Tile Spacers, leave them in, or take them out, What say you!!!

[SCCB]

We are having a constant battle with learners and employers of apprentices regarding leaving tile spacers in the joint. This is something I have never done on any job ( that I can remember:rolleyes5. There are loads of YouTube vids and many pieces of literature that show the spacer in the joint but it will never state that is has to be removed (annoying :mad2: ). There are lots of reasons why it isn't acceptable. Has anyone had any experience with this, e.g., customer, site agent , Clark of works, architect or another fixer, OR tiling lecturermg_smile:. Want side of the fence are you on!!
(apologies if this has been discussed before..)

 

[Ian]

There is another thread somewhere discussing this topic, I'll have a look later and post a link to it. If I recall, it is always advised to remove the spacer for expansion and to allow grout to go the full depth of the joint, also if I recall from the other thread, there was a link to an article from the TTA and that also says to remove them.

 

[Andy Allen]

Take them out..... there was a thread on this a while back. .....if I remember correctly your not supposed to leave them in. .

 

[Time's Ran Out]

No doubt from the last time it was discussed the EEC has changed it policy in relation to the movement of tiles and the effect it has on the ozone layer!
A lot of the peg manufacturers have open designs which allow the spacer to be left in and as a fixer the effort to remove them once the adhesive has set can cause more damage to the tile edge then it's worth.
I've always been on the outward facing side of the fence where for the purely financial aspect of the job, I place the spacer in the middle/edge of the tile and pull them out when cleaning to reuse down the line. If you employ/contract to a couple of Tilers it can be a holidays worth each year!

 

[prceramics]

why would you leave them in and have to buy more ? it only takes 5 mins to take them out or am i just tight ?

 

[Fliselege]

I'll only use them on very heavy wall tiles, and it's a good few years since I've had to use big heavy buggers, and have never left them in. Don't use spacers at all really, tile string much better, quick and cleaner, but can squash with heavy tiles. And I'd rather accidentally kick over a cylinder of string than accidentally kick over a tub of spacers....

 

[Andy Allen]

kitchen splash backs using 100X100 tiles I can do by eye using no spacers with a decent non slip adhesive.

 

[Ian]

Ok here's a link to the other thread http://www.tilersforums.com/43-tiling-forum/65515-tile-spacers-4.html Unfortunatley the link to the TTA article (post 14 from John Benton) doesn't work any more, which is annoying as it was quite a good read. I'll see if I can find it somewhere else.

 

[Simons70]

Its a joke?I never take out and to be honest I find spaces when we rip out the tiles fixed 20 years ago......Just think your job need to resist 10 years,after is not more nice and clean,so what can happend with the spaces?Something more for make our job hard?What about plywood or plasteboard or plaster?During more then 10 years?Never....

 

[Tony73]

I always take spacers out. only when I fit heavy stone on walls, (I use flat packers) I leave them