Do you require spacers for floor tiles?

[jjavanda]

The reason I ask is that I'm just about to tile the bathroom floor with some nice rectangular travertine tiles. I am wondering wether I would get away with not using any tile spacers as I feel the floor would look better without any grout lines. I would obviously leave a small gap next to the walls as an expansion gap.....

Would this work and what are the potential downsides?

Thanks Jaz

[Dave]

I am told that the continentals don't use spacers and that we Brits are the lone users of them, allegedly :-)

Dave

[Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot]

Do you mean that you wouldn't use any grout at all? If this is the case then water will still be able to get down between the tiles and go manky over time. Also you'll find that the tiles might not be perfectly "square" which might give you problems if you don't have a gap to make some adjustments along the way.

Having said that there's probably some kind of sealant you could use over them and I think that tiles do look better butted up to each other.

Si

[jjavanda]

Thanks Dave

Is there anyone else that can back this up?

[Mike]

The French often lay the tiles on to a lime mortar base which presses up between the tiles to form a sort of grout but they don't use spacers and you usually only see very thin strips of mortar. Having used spacers on my last kitchen floor I always wished I hadn't as I'm sure it would have looked better without. As a compromise some tilers use bits of thin card.

[Biff]

Yes, the French do some things much better. I've just layed some quarry tiles on a bed of lime mortar. No glue, no grout, no spacers the very thin gaps that result from tile edges not being perfectly flat and square are filled with the lime mortar as you press the tile down. Easy, cheap, long lasting, environmentally sound and looks great.

[jjavanda]

The tiles will be laid on a wooden floor which I have already boarded with 1/4" ply. The travertine needs sealing anyway after laying so that shouldn't be a problem. I just need to check that tiles are perfectly square.

Ps. how much expansion gap (if any) do I need to leave near the walls.

Thanks Jaz

[jacob]

Traditional tile floors usually have no spacing and the tiles are pressed up as close as they will go. Looks much nicer than those regular perfect mortar gaps that modern tilers do which can make a tile floor look like vinyl. Prob with no spacing is accumulating error so you have to start from the centre and work outwards, with occasional adjustments of space to stop rows going out of line. When finished you spread grout all over and work it in to the cracks.

cheers

Jacob

[Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot]

I wouldn't have thought you'd need much; 3mm perhaps. If your house moves more than that you've got bigger things to worry about than floor tiles :)

Si