How to choose the right trowel for your next professional tile project.

As customer preferences for tiles have changed over time, so have tile trowels. We have no doubt that our founder, Henry, would be amazed at the variety of notch sizes and shapes available today. We understand that if you’ve been laying tile for a while, you might tend to stick with what you’re comfortable with. But what if there was something better out there? At Goldblatt, we offer a wide variety of trowel notch sizes and shapes. Here’s how to be sure you’re choosing the right Goldblatt trowel for your next professional tile project.

Choosing the right notch shape.

Our pro stainless steel notch trowels come with U-, V-, or square-shaped notches. The shape of the notch affects how much thinset the trowel will spread. A V-shaped notch will spread the least amount of thinset, a square-shaped notch will spread the most thinset, and a U-shaped notch is somewhere in between. Choosing between U- or square-shaped notches mostly comes down to personal preference, it depends how heavy you like to spread out your thinset. Since V-notches spread less thinset than similarly sized notches of other shapes, they are great for decorative varieties like mosaic tiles and glazed wall tiles.

Choosing the right notch size.

When it comes to properly and professionally laying tile, notch size matters. We offer a dozen different notch sizes in total, but selecting the right size doesn’t have to be difficult. In general, the larger the tile you’re working with, the larger the notches need to be. Most of the tiles you work with will be less than two square feet in area, but larger tiles are becoming more and more popular. For the biggest tiles, we recommend our G02422 trowel, which comes with a 3/4-inch U-shaped notch. A Goldblatt trowel with a 1/2-inch notch is the most popular choice for medium-sized tiles up to 2 square feet in surface area. Use a Goldblatt trowel with a 1/8-inch notch for tile smaller than 5 inches in surface area. For tiles in-between, you can check to see if the tile provides a recommendation, ask a store associate, or use your best judgment. If you remember that the size of the notch should be proportional to the size of the tile you’re working with, it’s hard to go wrong.

Choosing the right tool brand.

You can pick the perfect size tile trowel for your project, but it won’t matter if it fails to live up to the rigors of your jobsite. Every Goldblatt pro stainless steel notch trowel is built to build, with a mirror-polished and rust-resistant steel blade that’s been hardened and tempered for premium durability. And the ergonomic soft-grip handle reduces fatigue, helping you get jobs done faster. Stop by your local Floor & Decor and try one out for yourself.

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