'dream' christmas job

[maniek]

went to tile bathroom floor today, 5sq m, easy straightforward job
but (dont like when it comes to 'but') the cheap 30x30 tiles from 'topps tile'
size vary......from 29.85 to 30.00...

[david campbell]

aaaarrrggghhhh! 4mm spacers should hide it

[maniek]

...2mm has been used (i know bs says 3) ... i wasted so much time tryin to do spot on job
, i'm not gonna use anything smaller than 3mm on 30x30 cheap tiles again,

[andy allen]

2, 3, 4 mm spacers ........you want to chuck them all in the van and just do it by eye

[maniek]

heh, at some point size doesn't matter

[devonmark]

went to tile bathroom floor today, 5sq m, easy straightforward job
but (dont like when it comes to 'but') the cheap 30x30 tiles from 'topps tile'
size vary......from 29.85 to 30.00...

Don't you just love it.....

[aph257]

had some similar from a shed two weeks ago. couldn't use spacers as andy says do it by eye.

[foggy34]

by eye for me 95% of my work is floors

[maniek]

there was no other option than doing it by the eye at some point...
btw.. how do guys deal with customers when it happens to you
- poorly calibrated tiles - ???

[diamondtiling]

2, 3, 4 mm spacers ........you want to chuck them all in the van and just do it by eye

I dont agree with you at all Andy, spacers, wedges etc play their part in tiling. I have lost count of the so called tilers that loose their line because they do it by eye, I agree that some are perfectly fine without spacers but as a rule I would always advise to use them.
I still do some commercial work for a firm where the site foreman insists that the tilers use spacers/wedges, if you dont then your off the job.

[jay]

best to show customer the problem as you go (best to pick up on problem when shading tiles at start of job)as they dont know tiles

[maniek]

owners werent present when i started the job so didn't have the chance to show them what the problem is..
however they're happy with the job but i just realize that in the future i may come across a customer who wont listen...

[diamondtiling]

owners werent present when i started the job so didn't have the chance to show them what the problem is..
however they're happy with the job but i just realize that in the future i may come across a customer who wont listen...

If the customer wont listen to good advice then dont do the work, its your reputation thats on the line.

[tfs]

Cheapo nasty tiles are ones that you tend to remember. I usualy recognise these right away so inform the customer of the size descrepancies. When you pay £5-6 per sqm thats what you get.

It can be pretty depressing and time consuming messing about with tiles that are out of square and all sorts of sizes. As mentioned already, larger spacers is the route I go down in this case.

I do however lay by eye on some tiles such as Quarry tiles as 9 times of of 10 these are the worst in terms of size and squareness etc. I just make sure to work with a straightedge when fixing and if in a large area work to grids.

Some tiles just cant be fitted as perfect as we would like so all you can do is your best.

[andy allen]

I dont agree with you at all Andy, spacers, wedges etc play their part in tiling. I have lost count of the so called tilers that loose their line because they do it by eye, I agree that some are perfectly fine without spacers but as a rule I would always advise to use them.
I still do some commercial work for a firm where the site foreman insists that the tilers use spacers/wedges, if you dont then your off the job.

i think its down to how youv'e been tought , i know tilers that can't tile floors without using spacers, and i know tilers that have never use spacers for floors, personally i dont like to use them i just use my eye and long stright edges and i never lose my line.

i dont think there is a wrong or a right way, just a way that works for you.........however for badly calibrated floor tiles i find using a stright edge and a keen eye works for me

[Dave]

I also do not use spacers on floors unless i am using stone/rectified square edge etc.. so any joint bigger than 3mm is by rack of eye and i can do megga sized floors by eye and keep them straight..

Most ceramics will differ in size and i find using spacers throws joints out.. i have seen some ceramics differ by 3mm.. so on floors i will just eye them but on walls then no choice but wedges come in handy then.

It is purely down to ones ability as well i think.. So if it works for you then you do what works.. but as Dom says if you are told to use them on site etc then you may have to..

The worst tiles i think for poor calibration are English ones..