Ceramic tile warpage tolerance

[Tony the Tiler]

I have some 60cm ceramic tiles which I am installing for a customer. The tiles are slightly convex and there is a 2mm gap in the middle of the tile when I put a spirit level across the edges. The customer is complaining and wants to know if there a manufacturing tolerance for the tiles and does 2mm in 60 cms exceed the tolerance

 

[Gazzer]

Who supplied the tiles ?

 

[VersaTileEssex]

This is very common with cheap 60 x 60 porcelain, normally from China. We always make our customers aware of this first. I have been told the tolerance is + / - 12%. This seems alot but they are probably just covering themselves.
Best of luck, customers don't always understand.
Regards, Martin.

 

[Rich]

As above. Did you supply?

 

[Tony the Tiler]

The tiles are £40/sq m from Italy - not cheap. Thanks, but 12% on 60cm is app 7 cm. That is huge.

 

[Tony the Tiler]

Gardenia, Italy are the tile manufacturer.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

:welcome: Tony and
:welcome: Versa tile Essex

Funny enough I just printed off a Tile specification for a 600 x 600 x 10mm polished porcelain tile and it states the ISO requirements are +/- 0.5 mm for surface flatness, Edge curvature, centre curvature, and warpage . Although it is not clear where their tiles are manufactured, the company is Midlands based and produces it's own ranges of other manufactured tiles which are +/- 0.2 for the above. It would seem you need to go to the Tile manufacturers site and check their specifications charts.
Usually Italian porcelain are some of the best.

 

[VersaTileEssex]

tiles made in the uk are known for being good as are tiles from italy. if you paid £40 from a uk retailer and they are marked made in italy, then you got a good price. most porcelain's from china are being sold for around £30 / £40
Uk companies to check out on web are: HR Johnson, BCT
best of luck

 

[DHTiling]

I disagree about english tiles, some of the worst tolerances i have come across...

I'm with Timeless John on this one, each manufacturer has there own criteria.. +/- 0.5mm and no greater is acceptable imo..

 

[Gazzer]

I disagree about english tiles, some of the worst tolerances i have come across...

I'm with Timeless John on this one, each manufacturer has there own criteria.. +/- 0.5mm and no greater is acceptable imo..

British Ceramic Tiles !!! whats that saying Deano has ?

 

[CJ]

Oh the joys of 600x300 on brickbond. Lost count of how many times I have tried to explain to customers that they have bought bent tiles.

 

[nybor62]

Oh the joys of 600x300 on brickbond. Lost count of how many times I have tried to explain to customers that they have bought bent tiles.

bent tiles or a bent tiler,











JOKE

 

[Mike]

I have some 60cm ceramic tiles which I am installing for a customer. The tiles are slightly convex and there is a 2mm gap in the middle of the tile when I put a spirit level across the edges. The customer is complaining and wants to know if there a manufacturing tolerance for the tiles and does 2mm in 60 cms exceed the tolerance

it doesn't make any difference to the tolerances but i think the tiles are concave not convex by your description

 

[merit]

been told from reps from various manufacturers dont know if its true plus or minus 6mm conforms to british standards try fitting those

 

[John Benton]

I've just done a job where the tiles were supposed to be 445mm square. When I first started fixing them I thought i'd got my 2 and 3 mm spacers mixed together. Alas, that was not the case. When I measured the tiles some were square but a lot of them were 444mm on the two perpendicular sides and 446mm on the other 2. So when the tiles were put on the wall and the 2 446mm edges were in a line, the tiles touched, but along the joint it opened up to 4mm. Explained this to the customer and laid them dry on the floor to show her. I got my thinking head on and rotated the tile 180 degrees (not back to front) so the joint then evened out. It was a long process and customer complained to the supplier, not my supplier I hasten to add, and they gave her some money back and she paid me extra for making the tiles look good. Where possible I try to supply the tiles, generally Spanish or Italian and don't have any problems.

 

[Mike]

6mm :yikes: the floor will be full of puddles when you mop it

 

[jay]

I've just done a job where the tiles were supposed to be 445mm square. When I first started fixing them I thought i'd got my 2 and 3 mm spacers mixed together. Alas, that was not the case. When I measured the tiles some were square but a lot of them were 444mm on the two perpendicular sides and 446mm on the other 2. So when the tiles were put on the wall and the 2 446mm edges were in a line, the tiles touched, but along the joint it opened up to 4mm. Explained this to the customer and laid them dry on the floor to show her. I got my thinking head on and rotated the tile 180 degrees (not back to front) so the joint then evened out. It was a long process and customer complained to the supplier, not my supplier I hasten to add, and they gave her some money back and she paid me extra for making the tiles look good. Where possible I try to supply the tiles, generally Spanish or Italian and don't have any problems.

some tiles come with a directional arrow on the back if you use it it helps others will have a bit of glazing or color on the edge indicating the way the tile was processed ,if you use them it does help

 

[John Benton]

some tiles come with a directional arrow on the back if you use it it helps others will have a bit of glazing or color on the edge indicating the way the tile was processed ,if you use them it does help

Looked for those before I started, no arrows. Did have glazing on one edge but they wouldn't have fallen right by following the edge. They were made in Argentina, a new one on me. I prefer their corned beef to their tiles.

 

[White Room]

As long as there shiny side out...

 

[jay]

or even the writing on the back is an indication

 

[John Benton]

As long as there shiny side out...

It's like the instructions for installing turf, 'green side up'

 

[CJ]

I defo don't bend as easily as I did.............and not that way either.