODIFIED — modified mortar can’t cure sealed between two impervious layers. Mastic is interior-dry small wall tile only.
- Tile, Grout & Mortar
How tile layout pattern drives waste — straight ≈7%, diagonal & herringbone ≈15%
The layout pattern — not just the square footage — sets your waste factor: straight ≈7%, running bond ≈10%, diagonal 45° ≈15%, herringbone ≈15%+. Angled patterns throw away a cut at every wall.
- Tile, Grout & Mortar
Large-format tile offset limit — stagger ≤33%, not 50%, to avoid lippage
Any tile edge ≥15″ is large-format. Stagger it ≤33% of the tile length (not a 50% brick bond) so the joint stays off the slightly crowned center — otherwise you get lippage. Set with medium-bed mortar at 95% coverage.
- Tile, Grout & Mortar
What goes behind shower tile — cement board, waterproofing membrane, then tile
Tile and grout are not waterproof — the membrane behind them is. A shower wall is framing → cement board (never standard drywall) → A118.10 waterproofing membrane → thin-set at 95% coverage → tile.
- Tile, Grout & Mortar
Measuring a backsplash — width times the band height, minus only the big openings
Measure each run as width (ft) × band height (in) ÷ 12. The standard band is 18″ counter-to-cabinet. Deduct only large openings (≥1 sq ft); tile around outlets. Then add the pattern waste factor.
- Tile, Grout & Mortar
Grout joint width picks the grout — sanded for wide joints, unsanded for narrow
Joint width decides the grout: ≥1/8″ → sanded (the sand resists cracking in wide joints), under 1/8″ → unsanded (sand won’t pack a thin joint). Glass and cement tile → ALWAYS unsanded, because sand scratches glass.
- Tile, Grout & Mortar
Backsplash finish details — metal or bullnose at exposed edges, caulk (not grout) at the counter
Finish the exposed outer and top edges with a metal profile or bullnose, not a raw tile edge. Caulk (not grout) the countertop joint, inside corners, and cabinet edges — those are movement joints (TCNA EJ171). Grout only the flat field.
- Tile, Grout & Mortar
Tile size drives grout quantity — small tiles need far more grout than large ones
At the same joint width, small tiles use dramatically more grout than large ones: a 2×2 mosaic needs ~12× the grout of a 24×24 tile over the same area. Grout per sq ft = (L+W)/(L×W) × joint width × joint depth × 144.
- Tile, Grout & Mortar
Grout fills the joint full-depth — the joint is a channel of width × depth × length
Grout fills the joint full-depth (ANSI A108.10), not just the surface — so the grout in a joint is a channel: width × depth × length. Depth equals tile thickness, which is why a thick floor tile uses far more grout than a thin mosaic at the same joint width.
- Tile, Grout & Mortar
Unsanded, sanded, or epoxy grout — chosen by joint width, surface, and how it is sold
Joint width picks the grout: unsanded for 1/16″–1/8″ (and glass/polished stone), sanded for 1/8″–1/2″, epoxy for wet or chemical areas. Cementitious grout is sold by weight and sealed; epoxy is sold by the kit and never sealed.