- Types and Sizes
As mentioned already, spacers come in a variety of types and sizes. Keep in mind there isn’t any one-size-fits-all solution, and you must choose the right size and shape based on the requirements of your project.
X-Shaped Tile Spacers: Use this type of spacers where four tiles meet. Their size varies from 1/16 inches to ½ inches.
T-Shape Tile Spacers: Use this type of spacers wherethree tiles meet. Their size ranges from 1/32 inches to 3/8 inches.
Horseshoe Spacers: Also known as U-shaped shapers, this type is ideal for countertops, especially if you want to level the surface material before adding the cement board. They are available in a variety of sizes, such as 1/16, 1/8 and ¼ inches.
The Benefits of Tile Spacers
At the most basic level, spacers have a pretty simple purpose: they will allow you to keep the tiles at equal distance, enabling you to space them correctly and get a symmetrical result.
However, their benefits don’t stop there.
Here’s how tile spacers can make your life easier and ensure that the installation process goes a bit smoother than before.
- Create Even Grout Lines
It doesn’t matter how hard you’ve worked to measure and prep the surface before installing the tiles. If the grout lines are uneven, then the final result will look messy and unprofessional. That is especially true if you’re using a grout color that stands out against the tiles.
Spacers are an excellent way to ensure that the grout lines are uniform and well-proportioned.
- Ensure Tiles’ Uniformity
Accuracy and uniformity are two of the keywords of a successful installation project. Just think about it: if just one of the tile slate is slightly off-center, then it will jeopardize the appearance of the entire layout. Spacers make it easy to ensure the precise alignment of floor and wall tiles and achieve a uniform and constant look. That way, you won’t risk having the tiles at the edge of the floor set further apart than the ones at the center of the surface.
- Enhance the Design
One of the reasons you should use spacers when you’re dry-laying the tiles is that you can see what grout width works best with your pattern. That way, you can make adjustments to the design and enhance the appearance of the final result.
- Improve the Durability of Tile Surface
You may think that after years of experience, you don’t need spacers to tell how and where you should place the tiles. You would be wrong. Savvy installers know that every tiling project is different and even a formed eye can’t observe all the subtleties of the surface. Place the tiles too close together, and you risk damaging the material when the slates expand.
Spacers, however, enable you to determine the exact distance you need to leave between tiles. As such, the surface you are creating is safer and more durable than if you were to guess the tile placement.
- Fast Turnaround
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