Trowels

Why the right trowel matters

The trowel decides how much mortar ends up under your tile. Too little and you get hollow spots that crack years later; too much and mortar squeezes up through the grout joints. This category covers the full range, from large notched trowels for spreading thinset to small margin trowels for corners, edges and mixing in the bucket.

Choosing a notch size and shape

Square notch trowels are the standard for most floor tile. U notch trowels lay down a thick, even bed for large format tile and stone. V notch trowels put down less material and suit small tile, mosaics and wall work.

As a general starting point, the larger the tile, the larger the notch:

• Mosaics and small wall tile: 3/16 in V notch or 1/4 x 3/16 in V notch
• Tile up to about 8 in: 1/4 x 1/4 in square notch
• Tile from about 8 to 16 in: 1/4 x 3/8 in square notch
• Large format tile over 16 in: 1/2 x 1/2 in square or U notch

Always check the notch size your mortar manufacturer recommends, and pull up a tile early in the job to confirm you are getting full coverage. Substrate flatness matters too: an uneven floor usually needs a larger notch.

Margin, finishing and bucket trowels

Margin trowels handle detail work and back-buttering, finishing trowels smooth mortar beds and concrete, and bucket trowels make it easy to scoop and mix material straight from the bucket. Perfect Level Master's edging trowel is built to pair with leveling systems, spreading thinset and cleaning tile edges in one pass.

Brands we carry

Marshalltown covers nearly every type of trowel, including its tile setter's, finishing and stainless steel lines, many with soft grip handles that cut down on hand fatigue over a full day. Raimondi, Sigma and Montolit add precision tools built specifically for tile and stone installers.

Not sure which trowel fits your tile and mortar? Call us and we will help you match it up.