Work out how many bags of tile adhesive you need for your project. Add a row for each floor or wall, enter the area one box covers and how many boxes, and pick the tile type — the calculator gives you the total bags to buy, with an optional area to leave out and a cost estimate in rupees.
Your tiling
How this adhesive calculator works
Instead of asking for tile sizes, this tool works from your boxes — the way you actually buy tiles. Every tile box prints the area it covers (for example a 2×4 tile box might cover 15.5 sq ft, or 24 sq ft for a different pack). You enter that area-per-box and the number of boxes, and the calculator adds them up.
Add a separate row for each area — floor tiles in one row, wall tiles in another, a second floor in a third — because different tiles need different amounts of adhesive. For each row you pick a tile type, which sets how much adhesive that area uses:
- Wall / small tiles — the least adhesive per area
- Wall / large tiles — big wall tiles like 300×600 or 600×1200
- Regular floor tiles — the common middle amount
- Large floor tiles — more, because bigger tiles need a thicker bed
- Extra-large / heavy (marble, granite) — the most, for full coverage and a strong bond
Bed thickness (depth): each row also has an optional bed-thickness field. Leave it blank and the tile type sets a sensible depth automatically; enter a value in millimetres to override it. Adhesive use is about 1.5 kg per square metre for every 1 mm of bed, so a thicker bed — needed for larger tiles or slightly uneven surfaces — uses proportionally more.
If part of your floor won’t be tiled with adhesive, put that in the area to leave out box and the calculator subtracts it. The result is shown in 20 kg bags — the standard tile-adhesive bag in India — rounded up.
How much adhesive per square metre?
Adhesive is measured in kilograms per square metre, and the amount depends mostly on tile size and the notched trowel used. As a general guide, small wall tiles use around 3–4 kg/m², regular floor tiles 4–5 kg/m², large floor tiles 5–7 kg/m², and extra-large or textured tiles 7–10 kg/m². A standard 20 kg bag therefore covers roughly 4–8 m² depending on the tile. Rough or uneven surfaces use noticeably more — often 20–30% extra — so add waste if your base isn’t flat.
This tool estimates adhesive only. It doesn’t include levelling compound, waterproofing, primer or grout. If a bathroom floor needs a slope or a wall needs patching, treat those as separate items — adhesive isn’t meant to do levelling work.
TILE ADHESIVE TYPES: T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 EXPLAINED (IS 15477)
In India, tile adhesives are graded by the Bureau of Indian Standards under IS 15477. The type tells you which adhesive to use for your tile and location — it’s about suitability, not quantity. Choosing the wrong grade is one of the most common reasons tiles later sound hollow or pop up, so it’s worth getting right.
Here’s what each type is made for:
Type 1 (T1) — standard interior work. The entry-level polymer-modified adhesive, made for more porous tiles such as ceramic and porous natural stone (roughly 3% porosity or higher). Good for everyday interior floors and walls in dry areas. Much stronger than site-mixed cement, but meant for standard, undemanding jobs.
Type 2 (T2) — vitrified & low-porosity tiles. Higher polymer content and bond strength, made for tiles with low porosity — fully vitrified tiles, glass mosaic, and stone. Suitable for many interior floors and some wet areas. This is the common step up when you move from ceramic to vitrified tiles.
Type 3 (T3) — exterior and demanding surfaces. Formulated for exterior applications — tiles on outside walls over plaster or concrete — where the bond faces weather and movement. Used where a stronger, more resilient fix is needed than interior work requires.
Type 4 (T4) — marble, granite & large format. A high-performance, polymer-modified adhesive for demanding work: marble, granite, natural stone, large-format tiles, wall installations and outdoor areas. This is the professional choice where tiles are heavy, big, or non-porous and need maximum grip.
Type 5 (T5) — heavy-duty & submerged. The highest grade, for the toughest conditions — large-dimension tiles and stone (over 300×300 mm), glass mosaic, and installations in wet or submerged areas such as pools and water tanks.
Simple rule of thumb: ceramic tiles in a dry room → T1; vitrified tiles → T2; outdoor walls → T3; marble, granite or large-format → T4; pools, tanks and heavy submerged work → T5. When in doubt, go one grade higher rather than lower, and always check the adhesive bag’s own datasheet.
Tips for a lasting bond
- Clean, sound base. Remove dust, loose paint, oil and laitance first. Adhesive bonds to the surface, not to dirt.
- Right notch trowel. Bigger tiles need a larger notch, which uses more adhesive — that’s why large tiles consume more per square metre.
- Back-butter big tiles. For large or heavy tiles, spread adhesive on the tile back too, for full coverage and no hollow spots. This adds material, so allow extra.
- Don’t use adhesive for levelling. Fix an uneven floor with a levelling compound first; adhesive isn’t a levelling product.
- Add waste. Mixing loss, trowel loss and what stays in the bucket add up — 10% extra is sensible, more on rough surfaces.
Adhesive calculator FAQ
How many bags of tile adhesive do I need? Work out your total tiling area from your boxes (area per box × number of boxes), multiply by the adhesive rate for your tile type, add waste, then divide by the bag size and round up. This calculator does it all and shows the bag count at the top.
How much area does one 20 kg bag cover? Roughly 4–8 square metres, depending on tile size and trowel notch — small wall tiles get more coverage, large floor tiles get less. The calculator adjusts this automatically from the tile type you choose.
Which tile adhesive type should I use? Use the T1–T5 guide above. In short: T1 for ceramic in dry rooms, T2 for vitrified, T3 for exteriors, T4 for marble/granite/large format, T5 for pools and submerged areas.
Can I use cement instead of adhesive for vitrified tiles? It’s not recommended. Modern vitrified tiles, granite and marble have almost no porosity, so traditional cement has nothing to grip — a common cause of tiles coming loose. A polymer-modified adhesive of the right type bonds far better.
Does this include grout, primer or levelling? No — it estimates tile adhesive only. Grout, primer, waterproofing and levelling compound are separate materials you should budget for on top.
Why can I add several areas? Because different tiles use different amounts of adhesive. Adding a row per area — floor, wall, second room — lets the tool apply the correct rate to each and total them accurately.