Tiling Standards (BS 5385) | British Wall and Floor Tiling Standards - IN FULL

[Old Mod]

I had to do a 1.5sqm showroom display of a pretty complex victorian pattern once. I know i'm no tiler but that bugger took me 4 days. It was a mix of about 12 to 15 tiles, squares, triangles, rectangles.

I think because they are pre-cut and used for many differents designs, its never going to be 100% perfect from one style to the next. Mine ended up having joints from 2mm down to 0.5mm. On tiles that are as small as 35x35mm, thats a mahoosive difference. But once grouted and taking the magnifying glass away, looked like a pro had done it (not usually one to blow my own trumpet.... but it is long enough, and working with those, I can be forgiven for doing so.)

Seriously though, I don't envy the tiler who turns up at a customers house, and after measuring up the 30 metre floor and is then told "I want a victorian pattern"..... I can imagine the heartache!

The one above was 24m which is above average.
This was 8m and 2500 pieces
View media item 12163

 

[Tile Shop]

HA HA HA.... This is an absolute cracker.....

Dust pressed ceramics, can be up to 0.5% out of square, to a maximum of 2mm!!!! I come out of a pub straighter than that!

 

[bcd-87]

Iv had to stop useing Topps tile due to this tolerance issue.. It's a joke they told me manufacturers specifications are 5mm per box..

I called them out on it £1000 cash tell this to the next 10 costomers that walk in and see if you Make a sale, needless to say the manger bottled it !!

@Dan where can I get all BS for free that would be helpful

 

[Dan]

Iv had to stop useing Topps tile due to this tolerance issue.. It's a joke they told me manufacturers specifications are 5mm per box..

I called them out on it £1000 cash tell this to the next 10 costomers that walk in and see if you Make a sale, needless to say the manger bottled it !!

@Dan where can I get all BS for free that would be helpful

British Standards in Wall And Floor Tiling BS 5385 For Free

 

[Unused Account 1]

Trying to make straight lines ,with different sizes ,really lol gives us a chance haha

 

[jimthetiler]

bring back flogging,thats what I say.Then well see how straight they get em.
Nice floor by the way.Reminds me of a job I took on once.The whole floor was dug up and put in bins and left in the blokes garden forever.All I was given was a photo copy of what it used to look like,he got jim the tilers version.

 

[Rizzle from the Portizzle]

Wanna hear another absolute stinker on this??? Based on the examples given in EN14411..... again.

Example.... A range of tiles which for examples sake is called Asbestos Bog.... available in 3 colours, Black, White and Poo Brown (3 colours associated with an asbestos bog... see what I did there? white pan, black cistern, and...... nevermind!)

The nominal size is 600x300. The customer has worked out a design for a single wall based on this advertised (and legally acceptable) size.

Due to the manufucturing process and timings of the batches, the Black is 599x299. The White is 595x296. The Poo Brown is 600x295.

These tiles are within nominal sizing.
These tiles are within tolerance because tolerance is only forced upon a single tile design from a single batch. Technically, all 3 tiles are different so the tolerance doesn't apply between them.
Tragically, these tiles conform to British and European Standards.

Bummer ay!

to cut manufucturing cost few factorys produce 600x300 tiles its cheaper to produce 600x600 then cut them
down and rectify depending on who is working that machine and time of day .how good the cutting is but dont worry BS has aloud for this .

 

[Amir Patwa]

If you buy from reputable shop all tiles should have no tolerance!!
You are not buying pototes or carrots !

 

[Lee@emctiles]

With the increasing popularity of large format wall and floor tile we wish to remind you that the tolerances allow for a 0.5% warpage in tile planarity. therefore the European norms allow on a 60x60 tile 3.5mm tolerance between the centre of the tile and its corners.
This causes no problem whatsoever when the tiles are fixed in the normal draughtboard pattern, however, it can create problems if the tile is fixed brick bond or half bond particularly in the case of rectified tiles when the joint width is reduced to 1.5mm. It is advisable in this instance to ask your client to check for acceptability BEFORE fixing or alternatively to consider bonding 1/3 - 2/3 which will have the effect of halving discrepancies in planarity.

Hope this helps. this is generally the rule we use when selling anyway.

 

[Amir Patwa]

With the increasing popularity of large format wall and floor tile we wish to remind you that the tolerances allow for a 0.5% warpage in tile planarity. therefore the European norms allow on a 60x60 tile 3.5mm tolerance between the centre of the tile and its corners.
This causes no problem whatsoever when the tiles are fixed in the normal draughtboard pattern, however, it can create problems if the tile is fixed brick bond or half bond particularly in the case of rectified tiles when the joint width is reduced to 1.5mm. It is advisable in this instance to ask your client to check for acceptability BEFORE fixing or alternatively to consider bonding 1/3 - 2/3 which will have the effect of halving discrepancies in planarity.

Hope this helps. this is generally the rule we use when selling anyway.

When you buy mechanically produced product there should be no tolerance! I run a service through " STONE GURU" and I travel to USA to inspect containers of natural and made made tiles of various sizes! If they are not uniform and calibrated
Then the whole shipment is rejected! Supplier carries the insurance