Tile spacers
 

Quick questions about tiling.

What size spacers are the norm for tiling in a bathroom on the wall
specifically.

Also do you have to pull the spacers out after the tiles have set or do they
stay in the wall ?

Thanks

Tile spacers
 

On 05/06/10 11:20, Stephen wrote:
Quick questions about tiling.

What size spacers are the norm for tiling in a bathroom on the wall
specifically.

For small (10-15cm) tiles, 2mm or so looks good. If the tile has a
bevelled edge, use a thinner spacer than you think you want as the grout
line will appear a mm or so wider.

Also do you have to pull the spacers out after the tiles have set or do they
stay in the wall ?

You can do either. Either use the spacers flat at the corners and make
sure they are pushed well in. Or (what I do more) is to stick just one
leg in between each tile. I pull then out afterwards.

Sometimes, you don't want spacers - if you are trying to correct a
slight error, you may need the tiles fractionally closer. Using a high
grap adhesive (eg BAL Greenstar I find is good, others swear by
Bluestar) then the spacers are almost redundant except as a guide. the
tiles will stay where you put them.

I also love having a self levelling laser line on a pole - set for the
row and work to that.


--
Tim Watts

Hung parliament? Rather have a hanged parliament.

Tile spacers
 

On Sat, 05 Jun 2010 11:49:48 +0100, Tim Watts wrote:

You can do either. Either use the spacers flat at the corners and make
sure they are pushed well in.

Trouble is the adhesive behind the tile and the shape of the rear
tile edge can make getting even grout lines tricky with this method.

Or (what I do more) is to stick just one leg in between each tile. I
pull then out afterwards.

This is what I do. Consistent width and can be used as a lever (by
twisting) to make micro adjustments to the spacing if required.

I also love having a self levelling laser line on a pole - set for the
row and work to that.

I start with a very carefully placed batten and work from that. Using
spacers in single leg mode to position the tiles, but paying
attention to alignment of corners etc.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Tile spacers
 

On Jun 5, 11:20*am, "Stephen" wrote:
Quick questions about tiling.

What size spacers are the norm for tiling in a bathroom on the wall
specifically.

Also do you have to pull the spacers out after the tiles have set or do they
stay in the wall ?

Thanks

Spacers might work if your tiles are all perfect sized, but many
arent. In which case folded card allows a little wiggle.


NT

Tile spacers
 

John Rumm wrote:
On 05/06/2010 11:49, Tim Watts wrote:
sure they are pushed well in. Or (what I do more) is to stick just one
leg in between each tile. I pull then out afterwards.

Yup its what I do as well.

Sometimes, you don't want spacers - if you are trying to correct a
slight error, you may need the tiles fractionally closer. Using a high

I find with some spacers, the leg is marginally thinner than it is wide.
So rotating it 90 degrees in the gap make it a little smaller. Two used
together are a tad more than one width etc. Hence careful selection of
combinations can tweak the gap in or out as required.



1mm thick plastic plant labels make good tweakers

Tile spacers
 

On 5 June, 13:36, NT wrote:
On Jun 5, 11:20�am, "Stephen" wrote:

Quick questions about tiling.

What size spacers are the norm for tiling in a bathroom on the wall
specifically.

Also do you have to pull the spacers out after the tiles have set or do they
stay in the wall ?

Thanks

Spacers might work if your tiles are all perfect sized, but many
arent. In which case folded card allows a little wiggle.

NT

Another thing to watch is that you can get boxes of slightly different
sized tiles from some manufacturers. There's a number on the box
indicates which is which.

Tile spacers
 

On Jun 5, 2:03*pm, stuart noble wrote:
John Rumm wrote:
On 05/06/2010 11:49, Tim Watts wrote:
sure they are pushed well in. Or (what I do more) is to stick just one
leg in between each tile. I pull then out afterwards.

Yup its what I do as well.

Sometimes, you don't want spacers - if you are trying to correct a
slight error, you may need the tiles fractionally closer. Using a high

I find with some spacers, the leg is marginally thinner than it is wide..
So rotating it 90 *degrees in the gap make it a little smaller. Two used
together are a tad more than one width etc. Hence careful selection of
combinations can tweak the gap in or out as required.

1mm thick plastic plant labels make good tweakers

And bits of cereal box.

Tile spacers
 

On 07/06/10 10:01, Man at B&Q wrote:
On Jun 5, 2:03 pm, stuart wrote:
John Rumm wrote:
On 05/06/2010 11:49, Tim Watts wrote:
sure they are pushed well in. Or (what I do more) is to stick just one
leg in between each tile. I pull then out afterwards.

Yup its what I do as well.

