Awesome product for tiling a floor

[Caged Great]

I've been doing a bathroom reno this weekend and I found a new product that makes tiling really easy, although slightly more time consuming.



Basically how it works is that you have a little plastic spacer, with the a mouth that goes over the tile. The little orange thing has teeth on it like a zip tie, so once you've got the tile close to being level, you can adjust it slightly and incrementally so that it becomes level, and stays that way (sometimes cement when it dries it shrinks unevenly causing it to not be level)

It makes it easy to have a perfectly level floor and is really easy to use. (I've never tiled a floor before this weekend and I managed to get it perfect first time out)

[J Diddy]

I've seen this product a few times on Holmes on homes this season. I will definitely be using it to fix my master bath floor.

Where did you purchase it from?

[Caged Great]

I believe they have them at all three (Rona/Lowe's/Home Depot)

I got them at Home Depot.

[fundmark19]

What is the name of it? I have one more large tile section to go (entrance way) so anything to make it easier would be a bonus

[GoinAllTheWay]

Hmm, that is clever. I'm assuming it can be used for walls too?

[Clarkey]

Am I the only mental midget who does not get this?

[csnarpy]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

Am I the only mental midget who does not get this?

They space and level tiles at the same time. We used them for our upper bathroom and they work like a charm!

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

Am I the only mental midget who does not get this?

It basically pushes the tile upwards a bit to assist in making it level and will keep it in place as the tile sets.

It's more or less like creating stilts for the tile to sit on making it even, with the space getting filled with cement.

[Clarkey]

I think I get it now, so you crack off those white things once the thinset has dried? Mike Holmes is pretty adamant that you don't have anything other than grout in the spaces between, couldn't leaving that plastic in create a weak spot?.

[csnarpy]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

I think I get it now, so you crack off those white things once the thinset has dried? Mike Holmes is pretty adamant that you don't have anything other than grout in the spaces between, couldn't leaving that plastic in create a weak spot?.

In his new series, they have been using these almost from the start. The last one I saw, his daughter tiled a floor using them.

I'm pretty sure he approves...

[Clarkey]

I haven't seen any recent episodes, thanks.

[pylon]

Thanks OP.

I am tiling my kitchen over the holidays, and these will be super handy. I love these "so simple why wasn't it invented sooner?" types of products.

[Flames_Gimp]

[Caged Great]

The brand name is raimondi

[J Diddy]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

Hmm, that is clever. I'm assuming it can be used for walls too?

Yes there was an Holmes episode this season where they use these to do an entire bathroom...including walls.

[Bagor]

So how do you control the grout space size? They come in different sizes?

And are they one use only, i.e. there is a snap point to remove the spacer?

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Bagor

So how do you control the grout space size? They come in different sizes?

And are they one use only, i.e. there is a snap point to remove the spacer?

The ones I got were very thin, so spacers were still needed. I don't know if there are ones that are thicker.

There is a snap point at the base of it, and you should hit them along the grout line, (the side, not the face)

It is a one use only thing.

[Clarkey]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

I've been doing a bathroom reno this weekend and I found a new product that makes tiling really easy, although slightly more time consuming.



Basically how it works is that you have a little plastic spacer, with the a mouth that goes over the tile. The little orange thing has teeth on it like a zip tie, so once you've got the tile close to being level, you can adjust it slightly and incrementally so that it becomes level, and stays that way (sometimes cement when it dries it shrinks unevenly causing it to not be level)

It makes it easy to have a perfectly level floor and is really easy to use. (I've never tiled a floor before this weekend and I managed to get it perfect first time out)

Did you buy the tool that they show in that Mike Holmes video? It's some kind of clamping device, I bought the clips at home depot but they didn't have the clamping thing?

[Bindair Dundat]

Originally Posted by Clarkey

Did you buy the tool that they show in that Mike Holmes video? It's some kind of clamping device, I bought the clips at home depot but they didn't have the clamping thing?

What you refer to is the Tuscan Levelling System (with the straps/zip gun) and it is the real deal. It is also rather pricey to buy and use once...

Of the two "clip systems", Ramondi's is far superior to the mass-marketed "QEP" one that Homer D Poe sells.

A note or two about using these:

They are not a replacement for adequate subfloor preparation. With large fomat tile on a rollercoaster subfloor you will still have "issues" they will just be "different" issues. Adequate mortar coverage will be the biggest of these in most cases, leaving hollow "voids" in low spots where the tile will not adhere properly to the substrate. It may look pretty for a while, but the bond will eventually fail and cement based grout will crack and fall out.
The best piece of advice I can give is: PULL A STRING ACROSS THE SUB FLOOR AND ASSESS HOW FLAT IT IS, PRIOR TO DOING ANYTHING ELSE.
If it needs to be levelled?
Buy Self-Leveling Compound and pour to fill the voids you find.
On a perfectly flat floor with consistently gauged, rectified porcelain tile you should be able to set 24x24 on a brick pattern with no issues what so ever.
Assessing what is "good enough" for flatness depends on what you're trying to achieve (pattern), the consistency of the tile you're working with, and your ability to "work" your combed mortarbed to keep things where you want them.
A level subfloor also assures that you are not "chasing" your groutlines; these are very much affected by even minimal changes in level/azimuth.
Always backbutter your tile and buy high quality mortar that has not passed its "best-before" date...YES, it has a shelf life.

Anyone in the Edmonton area who wants help/advice with this kind of thing, feel free to PM me. I have accounts to purchase setting materials, Schluter system items, proper tools etc, wholesale; directly from the same place that Homer buys them. Lets just say that I can save you many, many dollars (i.e. 40>60%) versus you buying at the box store. The markup on most of the stuff is crazy.

I've been setting tile since the mid-90's and primarily build high-end custom showers these days.

Ron

[Ironhorse]

^ I suspect my dad, a craftsman with 50 years of tile setting experience in high end applications, will likely agree with most of your post. Most people also end up with "natural" tile, which is not dimensionally constant from the factory. Using the spacers on those tiles does not work well, as you use your grout spacing to make up the minute differences in tile size.