Lippage occur when one tile is higher than the neighbor tile which creates a small ledge that can cause a person to trip over teh ledge. Because no tiles is perfect in size and shape, there will be some variations in the size of the tiles by fractions of a millimeter. Additionally, the floor may not be perfect flat.
To avoid lippage, you must use tile spacers to ensure that all tiles are level with one another. The size of the tile spacer that you use will depend upon the type of look that you want for your floor design and the type of tile that you are using. If you would like a seamless look to your tiles and narrow joints between the tiles, you should use narrow spacers.
How to Use Tile Spacers and Leveling Systems to Avoid Uneven Tiles
However, you should only use narrow spacers if the type of tile that you are using are rectified tiles. Rectified tiles is those that the manufacturer cut to an exact same size after they are fired. Therefore, there will be no inconsistency in size of the tiles that you use.
If you use narrow spacers with non-rectified tiles, the lines may look crookedly due to the inconsistencies in size of the non-rectified tiles. If you desire a more rustic look for your floors with the tiles, you should use wider spacers. Wider spacers are useful in being able to hide the natural variation in size of some of the more common types of non-rectified tiles.
The size of the tiles that you use will dictate the size of the joint between the tiles. If you use larger format tiles, the joint size will also have to be larger. This is because large format tiles has a tendency to bow in the middle of the tile.
The joints between large format tiles must provide more space to accommodate for the natural expansion and contraction of the tiles within the home. Using narrow joints with large format tiles may lead to the tiles crack due to the pressure that the tiles take. Finally, the shape of the tile spacer should match the installation pattern for the tiles.
Cross spacers is most common and used for standard grid installations. However, you use T-shaped spacers for installation patterns like the running bond or tiles that is staggered. T-shaped spacers are used in areas where only three tile will meet.
Additionally, you can choose to use a tile leveling system. A tile leveling system utilize clips that allow the edges of the tiles to be pulled to create a flat floor. Furthermore, using a leveling system will help you to avoid lippage.
A tile leveling system is also highly recommended if the tiles that you are installing are larger than eighteen inches. The location of your tiles will play a big role in what type of spacers and what type of joints you should use for your floor. In areas that is wet, such as pools or showers, the joints will need to be wider so that you can use heavy duty epoxy grout.
The heavy-duty epoxy grout will prevent moisture from the area from seeping into the walls. For dry areas, such as living rooms, you can use narrower joints. Additionally, a movement joint will be required for your floor.
These joints will allow for your floor to shift and will prevent the pressure from potentially snap one of the tiles. When removing the spacers from the joints created by the tiles, you must take care to ensure that you dont leave the spacers in the joints for too long or remove them too early. You must wait until the adhesive begins to firm so that the tiles do not shift from the floor.
However, the adhesive should not be so hard that the spacers becomes stuck to the joints. Do not leave the spacers within the joints while applying the grout to the joints; this will create a weak point within the grout and the floor. Use a spacer puller tool to remove the spacers when the adhesive is firm enough that the tiles will not shift.
If prepared correctly, the floor will remain flat.
