Levelling clips are a load of tosh? Really? - Tile Advice

[Andy Allen]

Even on large floor areas Andy? I used to not use spacers on bathroom size floors, but always on bigger areas. The clips are usually only 1mm thick so you will still need your expert eye

Never used spacers...... Did a 500m garage floor once with 200x200 tiles just use straight edges and bays..

I always thought you used the clip as the spacer,. Dose that mean you only have 1mm joints?

 

[Old Mod]

I always thought you used the clip as the spacer,. Dose that mean you only have 1mm joints?

Not at all, you can get any thickness you need within normal parameters.

 

[Andy Allen]

Not with the right choice Andy, in your case I’d suggest the genesis or Rubi type.
That way you can tile in your normal manner and tighten any clips down from above.

Cool...... I have a plank job coming up I may have to give them ago and join the gang...

 

[Chris N]

Thanks guys. Going to try them out on 600x300 porcelain in a small bathroom I posted about in my 'wonky wall post'.

Floor is approx 1200x2400 with 2500 ceiling. Roughly how many would I need, including the floor. Bit of an experiment, but feel the need to go 'out into the wilderness'

 

[WetSaw]

I've never used spacers when tiling floors, just a straight edge.......... This is the only thing that puts me off using them.... I would have to change the entire way I tile.

Is it a metal straight edge you use? The sort that chips the edge of tiles? Maybe time to try something new....

 

[Old Mod]

Thanks guys. Going to try them out on 600x300 porcelain in a small bathroom I posted about in my 'wonky wall post'.

Floor is approx 1200x2400 with 2500 ceiling. Roughly how many would I need, including the floor. Bit of an experiment, but feel the need to go 'out into the wilderness'

Look back through the last page of posts. Localtiler posted an image of approx quants.

 

[Chris N]

Look back through the last page of posts. Localtiler posted an image of approx quants.

Cheers, about 22 per m2

 

[LM]

Well that thread got some traction!
There’s lots of variables to consider with clips.
I think it’s relativly conclusive that once you actually give them a go on an appropriate job you’ll see the benifit of them, a bit like a dishwasher, you don’t need one but could you be bothered hand washing your dinner dishes?
There is also a place for the different designs, some are better suited to certain tasks than others in my opinion, RLS on stone might not be as a well suited as Genisis etc for example.
Most of us have tiled for a long time before clips came about and now I’d say it’s safe to say that clips save a lot of time in trying to achieve the best possible standard that we can.
As of yet I have never been called back or heard of a job that has failed due to the use of clips.
As regards cost, well let’s say in hind sight if you were a customer and you had a 40mtr floor that inc fitting and materials had cost you about £3-4K in total, would the extra cost of £100 for clips and a completely lip free floor be something you’d quibble about? Personally I don’t think so!
Also as has been stated in many threads before this one clips have so many other uses and benifits, but they MUST be used in line with correct bedding techniques.
Times and techniques change and move on, keep up I say

 

[Chris N]

Well that thread got some traction!
There’s lots of variables to consider with clips.
I think it’s relativly conclusive that once you actually give them a go on an appropriate job you’ll see the benifit of them, a bit like a dishwasher, you don’t need one but could you be bothered hand washing your dinner dishes?
There is also a place for the different designs, some are better suited to certain tasks than others in my opinion, RLS on stone might not be as a well suited as Genisis etc for example.
Most of us have tiled for a long time before clips came about and now I’d say it’s safe to say that clips save a lot of time in trying to achieve the best possible standard that we can.
As of yet I have never been called back or heard of a job that has failed due to the use of clips.
As regards cost, well let’s say in hind sight if you were a customer and you had a 40mtr floor that inc fitting and materials had cost you about £3-4K in total, would the extra cost of £100 for clips and a completely lip free floor be something you’d quibble about? Personally I don’t think so!
Also as has been stated in many threads before this one clips have so many other uses and benifits, but they MUST be used in line with correct bedding techniques.
Times and techniques change and move on, keep up I say

I'm not a full time tiler Lee, but can see the benefits so I'm going to try them out, purely because I'm intrigued and open minded. Nothing to loose... and whatever the outcome/cost, will learn something.

 

[One Day]

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!

 

[slythetiler]

read the thread all the way through, i recently started to use level clips for the larger rectangular tiles, trouble is i have only used lash clips from Topps. Not impressed with them at all. But im not one to give up at the first hurdle, so, i quite like the mustang and pony system. For those of you who use these clip systems, which would you recommend?

 

[Blunt Tool]

read the thread all the way through, i recently started to use level clips for the larger rectangular tiles, trouble is i have only used lash clips from Topps. Not impressed with them at all. But im not one to give up at the first hurdle, so, i quite like the mustang and pony system. For those of you who use these clip systems, which would you recommend?

I use the Mustang clips and wedges, I use the 2mm and 3mm clips as spacers aswell and recommend them, Raimondi and PLM more or less exactly the same.

 

[Dumbo]

I use bright ideas ( rls copy )

 

[Italy]

this trend is reaching the shore ...
you have to put some pepper ...

making me part of the mafia gang, R A I M O N D I

E non mi interessa provare un cazzo!!!!

now, do not start hard again
you have tried this, have you tried that.
I spend half the money mentioned above.
so I do not break the c...o!!!.

 

[Andy Allen]

Is it a metal straight edge you use? The sort that chips the edge of tiles? Maybe time to try something new....

Think you should stick to clearing out drains and leave the big boys to the tiling...