Wall tile 2mm T-spacers

[Janet Winslow]

Against my better judgement I've been persuaded to get some 'metro tiles' f or the kitchen. I had no idea how ridiculously expensive the T-spacers woul d be!

Tops Tiles sell 1000 for £10.60 but they only have 3mm ones. Anyway, I on ly need about 300, probably fewer. One other UK supplier sold a reasonable quantity for a reasonable price than tries to charge £7.99 postage! Ebay has none at the moment - unless I go to Australia.

Before anyone suggests just cutting one of the legs from the normal X types - not that easy. The cut leaves a bump that has to be filed flat. Just usi ng them as sticky-out pegs is asking for trouble if I want them looking nic ely lined up.

Does anyone know of a supplier that will sell these tiny bits of recycled p lastic for a reasonable price?

And while I'm in 'moaning mode', I had the daft notion that the back of the se fancy metro tiles would have some sort of mark so the half-way point cou ld be easily identified. No, nothing so sensible - at least not on those I bought.

So a word to the wise; if your significant other sees a nice display of the se in a shop or catalogue, think again...

J

[Tim Watts]

Ah ha - yes thank you - I have had a similar request.

The other problem is how to deal with sockets due to the bevelled edge. My only sensible solution was to put (in theory) 10mm backbox spacer collars on and grout to those leaving the sockets a bit proud but with a clean seat to mesh to.

I'm thinking we could get a similar effect with a lot less aggro by using a 2x1 format tile laid brick style.

[Andy Burns]

Just use normal 'X' spacers, poking out like this

[John Rumm]

Yup that is the way I always use the spacers...

(also make them reusable as well)

[stuart noble]

Or get a pack of Aldi plastic plant labels. About 1mm thick IIRC

[Muddymike]

Against my better judgement I've been persuaded to get some 'metro tiles' for the kitchen. I had no idea how ridiculously expensive the T-spacers would be!

Having not heard of "Metro tiles" I just googled them. Yuk! Reminds me of those old subterranean public toilets.

Mike

[Andrew Gabriel]

You need to watch Topps Tiles prices. They can be very good prices on some stock tiles, but any savings can be wiped out if you buy the all the other things there (adhesive, spacers, trim strips, etc).

When I did my bathroom 10-15 years ago, I think I got the spacers from B&Q in a sale (and I certainly used 2mm ones).

Like others have said, use them poking out. Then they are reusable, although you need more.

[sm_jamieson]

Yes indeed. In my kitchen I used some "subway" tiles which are like Metro b ut without the beveled edge. Even more like an old public toilet. Such is t he power of "retro". However I squint at it I think it looks great. I did n ot go for the Metro as it looks less '30s and more '80s to me.

Simon.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Use flush cutting wire cutters. A cheap pair from Maplin etc will be ok.

[Andy Bennett]

Or even cheaper a box of matches, about 2mm square

[soup]

Pardon my ignorance but why would you need T shaped spacers? Wouldn't ordinary X shaped ones do just as well? Used poking in they can be removed before grouting and used again.

This is the method I mean.

[alan_m]

Because the tiles are not square - they are rectangular so the tiles in a row overlap the ones in the adjacent rows. Much in the same way as laying bricks in a wall.

[soup]

Fair enough, but why couldn't ordinary X shaped ones be used poking in only slightly adapted for brick type bond?

A la :-