Can we talk about using the wrong size trowel for 12 years?

I was putting down some 12x24 porcelain tile in a bathroom remodel and the floor felt wrong, like hollow sounding. My buddy from the supply house stopped by to drop off a tool I borrowed and I asked him to walk on it. He said 'man, what notch size did you use?' I told him 1/4 by 1/4 and he just laughed. Said I needed a 1/2 inch notch for those big tiles to get proper coverage. Pulled up a tile to check and sure enough, barely 30 percent mortar stuck to the back. Had been doing it the same way since I started out on my own. Felt like a complete idiot. Has anyone else had that moment where you realize you've been doing something basic completely backwards for years?

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the_eva5mo ago

My first solo job I put down a whole kitchen floor with a 3/16 v-notch because that's what I grabbed out of the truck. Nobody told me different for like three years either. Guess we're both in the "learned the hard way" club.

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gavin_clark5mo ago

Three years?! How did nobody catch that on a walkthrough or something? That's wild.

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