Tile Adhesive Calculator

About this calculator

The adhesive needed for a tiling job is the tiling area multiplied by the consumption rate — how many kilograms of adhesive are spread per square metre, which depends mainly on trowel notch size and tile size. Small mosaic or standard ceramic tiles laid with a fine notch typically consume around 3 to 4 kg/m², while large-format porcelain tiles need a bigger notch and can push consumption up to 6-8 kg/m² or more, since larger, heavier tiles need a thicker adhesive bed for full, even contact.

Once the total kilograms needed is known, dividing by the bag size (commonly 20 or 25 kg per bag) and rounding up to a whole bag gives the number of bags to buy — rounding down would leave a job short mid-installation, which is a common and costly mistake for both professional tilers and DIY renovators. Contractors use this calculation to quote materials accurately, and homeowners use it before a trip to the hardware store to avoid buying too few bags or paying for bags they will not use.

Enter the tiling area, the adhesive's consumption rate per square metre, and the bag size, and the calculator returns the total adhesive needed and how many bags to buy.