Sometimes, you don't want spacers - if you are trying to correct a
slight error, you may need the tiles fractionally closer. Using a high

I find with some spacers, the leg is marginally thinner than it is wide.
So rotating it 90 degrees in the gap make it a little smaller. Two used
together are a tad more than one width etc. Hence careful selection of
combinations can tweak the gap in or out as required.

1mm thick plastic plant labels make good tweakers

And bits of cereal box.

Fag packet shurely?

--
Tim Watts

Hung parliament? Rather have a hanged parliament.

Tile spacers
 

Man at B&Q wrote:
On Jun 5, 2:03 pm, stuart noble wrote:
John Rumm wrote:
On 05/06/2010 11:49, Tim Watts wrote:
sure they are pushed well in. Or (what I do more) is to stick just one
leg in between each tile. I pull then out afterwards.
Yup its what I do as well.
Sometimes, you don't want spacers - if you are trying to correct a
slight error, you may need the tiles fractionally closer. Using a high
I find with some spacers, the leg is marginally thinner than it is wide.
So rotating it 90 degrees in the gap make it a little smaller. Two used
together are a tad more than one width etc. Hence careful selection of
combinations can tweak the gap in or out as required.
1mm thick plastic plant labels make good tweakers

And bits of cereal box.

matchsticks.

I too use the plastic spacers, placed at different angles and at
different locations to level up irregular stone tiles etc. Simply remove
oncce tile cement is almost set.

Tile spacers
 

Tim Watts wrote:
On 07/06/10 10:01, Man at B&Q wrote:
On Jun 5, 2:03 pm, stuart wrote:
John Rumm wrote:
On 05/06/2010 11:49, Tim Watts wrote:
sure they are pushed well in. Or (what I do more) is to stick just one
leg in between each tile. I pull then out afterwards.

Yup its what I do as well.

Sometimes, you don't want spacers - if you are trying to correct a
slight error, you may need the tiles fractionally closer. Using a high

I find with some spacers, the leg is marginally thinner than it is
wide.
So rotating it 90 degrees in the gap make it a little smaller. Two
used
together are a tad more than one width etc. Hence careful selection of
combinations can tweak the gap in or out as required.

1mm thick plastic plant labels make good tweakers

And bits of cereal box.

Fag packet shurely?


Cardboard isn't really rigid enough for my liking. Plastic every time

Tile spacers
 

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember stuart noble
saying something like:

1mm thick plastic plant labels make good tweakers

If you find yourself running out, folded cardboard from the tile boxes
is good enough.

Tile spacers
 

Tim Watts wrote:
On 07/06/10 10:01, Man at B&Q wrote:
On Jun 5, 2:03 pm, stuart wrote:
John Rumm wrote:
On 05/06/2010 11:49, Tim Watts wrote:
sure they are pushed well in. Or (what I do more) is to stick
just one leg in between each tile. I pull then out afterwards.

Yup its what I do as well.

Sometimes, you don't want spacers - if you are trying to correct a
slight error, you may need the tiles fractionally closer. Using a
high

I find with some spacers, the leg is marginally thinner than it is
wide. So rotating it 90 degrees in the gap make it a little
smaller. Two used together are a tad more than one width etc.
Hence careful selection of combinations can tweak the gap in or
out as required.

1mm thick plastic plant labels make good tweakers

And bits of cereal box.

Fag packet shurely?

Don't call me Shirley.

The British Standard Fag Packet is a very useful tool. Being 95mm x 55mm x
20mm it make an ideal spacer for all sorts of things.

Curtain pole brackets for example. 55mm above the reveal & 95m either side
is the perfek spacing.

Very close to the golden ratio is your BSFP.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

Tile spacers
 

On 05/06/2010 14:03, stuart noble wrote:
John Rumm wrote:
On 05/06/2010 11:49, Tim Watts wrote:
sure they are pushed well in. Or (what I do more) is to stick just one
leg in between each tile. I pull then out afterwards.

Yup its what I do as well.

Sometimes, you don't want spacers - if you are trying to correct a
slight error, you may need the tiles fractionally closer. Using a high

I find with some spacers, the leg is marginally thinner than it is
wide. So rotating it 90 degrees in the gap make it a little smaller.
Two used together are a tad more than one width etc. Hence careful
selection of combinations can tweak the gap in or out as required.



1mm thick plastic plant labels make good tweakers


As do the plastic straps that you sometimes find around the boxes. I
also keep a pair of small Mole grips to hand. They will easily squash
the spacer legs to any amount you want, thus making thinner ones for
smaller gaps, or ones that you can stack with full sized ones to make
bigger gaps. I also use a laser level. Very good for tile levelling. I
used 600 x 300 tiles in my bathroom, which are very unforgiving for
making level - a fraction of a degree out at one corner, becomes a
couple of mm at the far end of the tile, and a couple of tiles further
on ... !

The laser level made going round a window opening where I had to come up
either side before going across the top, made the job a doddle.

Arfa