Levelling clips are a load of tosh? Really?

[Andy Allen]

What happened to the Lira?

Antonio spent it all on tools...

 

[WetSaw]

At least if the UK starts running out of money we can print some more, we don't have to wait for Germany to lend us some...

 

[Rosco100]

Learnt a few hard lessons today, don’t use the clip and wedge system especially the clips that are acting as the spacer (2mm or 3mm) on ceramic tiles ( the ones I was doing were 900x400x15mm) as chipped quite a few of them depegging. Ceramics are too soft so found if I use the thin Rubi quick system they don’t touch the edges of tiles so don’t chip when depegging. A few bob and time to fix!! Even when using the clips and wedges on porcelain I would suggest using clips thinner than the thickness of joint you intend using and using spacers instead! Me I think I’ll stick to the Rubi quick system!

Always use spacers and thin clips as they are a ***** to get out,learned that one a long time ago

 

[JASON]

Are those tiles stuck to the floor with anything or is it just a blob of Silicon around the edges

 

[Joe Clinton]

How can you make a bowed tile make a flat floof ,impossible,we all know there are alot of rubbish tiles out there and a lot of customers buy them ,no clips whatsoever will make them flat

Levelling clips are able to force a tile to straighten up while the adhesive sets, yes it’s not totally fool proof but sometimes a tile will not look right especially if they are brick bonded or wood planks if you don’t use levelling clips

 

[AOS TIling]

I tried the early Genesis clips years ago because I'm always willing to try anything. My concerns were that they would lift the tile out of the adhesive bed. To be fair, the Genesis ones do. Others can if you are lazy in your prep.
There's also the argument that if you do everything you should do, then why use clips at all?!
Fair point and I don't use them on everything.
But... In my experience any porcelain over 600mm and certainly over 900mm will be bent. That's not a manufacturing fault, just a result of the size. Clips will hold them in the position you want until they set, and realistically we're talking a maximum 1mm over 1m so not masses of stress on the tile and adhesive.
Another area they are totally essential is with large format, thin porcelain.
I don't care if you've been tiling 40yrs, or you tiled the ark, or even have a massive third leg - you cannot get these flat without clips. Not only because they are flappy and floppy, but because they are prone to pulling as the adhesive sets up.
One other thing they can help with is getting rid of that need to adjust every time half a mm or so.
But as I said, I don't use them on everything. It's nice to use the "proper" skills as much as possible.
But they do have a place now, as tiles have changed so much.

One negative I know for sure is that there are plenty of perfect looking jobs out there which used clips and nothing more than blobs of adhesive.
They are a spot fixer's dream come true!

I tried the early Genesis clips years ago because I'm always willing to try anything. My concerns were that they would lift the tile out of the adhesive bed. To be fair, the Genesis ones do. Others can if you are lazy in your prep.
There's also the argument that if you do everything you should do, then why use clips at all?!
Fair point and I don't use them on everything.
But... In my experience any porcelain over 600mm and certainly over 900mm will be bent. That's not a manufacturing fault, just a result of the size. Clips will hold them in the position you want until they set, and realistically we're talking a maximum 1mm over 1m so not masses of stress on the tile and adhesive.
Another area they are totally essential is with large format, thin porcelain.
I don't care if you've been tiling 40yrs, or you tiled the ark, or even have a massive third leg - you cannot get these flat without clips. Not only because they are flappy and floppy, but because they are prone to pulling as the adhesive sets up.
One other thing they can help with is getting rid of that need to adjust every time half a mm or so.
But as I said, I don't use them on everything. It's nice to use the "proper" skills as much as possible.
But they do have a place now, as tiles have changed so much.

One negative I know for sure is that there are plenty of perfect looking jobs out there which used clips and nothing more than blobs of adhesive.
They are a spot fixer's dream come true!

You talk a lot of sense for a Northerner Mark. You got Irish roots ???

 

[Andy Allen]

He's got nerd roots...

 

[AOS TIling]

He's got nerd roots...

Where’s the emojis in this site? Mark???

 

[WetSaw]

 

[GAZ5518]

And while we are on the subject where are all the tilers that dont use them only two have come forword and i m not having it there is only three that dont

I'm in your team mate ... I just haven taken the plunge yet... Although I do have a few bags of them...
Like you Brian...Nearly 40 years on it ..... Can seem to still produce good work without them..
But each to their own I say....

 

[Andy Allen]

No matter how long you have been tiling you still have to remain open minded to new ideas or you will never move forward and remain in the 6x6 plain white days...

 

[GAZ5518]

No matter how long you have been tiling you still have to remain open minded to new ideas or you will never move forward and remain in the 6x6 plain white days...

Did like those days ..
But I do agree

 

[Andy Allen]

Did like those days ..
But I do agree

Me too..... But unfortunately a 600x600 is the new 6x6 white...

 

[Albert]

As the saying goes every day is a school day.I am still learning

 

[bl tiling]

Ive used the Raimondi which are good but the Perfect level master are
better and the pliers from Raimondi which I already bought fit them
perfectly some of the concrete floors in new builds are horrendous.