Material calculators

Tile Adhesive Calculator

Tile adhesive is sold by the bag, but you plan a floor by the square metre and the size of your notched trowel. This calculator turns your area, trowel size and tile format into the exact kilograms — and number of bags — of adhesive to order.

Calculate the quantity →

How much tile adhesive do you need?

Enter your floor area and pick the notched-trowel size you'll use — it sets a typical consumption figure you can still edit. Large-format tiles laid buttering-floating need roughly 30% more.

Floor area

m²

Notched-trowel size

Consumption

kg/m²

Bag size

Large-format tile, buttering-floating (+30%)

You need

Enter a floor area to see the quantity.

Quantity = area × trowel consumption (+30% for buttering-floating).

Figures assume a full, even adhesive bed with only light skim loss; always check the adhesive manufacturer's own data sheet for your exact product.

Choosing the right trowel size

A bigger tile needs a bigger notch: 6 mm suits small-format tiles up to about 20×20 cm, 8 mm suits standard 30×30 to 60×60 cm tiles, and 10 mm or a double-notch trowel suits large-format tiles and rectified porcelain.
Hold the trowel at a consistent angle — the ridges collapse under the tile, and a shallower angle leaves less adhesive than the notch size implies.
On an uneven subfloor or an out-of-plumb wall, add a safety margin rather than relying on the average consumption figure alone.
Large-format tiles (typically above 60 cm) and natural stone should be buttering-floated — adhesive combed onto the tile as well as the floor — which is the +30% option above.

Consumption by trowel size

Typical consumption per m² for a standard cementitious tile adhesive, by notch size:

Notched-trowel size	Typical consumption
4 mm	≈ 1.5 kg/m²
6 mm	≈ 2.4 kg/m²
8 mm	≈ 3.2 kg/m²
10 mm	≈ 4.0 kg/m²

What this calculator does — and does not

It does

Work out the kilograms and bags of tile adhesive for the floor, from your area, trowel size and tile format.

It does not

Plan the tile layout, count cut tiles or work out grout. Autolay's planner and robot handle the tile count, the layout and the waste from your floor plan — not the adhesive underneath and not the grout on top.

Planning the tile layout

Once the adhesive is on the floor, the free Autolay planner works out the tile count, cut pieces and waste from a photo of your floor plan, a BIM/IFC file or a 3D scan.

Open the free planner →

Tile adhesive FAQ

How much tile adhesive do I need per m²?: It depends on the notched-trowel size: about 1.5 kg/m² for a 4 mm notch, 2.4 kg/m² for 6 mm, 3.2 kg/m² for 8 mm and 4.0 kg/m² for 10 mm. The calculator multiplies your area by this rate, so 20 m² with an 8 mm trowel comes to roughly 64 kg.
What trowel size should I use?: The notch should match the tile: 6 mm for small-format tiles up to about 20×20 cm, 8 mm for standard 30×30 to 60×60 cm tiles, and 10 mm or larger for big-format or rectified tiles. A bigger notch leaves a thicker, more forgiving bed.
Why does large-format tile need 30% more adhesive?: Large or heavy tiles are laid buttering-floating — adhesive combed onto both the tile back and the floor — to close air pockets and get full contact, which matters for their weight and size. That adds roughly 30% to the floor-only figure.
How many bags is that, and how does it round?: The calculator divides the total kilograms by your bag size and always rounds up to a whole bag. At 64 kg with 25 kg bags that is 3 bags (64 ÷ 25 = 2.56, rounded up).
Is the calculator free and does it run in the browser?: Yes. It runs entirely in your browser, free and without signing up, and nothing is sent to a server. Enter the area, trowel size and bag size to see the kilograms and number of bags.

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How much tile adhesive do you need?

Enter your floor area and pick the notched-trowel size you'll use — it sets a typical consumption figure you can still edit. Large-format tiles laid buttering-floating need roughly 30% more.

Floor area

m²

Notched-trowel size

Consumption

kg/m²

Bag size

Large-format tile, buttering-floating (+30%)

You need

Enter a floor area to see the quantity.

Quantity = area × trowel consumption (+30% for buttering-floating).

Figures assume a full, even adhesive bed with only light skim loss; always check the adhesive manufacturer's own data sheet for your exact product.

Choosing the right trowel size

A bigger tile needs a bigger notch: 6 mm suits small-format tiles up to about 20×20 cm, 8 mm suits standard 30×30 to 60×60 cm tiles, and 10 mm or a double-notch trowel suits large-format tiles and rectified porcelain.
Hold the trowel at a consistent angle — the ridges collapse under the tile, and a shallower angle leaves less adhesive than the notch size implies.
On an uneven subfloor or an out-of-plumb wall, add a safety margin rather than relying on the average consumption figure alone.
Large-format tiles (typically above 60 cm) and natural stone should be buttering-floated — adhesive combed onto the tile as well as the floor — which is the +30% option above.

Notched-trowel size

Typical consumption

4 mm

≈ 1.5 kg/m²

6 mm

≈ 2.4 kg/m²

8 mm

≈ 3.2 kg/m²

10 mm

≈ 4.0 kg/m²

What this calculator does — and does not

It does

Work out the kilograms and bags of tile adhesive for the floor, from your area, trowel size and tile format.

It does not

Tile adhesive FAQ

How much tile adhesive do I need per m²?

It depends on the notched-trowel size: about 1.5 kg/m² for a 4 mm notch, 2.4 kg/m² for 6 mm, 3.2 kg/m² for 8 mm and 4.0 kg/m² for 10 mm. The calculator multiplies your area by this rate, so 20 m² with an 8 mm trowel comes to roughly 64 kg.

What trowel size should I use?

The notch should match the tile: 6 mm for small-format tiles up to about 20×20 cm, 8 mm for standard 30×30 to 60×60 cm tiles, and 10 mm or larger for big-format or rectified tiles. A bigger notch leaves a thicker, more forgiving bed.

Why does large-format tile need 30% more adhesive?

Large or heavy tiles are laid buttering-floating — adhesive combed onto both the tile back and the floor — to close air pockets and get full contact, which matters for their weight and size. That adds roughly 30% to the floor-only figure.

How many bags is that, and how does it round?

The calculator divides the total kilograms by your bag size and always rounds up to a whole bag. At 64 kg with 25 kg bags that is 3 bags (64 ÷ 25 = 2.56, rounded up).

Is the calculator free and does it run in the browser?

Yes. It runs entirely in your browser, free and without signing up, and nothing is sent to a server. Enter the area, trowel size and bag size to see the kilograms and number of bags.

Tile Adhesive Calculator

How much tile adhesive do you need?

You need

Choosing the right trowel size

Consumption by trowel size

What this calculator does — and does not

It does

It does not

Planning the tile layout

Tile adhesive FAQ

We value your privacy

Tile Adhesive Calculator

How much tile adhesive do you need?

You need

Choosing the right trowel size

Consumption by trowel size

What this calculator does — and does not

It does

It does not

Planning the tile layout

Tile adhesive FAQ