Looking at tile levelling clip systems. - Tile Advice

[CJ]

I was sceptical when they first came out, and resisted all I could. Then had a re-think.......and tried them. Use them quite often now 👍👍

 

[bureaucrazy]

I've just seen these level clips. How long have they been around?
What is the technique to line up the tile edges before these clips were invented?

 

[Andy Allen]

level the floor first...

to be fair it's only the size of certain tiles that make them relevant imo. although I see plenty of photos of them being used all the time even with 300x300 tiles....I mean, really!
if you can't lay a 300 tile flat it's time to bury your trowel !

 

[Bill]

Rectified edges, 1mm joints, uneven substrates, bowed tiles, thin tiles, unequal sized tile dimensions (out of square - not all tiles the same size in the same box/range) adhesive, customer/client need for perfect joint lines - all can produce problems for lip free/joint space tiling.

leveling systems help to stop lips - I, for one, want the clips to be called lip free clips and not leveling clips.

Many moons ago, tiling was done on a thick bed of sand and cement and that meant you could create your own substrate so that your tiles were fixed lip free........also tiles were much smaller and didn't have too much bowing although they were very ambiguous with sizing.

 

[Dave]

level the floor first...

to be fair it's only the size of certain tiles that make them relevant imo. although I see plenty of photos of them being used all the time even with 300x300 tiles....I mean, really!
if you can't lay a 300 tile flat it's time to bury your trowel !

exactly lol , these buggers are 1200 x 200 , I’ve had a chance to view a tile and they are straight, yippie 😁😁

 

[Andy Allen]

laid these 1200x200 without clips, they were £60 a meter but flat as a pancake, it really is all down to the quality of the tile and the substrate imo.

 

[LM]

laid these 1200x200 without clips, they were £60 a meter but flat as a pancake, it really is all down to the quality of the tile and the substrate imo.
View attachment 111001

That’s a lovely looking job Andy.
One of the advantages of clips is that they allow you to stretch the bond out also.

 

[bobbynz]

Now before you say “Dave”! You said you’d never use them 😁.
I’ve got a 100mtr plus of 1200mm high gloss plank tiles to do and i know in my whole honest of deep down thoughts an occasional lip will haunt me , so I’ve been thinking and i do say thinking about a lash type system 😂 , oh go on give me grief now lol.

so the laughs are over. What systems do you recommend.

How thick were the planks?

 

[Dave]

How thick were the planks?

10mm

 

[bureaucrazy]

with these clips, do you need to get the same width as the grout joint or is it ok to use thinner clips along side thicker spacers? e.g. 2mm leveling clip with 4mm spacers...

 

[bigdave1903]

with these clips, do you need to get the same width as the grout joint or is it ok to use thinner clips along side thicker spacers? e.g. 2mm leveling clip with 4mm spacers...

Yeah thinner clips are absolutely fine. I find they tend to snap out easier if they’re smaller.

 

[Andy Allen]

how would clips work with sizey tiles if you have to use spacers with them?

 

[Dumbo]

how would clips work with sizey tiles if you have to use spacers with them?

Why would you have to use spacers if you were setting them by eye . I use 1mm clips always and if I was setting sizey tiles I wouldn't be working with joints that tight .

 

[Andy Allen]

Why would you have to use spacers if you were setting them by eye . I use 1mm clips always and if I was setting sizey tiles I wouldn't be working with joints that tight .

because alot of people on here say using spacers with clips is a must to stop the clips running the tiles out of line when you tighten them up.

 

[LM]

how would clips work with sizey tiles if you have to use spacers with them?

Forget about the the clips having a lateral impact so to speak only a vertical one and space the tiles as you normally would to allow for sizing Andy.