Straight edges

[David Rowell]

Hello everyone. I had another splash back job today so this morning i was scratting
around for a straight edge to fix to the wall. I ended up finding a bottom slider off a set
of sliding sliding wardrobes i removed the other week. It worked an absolute treat. It was 2.3m
long light and already pre drilled.

So my question is what is your preferred straight edge and how do you fix them to the wall? Because
ive seen people use levels on youtube but didnt see how they fixed it
.

 

[cone]

Battens with masonary nails or screws. Depends on what the wall is like and if its an old stone house, best to use rubis or the tile tracker because more times than enough, when you hammer in the nails your batten moves abit and screws the same. One thing thou, I always have timber battens with me rather than look about for other things for the job.

 

[David Rowell]

Fair point I do have battons also been a chippy my van and garage is full of them lol. Just none of them were long enough to span most the wall like the track did.

Just had a look at the tile tracker thanks for that #cone are they sturdy?

 

[Spare Tool]

I get half a 8"x4" sheet of 12mil ply sliced down to 50mm lengths at my local Woodyard for batons.
Have to say though unless I was tiling all the kitchen walls from floor to ceiling I've never used a baton on a kitchen splash back, full tile on work top n away..

 

[Diggy]

sawn timber about 50mm x 25mm , when I have to , which isn't too often these days doing house bashing .
However , doing a job for a m8 this week 24m² bathroom , so will ping the baton on all the way round using my laser and bobs ur uncle. Can be a bit twisted but is only a case of wedging the first course off the baton to my laser level and then its onwards and upwards.

Diggy

 

[cone]

Fair point I do have battons also been a chippy my van and garage is full of them lol. Just none of them were long enough to span most the wall like the track did.

Just had a look at the tile tracker thanks for that #cone are they sturdy?

Tile tracker is better than the rubis but still bit tricky in places but once you get hang of itll be better than messing about with nailing/screwing into old houses.

 

[Russell brown]

2x1 pse and either fired on with my finishing Paslode or screwed on with dry wall screws.

 

[White Room]

I use the Raimondi batten stands, easily adjustable.

 

[Russell brown]

I use the Raimondi batten stands, easily adjustable.

ive seen these and the rubi ones, how do you stop them tipping? And how many do you need so your battens don't sag?

Russ

 

[White Room]

ive seen these and the rubi ones, how do you stop them tipping? And how many do you need so your battens don't sag?

Russ

Just pack them out to keep them level, my first set were only 200mm high but just recently got another set and there far longer.

I have some screed rules which won't bend but for using a old levels just use an old rubi (I have both, the Raimondi's ones are my prefered brand) one to sit in the centre of the batten.

 

[Sean Kelly]

Rubi battens (although I don't like them) and I use old levels as the straight ledge. I sometimes put blobs of silicone to stick them to the wall. I also use slithers of tile to stop them sagging in the middle.

 

[Stef]

I use a pack of cheap levels I picked up at ScrewFix, they are drilled about every 30/40mm & if I can't fix them with screws into timber studs then I use a glue gun to fix them.
Mark a datum line with my stabila or laser then fix levels unless I'm straight off the floor.

 

[David Rowell]

Thanks everyone for your input/responses all much appreciated. :hurray:

 

[area tiling]

I use 10mm mdf door stop as battens , good consistent straight edge not like the pine or treated timber battens , that bow !!

 

[Andy Allen]

Never use battons......if the tiles are not heavy then draw a line half way up the wall and tile down using a non slip adhesive.......With heavy tiles cut the first row in and tile up....I find it much quicker doing it this way

 

[cone]

Never use battons......if the tiles are not heavy then draw a line half way up the wall and tile down using a non slip adhesive.......With heavy tiles cut the first row in and tile up....I find it much quicker doing it this way

Non slip adhesive moves a slight touch does it not?

 

[afright]

Level line, full tile or tiles then tack an oval nail under tile then infill with cut tile

 

[Andy Allen]

Non slip adhesive moves a slight touch does it not?

Just keep checking it till it gose off....but I've never had a problem..

 

[widler]

I'm curious why you have 'battened it out' when there's a perfectly level surface with the worktops?

 

[cam_low]

12mm MDF sheet cut down free of charge by B&Q into battens sized at 40mm. paslode or screwed in. rapid set first row in remove batten and tile up over.

 

[Stocks Tiles]

Glad i'm not the only one wondering why has put a batten on the wall above worktops! I would batten the gap between worktops in them situations, in bathrooms I laser around the room doing all my cuts, then up we go! Joints always meet in the corners for sure, which is something that bugs me seeing staggered joints when at a corner lol.

 

[steve-tiler]

I try not to use batons anymore if I can help it, I start with a level line and pin each tile in place. Then cut in bottom tile and then work up. Saves doing the bottom cuts after.

Also I always work straight off the worktop as it Should be level.

 

[David Rowell]

I'm curious why you have 'battened it out' when there's a perfectly level surface with the worktops?

Still very new to tiling widler the worktops to the left of that wall were down 40mm over 1.8m i figured i could t go wrong if i screwed a rail round lol. Though the opposite side i did strike a line and pinned 2 pins under every tile. Will be doing that from now on i think lol

 

[widler]

Still very new to tiling widler the worktops to the left of that wall were down 40mm over 1.8m i figured i could t go wrong if i screwed a rail round lol. Though the opposite side i did strike a line and pinned 2 pins under every tile. Will be doing that from now on i think lol

No worries David [emoji106]we all learn every day

 

[David Rowell]

No worries David [emoji106]we all learn every day

Definately agree widler. Im on a long learning curve with tiling I can count on 2 hands the tiling jobs ive done haha so my ways of doing things may seem strange to you :lol:

 

[Stocks Tiles]

Good luck on your tiling career if you have only just started, certainly read up on everything to do with preparation and setting out, there are so many different situations you will find yourself in as no job is the same! Try to think and look ahead before starting, so you can try and lose any "ugly" bits of tile you may encounter around a window or to the ceiling, as its too late once started as I'm sure many of us can say we learned from that mistake lol

 

[David Rowell]

Good luck on your tiling career if you have only just started, certainly read up on everything to do with preparation and setting out, there are so many different situations you will find yourself in as no job is the same! Try to think and look ahead before starting, so you can try and lose any "ugly" bits of tile you may encounter around a window or to the ceiling, as its too late once started as I'm sure many of us can say we learned from that mistake lol

Sound advice stocks :hurray:

 

[judge]

Still very new to tiling widler the worktops to the left of that wall were down 40mm over 1.8m i figured i could t go wrong if i screwed a rail round lol. Though the opposite side i did strike a line and pinned 2 pins under every tile. Will be doing that from now on i think lol

40 mm over 1.8 m.:yikes:Thats some serious carpentry skills

 

[White Room]

Still very new to tiling widler the worktops to the left of that wall were down 40mm over 1.8m i figured i could t go wrong if i screwed a rail round lol. Though the opposite side i did strike a line and pinned 2 pins under every tile. Will be doing that from now on i think lol

You would'nt need a stabila to check the level...strewth.

 

[Mr Tiler]

Hello everyone. I had another splash back job today so this morning i was scratting
around for a straight edge to fix to the wall. I ended up finding a bottom slider off a set
of sliding sliding wardrobes i removed the other week. It worked an absolute treat. It was 2.3m
long light and already pre drilled.

So my question is what is your preferred straight edge and how do you fix them to the wall? Because
ive seen people use levels on youtube but didnt see how they fixed it
. View attachment 60448

hi mate, i use a datum line 3 course up and screws to hold the second course up... no big straight edges needed just a jub of screws and me drill works a treat once you get used to it.