Specialty Tile Tools

The square-notch trowel applies mortar in a raked patten to ensure even coverage.

Tiling professionals use a specialized set of tools to cut, set and grout all types of tiles, including ceramic, porcelain and natural stone. Despite their special applications, specialty tile tools are available at the average home improvement store because they are often the only tools that can get the job done right. Whether you're working on repairs or a new installation, an overview of the tools specific to the tiling trade helps you to choose the right gear for your project.

Fiber Cement Saw Blade

For tile projects that require a cement-board substrate, tiling professionals use a specially designed saw blade called a "fiber cement blade" to cut backerboard to size. Fiber cement saw blades are essentially light-duty versions of a segmented, masonry diamond blade. The diamond-coated cutting edge of the disc-shaped blade is notched into several, separate segments. The chopping action provided by segmentation allows the blade to glide smoothly through the tough, cement-based backerboard. Fiber cement saw blades mount to standard portable circular saws.

Tile Setting Trowels

Like mason's trowels, tiling trowels consist of a rectangular base plate attached to an L- or U-shaped handle. However, specially sized, U- or V-shaped notches line the edges of tile setting trowels. After spreading mortar onto a work surface with the trowel's flat bottom, a tile setter scrapes the notched side of the tool across the wet mortar. The trowel's notches separate the wet mortar into a series of even, groove-like peaks and valleys. The evenly-spaced and sized spread of mortar ensures that adjacent tiles rest relatively level and that all tiles receive an adequate amount of mortar.

Tile Cutter

Although tiling professionals employ several types of portable and bench-mounted saws to cut tile, the manual tile cutter remains a part of every tile setter's tool kit. Lightweight, portable and effective, the manual tile cutter scores through a tile's surface with a diamond-edged disc and snaps the tile along the score with a specially designed clamping tool. Tile setters place tile upon the tool's flat base and run the rail-mounted cutting disc across the tile's surface. After scoring the tile, tile setters press the tool's retractable arm onto the tile to snap and sever the tile along the score.

Grout Floats

Tiling professions apply grout, the cement-based product that fills the space between adjacent tiles, with a specially designed spreading tool called a "grout float." Unlike a cement finisher's float, the grout float's baseplate is made of a soft, relatively flexible material, typically sponge or rubber. A tile finisher uses the float to scoop and spread grout across a tiled surface. Because the float's baseplate is soft, the tool doesn't damage fragile tiles or scratch tile glaze.

References

• University of Pittsburg: Mosaic Vocabulary
• St. Petersburg College; Chronicle Guidance Publications; Marble Setters, Tile Layers and Terrazo Workers