Hot take: Silicone trowels are not just a gimmick

I was dead set against using silicone trowels for thin-set for years. Stuck with my metal ones because that's what my old boss swore by back in Denver. Then last month on a big porcelain job in a kitchen, I swapped to a silicone trowel just to try it out. The coverage was way more even and I didn't get those little metal shavings in the mix. Has anyone else made the switch or am I just late to the party?

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2 Comments

jakewhite5mo ago

Stick with the silicone trowel for a few more jobs and you'll never go back. I switched a year ago and the difference is night and day on big format tiles. The rubber flexes just right to keep the ridges consistent, and you're dead on about the metal shavings - I used to find them in my grout lines all the time.

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piper1755mo ago

and @jakewhite is spot on about the ridges staying consistent. i fought it for years too but the flex is just better for coverage across thin-set. once you get the feel for it there's no reason to go back to metal.

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