Choosing the Right Thinset For the Job
If you are attempting to install tile in your home, whether it be Saltillo, ceramic, porcelain, Slate, or any other natural stone, choosing the right thinset for the job is a very important aspect of your tile job. Many people wonder if there is much difference between a five dollar bag of thinset, and a $30 bag of thinset. In short, the answer is most definitely yes there is a difference. Just like with anything else, you get what you pay for.
If you ever get a tile bid for your house and the contractor includes the price of materials, or at least the cost of thinset and grout. You should make sure that you know what quality of thinset your contractor is going to use.
If your foundation is perfectly clean a cheaper thinset may be ok for you, but if your foundation has paint, stain, or drywall mud on it, a thinset with a latex additive is the way to go. A good median when shopping for a good qualilty thinset, is to choose a thinset in the $15-$20 price range.
Home Depot sells a good medium grade thinset called versabond. Versa bond contains a latex additive, that will allow a little bit of flex in your thinset, but not much. A good medium grade thinset that Lowes carries is by a brand called mapei. The label on this bag of thinset is called ultra flex one. Ultra flex one is comparable to versa bond. They both will range from about $14-$18 per 50 pound bag.
The more latex additives a thinset has, and the more flex that a thinset has, the more expensive it is going to get. If you have an extremely slick foundation, or if you have a lot of glue residue from previous wood flooring or vinyl flooring an expensive then set with more latex additives will be the way for you to go.
Remember that putting in a tile floor is not cheap. Going a cheaper out on your thinset by trying to save a few dollars a bag, may end up costing you a lot of money in the long run when your tile starts to come up. On average a bag of thinset will cover about 80 ft.². If you’re only spending an extra $5-$10 per square 80 ft, overall choosing a more expansive thinset will really not cost you a whole lot.
