Plastering trowel with teeth (280x120, 8x8 T)

The 8 x 8mm teeth comb the adhesive into even ribs of a known height. When the tile is pressed down, those ribs collapse and spread, filling the space behind the tile completely and squeezing the air out. Spreading adhesive flat and bedding a tile onto it does not do that — it traps air pockets, so the tile is supported in patches. A tile with voids behind it sounds hollow, cracks under load, and lifts when water gets in. That is the single most common cause of tiling failure, and the notch is the fix.

The 8 x 8mm size is a general-purpose notch, suiting standard wall and floor tiles. Very large or heavily profiled tiles want a deeper notch to get enough adhesive behind them; small mosaics want a shallower one.

Use it at a consistent angle — around 45 degrees — because the angle you hold it at changes the height of the ribs. Comb in one direction rather than swirling, so the air has a path out when the tile is bedded, and only spread as much adhesive as you can tile before it skins over. Adhesive that has started to set will no longer collapse properly under the tile, and you get the voids you were trying to avoid.

The blade is #50 carbon steel, heat treated and tempered, which is what keeps the teeth their proper shape. Worn or rounded teeth leave shallower ribs than you think you are laying, so the bed is thinner than intended — a good reason to replace a trowel whose teeth have worn down rather than persevering.

The two-colour TPR handle grips with wet, adhesive-covered hands.

Clean it before the adhesive sets. Cured adhesive in the notches changes the rib height and is very difficult to remove.

The buyers are tilers, bathroom and kitchen fitters, building contractors, and maintenance teams doing repair tiling.

We stock flat plastering trowels and the tiling range. Ask on WhatsApp and we will price them together, delivered island-wide.