One Thinset from Home Depot will do 80% of your Tile Installations

“How do non-pros know what Home Depot thinset they should buy?”, I wondered to myself as I walked the tile aisle’s at my local Home Depot.

My local store had 9 different bagged varieties of thinset mortar that cost anywhere from $6/bag to $60! This is in addition to the premixed tile adhesives that you should (almost) never purchase.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

You only need one thinset from Home Depot

What’s funny is that one Home Depot thinset will do 80% of all your tile projects. Yes, you only need to buy one of the nine. But which one?

Home Depot thinsets in stock

The following list is the 9 thinset mortars that my local Home Depot had in stock as of December 2024. This post has more info on thinset ANSI ratings.

CustomBlend

CustomBlend isn’t worth purchasing. I know the price is enticing but there are better unmodified mortars out there. Unfortunately, Home Depot doesn’t carry any of them.

• unmodified mortar with minimal performance
• ANSI A118.1
• Cost*: $5.98
• Use it for: Nothing. Don’t use it.

VersaBond

This thinset has been around a long time. It has enough bond strength for most interior applications including non-LFT tile, uncoupling membranes, and waterproof membranes.

• basic modified mortar
• ANSI A118.4; A118.11
• Cost*: $11.98 (gray)
• Use it for: installing interior tile 23-inches, and under, and membranes

VersaBond LFT

Previously, when I said one thinset at Home Depot will install 80% of your tile, this is it. I know some pros will argue with me and tell me it’s the next one down on the list.

The LFT designation means that you can use it for Large Format Tile. However, you can also use it for non-LFT tiles. So, you can use this anywhere you can use regular Versabond plus you can install LFT tile.

• modified LFT mortar
• ANSI A118.4; A118.11
• Cost*: $19.97 (gray)
• Use it for: installing most interior tiles, including LFT, natural stone, and membranes. Good choice for installing floor heat.

ProLite

Not only is this my choice for best thinset mortar at Home Depot, I think this is one of the very best products Custom Building Products makes.

This is a really nice product to work with. It’s also the first thinset on the list with an A118.15 grade which indicates high performance.

The lightweight ‘sand’ doesn’t conduct heat as well as normal sand so I wouldn’t use it to encase heat wire nor to install tile over a heated floor.

• modified LFT mortar
• ANSI A118.15; A118.11
• Cost*: $32.97
• Use it for: installing interior tiles, including LFT, some glass tiles, and membranes. I don’t recommend for floor heat.

SpeedSet

In general, DIYer’s won’t need rapid-setting mortars. They will actually cost you more time while working with them though they save time in the curing process.

• modified, rapid-setting mortar
• ANSI A118.4; A118.11
• Cost*: $16.97 (25lb bag)
• Use it for: Anywhere you would use VersaBond but need rapid-setting properties

VersaBond LFT RS

Again, rapid-setting thinsets are a pain in the rear to work with but they do have their place

• modified, rapid-setting mortar
• ANSI A118.4; A118.11
• Cost*: $27.97
• Use it for: Anywhere you would use VersaBond LFT but need rapid-setting properties.

Natural Stone & Large Tile

It’s my opinion, that when it comes to installing marble, granite, travertine, and other natural stones, that low-tech is better.

That’s why I think that this product is a decent choice for this application. It’s modified but not highly-modified.

However, when I compare the costs of this mortar vs VersaBond LFT ($22.97 for white), there’s absolutely no reason to buy this. VersaBond LFT isn’t that much different than this (my opinion) and is completely suitable for installing all types of natural stone.

So, check the costs, and buy VersaBond LFT if it’s less money.

• modified LFT mortar
• ANSI A118.4; A118.11
• Cost*: $34.97
• Use it for: Installing natural stone and many other types of tiles.

FlexBond

FlexBond advertises its ‘crack prevention’ properties but I wouldn’t put a lot of faith in that as it’s simply a manufacturer claim and doesn’t undergo any 3rd party testing.

If you are looking to reduce the likelihood of cracks transferring through concrete and tile you are better off installing a crack-isolation membrane.

However, FlexBond is an excellent performing thinset mortar as long as you aren’t installing LFT tiles over 23 inches.

• premium modified mortar
• ANSI A118.15; A118.11
• Cost*: $36.97
• Use it for: ‘normal’ sized tile either indoors or outdoors, some glass tiles, membranes

MegaLite

MegaLite is one of the strongest thinset mortars available anywhere. This is what you want to use if you are installing outdoors, in the weather, swimming pools, fountains, and many other extreme environments.

• premium modified LFT mortar
• ANSI A118.15; A118.11
• Cost*: $59.97
• Use it for: outdoor installations, swimming pools, fountains, etc.

*Price at my local Home Depot at the time of writing

Mixing Home Depot thinsets

Those are the nine mortar that are in stock at my Home Depot. Make sure to look at my post on proper mortar mixing procedures and equipment as well as mixing small batches of thinset.

Three of these Home Depot thinsets are on my Small Batch Cheat Sheet: VersaBond, VersaBond LFT, and ProLite. Available to those that sign up for my email list.

Finally, make sure you know which trowel size to use for your tile.