Tile spacers

[charlie1]

i use 2mm spacers and wedges, hardly ever use the spacer flat to tile though, tiles need to be spot on for that!

Im gonna make spacers made out of grout for you purists... what colours would you like lol

 

[Alan.P]

Re: Spacers

Thanks Bri, could it not have been added to the thread though in case it gets missed ?

 

[Ian]

Re: Spacers

I don't have the powers to add it to the thread, I might be able to merge the 2 threads. If not I'm sure Neale can do it.

- - - Updated - - -

I don't have the powers to add it to the thread, I might be able to merge the 2 threads. If not I'm sure Neale can do it.

Ahh, there we go.

 

[Peter]

Usually peg on walls and lay them flat on flat on floors, although I've been pegging more on floors lately. A Stanley hook blade or hardie knife is good for removing them.

I find pegging more accurate if tiles aren't rectified because if you're floating a spacer higher on one joint and lower on another, it can be at a different depth of the bevel.

 

[Alan.P]

Re: Spacers

I don't have the powers to add it to the thread, I might be able to merge the 2 threads. If not I'm sure Neale can do it.

- - - Updated - - -



Ahh, there we go.

LOL sorry to be a pain but can we make it a public poll so as we can see who has voted and which way ?

TIA

 

[Ian]

Re: Spacers

LOL sorry to be a pain but can we make it a public poll so as we can see who has voted and which way ?

TIA

lol, I definitely don't have the powers to do that. I'll give Neale a shout.

 

[Gazzer]

Re: Spacers

LOL sorry to be a pain but can we make it a public poll so as we can see who has voted and which way ?

TIA

Nope cant be done now.

 

[Alan.P]

Re: Spacers

Nope cant be done now.

That's a shame because there are some interesting results " bit of both " ? so is that counted as a yes ?

 

[charlie1]

my bit of both is because sometimes when trying to pull out you can get 'spacer fracure' ... then 1 leg sometimes just has to stay in!

 

[bugs183]

I voted 'bit of both' but it isn't a 'yes' as if the spacers on a normal bathroom aren't showing through i leave them in, but on some tiles with wide joints and i want to reuse them, or thin tiles i whip them out if i can.

 

[Alan.P]

Well it's early days in the poll so we'll see, can't believe that I'm the only one to say leave them in so far, vote fair people, no-one can see, just want an honest answer.

TIA

 

[charlie1]

+ on floors, its just impossible to remove imo, they are glued in!... just how i do it :-/

 

[Ian]

Re: Spacers

That's a shame because there are some interesting results " bit of both " ? so is that counted as a yes ?

I voted "a bit of both" and I'll explain why. If the tiles are rectified and bang on size wise (for example porcelanosa), I'll put the cross in the first tile of the row to keep the whole row from moving, then everything else is done so they can be removed. Anything other than this kind of scenario, I just use one leg of the spacer so they are all removable.

 

[Alan.P]

Thanks Bri and the rest, interesting subject on the grounds of over the years that I've been posting, few as they may be compared to some, this subject of removing has never been mentioned, to the best of my knowledge at least.

 

[Ian]

Another reason I don't use the spacer as a cross is, I like to get the tile lip free before spacing, so essentially butt jointing them and running my hand over the two tiles, I then move them apart and put the spacer legs in. I find this to be the best way of getting tiles lip free, if a spacer is already in place it's hard to feel if the two tiles are completely flush with each other because of the open joint. Hope that makes sense!

 

[DHTiling]

Re: Spacers

Nope cant be done now.

But you can see who voted though

 

[Alan.P]

Another reason I don't use the spacer as a cross is, I like to get the tile lip free before spacing, so essentially butt jointing them and running my hand over the two tiles, I then move them apart and put the spacer legs in. I find this to be the best way of getting tiles lip free, if a spacer is already in place it's hard to feel if the two tiles are completely flush with each other because of the open joint. Hope that makes sense!

Exactly how I do do it ? what makes you think otherwise ?

- - - Updated - - -

But you can see who voted though

I'm missing something then, clue me in mate

 

[charlie1]

seen so many tutorials with guys on youtube tiling and they make it look so easy, spread addy, stick tile, insert spacer (cross way) then on and on they go. Would like to see them try that with ceramics just presssing the spacer in after each tile, they would be at the mercy of the gods half way up the wall trying to figure out why the big vertical canyon is appearing!

 

[Ian]

What I mean is, if the cross is already in place, the tiles can't be butt jointed as the spacer is already in. Pictures would probably help me explain myself better.

 

[Alan.P]

seen so many tutorials with guys on youtube tiling and they make it look so easy, spread addy, stick tile, insert spacer (cross way) then on and on they go. Would like to see them try that with ceramics just presssing the spacer in after each tile, they would be at the mercy of the gods half way up the wall trying to figure out why the big vertical canyon is appearing!

Nevr done a youtube but that is how I and just about every other fixer I've worked along side do it, as said earlier, if the ties are known to be sizey then that is addressed as you go.

 

[Alan.P]

What I mean is, if the cross is already in place, the tiles can't be butt jointed as the spacer is already in. Pictures would probably help me explain myself better.

I know what your saying mate, I don't need a diagram, I do not have spacers in place whaen I fix the next tile, I do it the way you do, butt joint to feel for lips then pull away and space.

 

[johnryan]

interesting post here. i voted for taking them out, and use spacers and wedges. rubi do nice wedges that go from zero to 5 mm and work where the tiles may differ in size slightly. also i seem to use the same fixing technique as bri to get the tiles flush which wouldn't be possible if putting the spacers in first. i did read an article recently about this and it gave reference to the hinge and slam technique which use spacers in first. at one point it mentioned that leaving spacers in could cause blown tiles due the contraction on timber framed walls, which coupled with spacers that were too solid to give could cause bellying of the tiles. i'll try to find the article and post it here. not sure if it was more to do with the method of setting the tiles or leaving spacers in though.

 

[Alan.P]

FFS where in this thread has it mentioned fixing a tile with a spacer in place first, I haven't said it, I don't do it, I can't see mention of it ?

 

[DHTiling]

FFS where in this thread has it mentioned fixing a tile with a spacer in place first, I haven't said it, I don't do it, I can't see mention of it ?

You said it in post #13

 

[Ian]

I know what your saying mate, I don't need a diagram, I do not have spacers in place whaen I fix the next tile, I do it the way you do, butt joint to feel for lips then pull away and space.

Yep we're on the same page now, lol! I thought I wasn't explaining myself properly! I see what you're saying now.