Getting tiles level on long wall length

[outcycling]

Been looking through the backlog on this sort of subject but while tiling a bathroom wall the other day (fairly new to this) I was trying to think of an easy way of getting the tiles flat on a vertical plane without them either angling slowly away or into the wall. Obviously on the short horizontal or virtical I am pushing a level into them. But on the longer wall direction it would be easy to say allow the tiles to angle slightly out from the wall and end up with a much thicker bed needed by the top of the wall. Now if your wall was glass flat & plumb (yeah right !) you could go by the bubble but other wise you are relying on eye or taping the gap between level and wall at the top maybe ?

I was wondering wether a good way to go would be to tape a spacer on the end of the level at the far end (or high spot) to allow for the tile and compressed adhesive, that way I can just put it against the wall and then push the tile level ? so for a bed of 8mm adhesive that would compress say to 5mm ? plus 8mm tile I'd have a 13mm spacer.

Is this a silly idea ? What do you do ? I am guessing most people just do it by eye off the level or maybe a tape. I guess at the end of the day you only need the first 2 rows level and after that you use them to level the rest.

 

[Chalker]

The trouble is that the high spot can be anywhere or a few of them.

 

[beanz]

It's all in the prep. There are a lot of factors here... Bumpy whites will allow a little more room for play, than say, a rectified square edge.. If you run a level over the wall, and it's not too far out, just use a deeper trowel, and tile. Don't be too anal about getting it plumb, it's very easy to give yourself problems... All it takes is an uneven spread, and one tile being slightly out, and you can throw the whole wall out, just by trying to get it plumb. Just go with the wall, and try to keep the tiles flat.

 

[charlie1]

Google "plumb dots"

 

[outcycling]

Hi guys, thanks for the input. Yep, 'plumb dots' are good if you need to get the wall flat... AH :hurray: Light has just gone on, I had a long dialog here but now deleted it . So charlie, you as a rule setup some plumb dots further up the wall for your finish level and then just put your straight edge on that and your tiles ? Makes sense and as Chalker says, takes out the equation of varying hi/low points. Thanks a lot guys. Should have thought of that for myself but then if everyone did that they wouldn't need forums :smilewinkgrin:

 

[charlie1]

No, not as a rule, hardly ever actually but yes it does work. I use my 1800 level before I start tiling to assess best options to tile wall plumb. Not every wall I tile needs to be plumb but some do dependant on different factors, I do however try to get them all on the same plane (within reason)

 

[outcycling]

Yep. Whole thread wasn't really about getting tiling plumb, just getting them on the same plane so it is as flat and smooth a finished product as possible with good adhesive coverage underneath.

 

[High Peak Tiling]

over a large wall a 6ft level wont do the whole wall, but with a laser level, good prep and possibly a bigger notched trowel you'll get over it.

Taking your time from the start (ie at the bottom) and keeping a eye on the bubble throughout, will stand you in good stead.

I personally get the walls no matter now wide,high, long, plumb so that adjoining walls have a level wall to go off.. other wise you shall be cutting to the out of level tiled wall