Mastic or Thinset for walls around tub?

They both work. Everybody has their preference with their own reasons.

Mastic probably (by logic) has a better water-proof feel to it.

Both work fine when applied properly.

The only reason I change from thinset might be because of glass tiles or something where the color might show through.

With less experience, I would probably choose mastic because it’s stickier.

I figure thinset is alittle more like earth stuff rather than petroleum stuff.

10’s of thousands of thinset baths have been built and will last life times. same with mastic. It’s all about proper install and maintainence. (I don’t know anybody that does a shower pan with mastic ….and shower pans are most suceptable of water intrusion.)

-- arborial reconfiguration specialist

6 months ago I would have said mastic but now from experience I know there there is a thinset that has incredible holding power…I previously struggled with tiling shower ceilings, using screws, tuck tape ,sticks anything else to hold up the tiles until the mastic or thinset dried…then I had a conversation wih an old tile man who mentioned a thinset that would holld a18×18 to the ceiling, I’ve used it and it did the job…it’s only thinset for me now, if do a small repair I’ll use PL Premium…. the glass tiles could be a problem with colour coming through but there are also light coloured thinsets ….

I can’t recall the name of the product but when I find it I’ll post it here…