# Tile setting: Back-buttering?



## Beanfacekilla

Title pretty much says it.

Do any of you backbutter floor tiles like porcelain or ceramic? 

I Know two tile guys. One of them puts the thinset on the back of each tile (just a thin coat on back), along with notch trowel on floor. The other only backbutters some things. The latter says buttering is not necessary and a waste of time and material, only for some circumstances. 

What have you guys got to say about this? 

Peace.


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## Amazon119

I back butter when installing in showers or with very large floor tiles because you can end up with breakage if you don't have good enough coverage on the larger tiles. Larger meaning anything bigger than 12X12.


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## Dirtywhiteboy

Do you back butter and floor butter:blink:


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## BrandConst

Dirtywhiteboy said:


> Do you back butter and floor butter:blink:


:whistling


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## Dirtywhiteboy

BrandConst said:


> :whistling


idono:blink:butter everywhere:blink::blink:


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## Beanfacekilla

totally off topic... Have you ever heard the term "butter-face"? Everything was hot but her face. I just heard that the other day. :laughing:


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## Dirtywhiteboy

Beanfacekilla said:


> totally off topic... Have you ever heard the term "butter-face"? Everything was hot but her face. I just heard that the other day. :laughing:


:no::laughing::laughing:


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## angus242

Yes, back-buttering is a good thing. I've never heard anyone say too much coverage sucks. 

I always back butter 12x12 & larger and _any_ natural stone.


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## Beanfacekilla

angus242 said:


> Yes, back-buttering is a good thing. I've never heard anyone say too much coverage sucks.
> 
> I always back butter 12x12 & larger and _any_ natural stone.


That's kinda what I thought. I just thought it couldn't possibly hurt to back butter. Thank you for the input. 

Peace.


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## cleveman

I'm afraid that it can hurt to back butter because of height problems.

Burning the back is a horse of another color.

Butter face is a good one. I can see adapting it to butter butt or butter teeth as well. Butter breath is a bad thing.


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## Beanfacekilla

cleveman said:


> I'm afraid that it can hurt to back butter because of height problems.
> 
> Burning the back is a horse of another color.
> 
> Butter face is a good one. I can see adapting it to butter butt or butter teeth as well. Butter breath is a bad thing.


:laughing::laughing::laughing::thumbsup:


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## angus242

cleveman said:


> I'm afraid that it can hurt to back butter because of height problems.


Not if you know what you're doing :thumbsup:


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## cleveman

exactly. We don't want people back buttering every tile on a flat floor and struggling with it.


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## angus242

cleveman said:


> exactly. We don't want people back buttering every tile on a flat floor and struggling with it.


:laughing:

Seriously, if you are back buttering both the surface and the tile, just use a smaller notched trowel. 

I guess I know what back buttering is but then again, I also know when to notch and when to flat trowel. 

I've never really ever seen a need to notch both a wall/floor and the tile together. Remember thinset, it mostly designed to be pretty thin (_thin_set.... huh). Excessive buildup can be bad in many ways.

The point is c-o-v-e-r-a-g-e. Get as close to 100% coverage as you can and it can't be _all_ bad, right?


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## charimon

I dont back butter much. but i tend to use tec 3n1 and set with a notch bigger than is used in other types of thin set (3n1 is no sag :thumbsup: and allows both thin and medium set beds) this lets me float level/ plumb with out all the fuss and MESS of pulling an buttering low spots. of course it is $35 a bag rather than the $13 versabond so it better have some added features


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## MortarForker

I "Back Butter" tiles in certain cases.. When using porelain tiles I know they will sink into the thinset because of the hollow ribbed bottom of the tiles,so I fill the ribs full.This makes a strong bond and keeps tiles from sinking.Also if my thinset has skinned over when using ceramic tiles or stone I "Back Butter" the tiles and beat them in.."Back Butter" is a good thing in some cases..But in other cases it's over kill..


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## ernesto

I always back butter all tiles and stone, cleans off the dust and allows for full bond. Whats the spec for bond...90% on tiles, 100% on stone? 

I also burn the setting compound in on the slab, then trowel it or vice versa on cuts where I cannot get a full trowel on.

If yer back buttering all the tiles how can you have height issues? :blink:


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## MortarForker

ernesto said:


> I always back butter all tiles and stone, cleans off the dust and allows for full bond. Whats the spec for bond...90% on tiles, 100% on stone?
> 
> I also burn the setting compound in on the slab, then trowel it or vice versa on cuts where I cannot get a full trowel on.
> 
> If yer back buttering all the tiles how can you have height issues? :blink:


Ernesto,do you backbutter 4''x4'' ceramic or 2''x2'' mosaics sheets? I personally beat them into wet thinset.


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## ernesto

Pretty much everything mortarfarker. Lots of guys don't know the difference between back buttering and back troweling. lol

Here is what you get when you don't back butter tiles.


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## ChimneyHill

There is a few other reasons that floor popped like that, not just the lack of back buttering.

Looks like the thinset was setting up before the tile was laid down. What is on the subfloor? Is that shoe molding around the cabinet toe kick?

I like to back butter large format stone, makes me sleep better at night. :whistling

butterface is good, but how about a "40 yarder"? Looks good from far but far from good.:no:


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