Mapei Mortar Confusion.

Ok, Mapei makes waaaay to many brands of mortar that start with the letter "K" and "U".

Anyway, I am wanting to lay two different types of tile in two different areas of my house.

First install is simple ceramic tile over concrete slab. From what I can tell, an unmodified thinset is to be used. Would Kerabond, Keraflor, or Keraset be ok? From what I can tell, all three are unmodified. And, Keraflor is dirt cheap at Lowes. A 50# bag is under $4.

My other DIY job is laying porcelain tile over the same concret slab. From the research I have done, I want to use a latex modified thinset. Which thinset of Mapei would that be? Ultraflex 1? Ultraflex 2? Or something totally different?

Man, I had no idea that picking a thinset would be so confusing.

Hi Rodman,

You've got the idea. Basically, you can use modified in almost all applications, while the use of unmod is more limited.

In your case, you must use modified thinset to install the porcelain regardless of the substrate, whether concrete or wood. (There are special exceptions to this). If your choice is betweem Ultaflex 1 or 2, I would always recommend the better. (2) They also make Ultraflex 3.

You can also use the same thinset to install the ceramic on a slab. Sometimes it's best to just buy one type instead of wasting materials and have leftover.

Jaz

Ahh, thank you!

I think I will just buy Ultraflex 2 then. It seems reasonable, and I can always mix it in smaller batches so I don't get a lot of waste.