Silly tiling question.

[Nodge]

Are the little cross shaped plastic tiling spacers you get supposed to be left in situ and grouted over?

Nodge

[Christian McArdle]

You can do either. You're supposed to put them in as corner pieces and grout over. However, I find it easier to wedge them in the edges (2 per edge) and remove before grouting. Otherwise, the tiles often ride up over the spacer, wasting time as you try to remove it.

Christian.

[Des Higgins]

Yes

At least I hope so :-)

The get fiddly sometimes and you have to cut bits off for teh edge ones but the are WAY better than no spacers at all. They automatically straighten everything up. Traditionally (I think) folks used match sticks sticking out from the wall between each pair of tiles which wre removed before grouting.

[Dave]

...snipped

Some of us still do :-)

Dave S

[John Laird]

You're me you are. On even slightly uneven walls, they will get lost under the tiles if used at corners, due to the thickness of the cement. Obviously the key ones are at the bottom of each tile, as they are supporting some of the tile's weight, and I always wedge these in, instead.

[Christian McArdle]

I suppose I use the spacers, but use them like matchsticks.

Christian.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

It sort of depends. If you can remove them then do so. If they're wedged so deep the grout will cover them then it doesn't seem to matter.

[Ric]

Might be cheaper to use matches - bearing in mind that you could still use them as matches afterwards.

[a]

Funny, I never considered leaving them there! (although I see no reason why not if they can be grouted over)

[Jerry Built]

Matchsticks are not uniform enough... if your tiles vary much in size this can be an advantage!

J.B.

[Jerry Built]

Maybe. I never use them like that, as they can become displaced and slip into the grout behind the tile, where they can be a nuisance 'cos you can't level the tile by manipulating it. I poke one "leg" of the spacer into the gap, using two spacers per edge if need be. When the grout has gone off, I pull 'em out, and can re-use them....

J.B.

[Christian McArdle]

I prefer to use the spacers. They're no more expensive that matches and can also be reused afterwards, as spacers. They're less likely to burn the house down if found by the kids, too!

Christian.

[Des Higgins]

Fair enough; I like your suggestion to use the spacers instead of the matchsticks but in teh same way (2 between each pair of tiles and sticking out; one leg inserted).

[Gordon Henderson]

The ones I've used have said on the packet that you can leave them in - and thats what I've done - except at the edges when I've either removed them or cut them off after the tile adhesive has set...

Heres is an intersting little funny tale ;-)

SWIMO chose tiles for our new bathroom from a local discount place - so she went out to get them and I gave her instructions to get a big bucket of tile glue and a small bag of spacers.

Back to skool time:

For 200 tiles, in a roughly 20x10 layout, how many spacers do you need?

The answer is appriximately one per tile plus 2 edges worth. So we're looking at no more than 250 spacers.

SWIMBO comes back with a bucket of 3500 of the damn things.

What makes it worse is that I got a free bag of about 300 with the tile cuter I ordered from Screwfix! Fortunately the shop saw the funny side and refunded us for the bucket of spacers... (Although it has to be said that the bucket was under a tenner)

SWIMBOs eh? What would we do without them... (Probably no bl@@dy tile laying, thats for sure!!!)

Gordon

[Martin Shaw]

[Mungo "two sheds" Toadfoot]

I once saw a tiler using spaghetti (dry, not Heinz tinned - that wouldn't be half as effective) for spacers. He reckoned a 25p packet lasted years.

Si

[Dave Plowman (News)]

And your walls ain't perfect.

[Dave Liquorice]

Looks like most people use spacers but as matches.

I have used 'em in corners but getting one lodged under a tile is a right PITA. Currently in match mode in the cottage kitchen but that its partly down to thin tiles and there wouldn't be much grout over the top of them. However I doubt I'll ever use 'em in the corners again.

[OldScrawn]

I like that idea; I reckon some of the plastic ones are a bit too thick.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Up to you.