Can you help solve conflicting advice re adhesive depth? - Tile Advice

[Mike Zeidler]

I've got an AKW Tuff form shower tray with a waste that is 10mm above the tray when fully screwed in. The Tiler laid my 5mm hex mosaic tiles on a 2mm bed, so obvs wasn't going to drain.

I took them back up and spoke to AKW, who recommended I put down a 3mm bed adhesive, let it go off and then re-lay tiles on a 2mm bed applied at 90 degrees to the first one. BUT - the tiler says it's v hard to follow the profile of a tray with an adhesive spreader, and also that a thicker 5mm adhesive bed will come up and interfere with the grout.

So what to do? Feels like I can
a) instruct the tiler to lay the mosaic mats on a 5mm bed (or 3mm bed with 2mm on the mosaic mats) and hope for the best
b) Put down a 3mm bed as suggested by AKW and hope I can follow the profile evenly
or c) If what the tiler says is true about the skill needed to use a tile spreader, find some kind of 3mm mesh to guide an even application
At the moment I feel like my best bet is option b) because the tiler dislikes a) and I can't see a product that would satisfy c)...

 

[Dan]

Got any pictures of the said area?

Usually need a full bed of adhesive (so no air pockets after pressing tile down) from a thick-bed solid-bed trowel. Usually large round notches in them.

What bed thickness it leaves then though, not sure. A few mm at least so could you not just use a decent round notch trowel?

This is a special trowel to leave more adhesive down to get a good solid bed.

Genesis Tiger Trowel

Unique blade design gives near 100% coverage Helps to smooth out uneven in surfaces as you go Carbon steel blade Comfortable soft grip handle

www.tradetiler.com

 

[Canttilefortoffee]

Got any pictures of the said area?

Usually need a full bed of adhesive (so no air pockets after pressing tile down) from a thick-bed solid-bed trowel. Usually large round notches in them.

What bed thickness it leaves then though, not sure. A few mm at least so could you not just use a decent round notch trowel?

This is a special trowel to leave more adhesive down to get a good solid bed.

Genesis Tiger Trowel

Unique blade design gives near 100% coverage Helps to smooth out uneven in surfaces as you go Carbon steel blade Comfortable soft grip handle

www.tradetiler.com

sheeted mosaics are usually laid on a 3mm notch and flattened with a good ol squeegeeeee... sorry did not mean to quote "dan" oooppps

 

[Dan]

Mosaic mats so sorry I missed that! That's rushing and not reading it correctly. My bad! 😃 😀 😄

 

[Mike Zeidler]

Thinking of using Mesh backer sheets, which add 3mm to the base, so that might just do it...

 

[Dan]

Where are you getting the tiles from?

 

[Mike Zeidler]

They were bought in 2021 - laid already on three floors - this is the last piece of the puzzle. Seller was Dantotsu Tiles based in Leeds - purchase via ebay...