Tile leveling clips - GIF

[Jon]

Tile leveling clips.



Previously:

Space shuttle thermal tile - GIF and video
Traditional tile manufacturing by hand - GIF
Tiled access panel - GIF

[olderdan]

O Boy I could have used those a few times in the past, with floor tiles getting bigger and bigger these days less that a perfect base is a real problem. Certainly beats the tread boards I used to use.

[Drew1966]

Lash clips, such as those shown here, have the major problem that they tend to lift tiles up to level them which creates voids under tiles, leading to a much shorter life for the floor.

[Jon]

Is there a way to use them so the lifting action is minimized? Also, it looks like there's a piece of plastic left embedded in the mortar; do those cause ghosting?

[Drew1966]

Is there a way to use them so the lifting action is minimized? Also, it looks like there's a piece of plastic left embedded in the mortar; do those cause ghosting?

I have tried them before many times and the only way I have ever found to not have tiles lifting is to not use lash clips. As to the remaining plastic foot, if you grout them correctly, the client won’t know they are there as only the foot remains.
Like most jobs, do it properly or pay a skilled professional.

[Drew1966]

If the surface to be tiled is prepared correctly in the first place (liquid leveller comes to mind) and the adhesive spread evenly, then your tiles should look a million bucks.

[Frank S]

Back when I did the kitchen floor all I knew about the wood section of the floor was it had a layer of 3/4 ply over a plank subfloor.
When I removed the floor in the bathroom just behind the kitchen, I got a better idea of the construction the floor joists are rough cut true dimension 2x8 set on 12-inch centers over 4x10 beams on 8ft centers with 4x6 beams between them on 4 ft centers the main beams were supported every 10 feet initially I guess on tapered poured piers no idea how deep in the ground they go but they are about 12' in diameter at the top and close to 16" where they disappear into the ground apparently over time there had been some settling or warping of the 4x6 beams as several 16x16 x4" concrete pads had been placed with 8x8x16 solid concrete blocks on top of them then shimmed to the beams with cedar shingles. the subfloor planking is 1x6 true dimension T&G with the 3/4 ply over the top.
When I had installed the 2 layers of cement backer board under the tile in the kitchen, I used a premixed construction adhesive more like a thick glue than anything else I don't recall the brand but I remember going through several 2 1/2 gallon pails for the project. at somewhere around 40 to 50 bucks each the first layer of cement board is screwed down on the 200mmx200 mm or 8x8 grid the second layer is turned 90° to the first and the screw pattern is the same but offset so that every screw hit the center of the lower grid first layer is screwed down with 1 1/2" long screws and the second with mostly 2-inch-long screws. This is the only tiled floor I can remember that is never cold when you walk on it with bare feet in the winter either the portion over the slab or the portion over the wood floor. I don't know if this is because of having 2 layers of the cement board and 3 layers of adhesive that cancels the thermal conduction or what, but we are happy with it. The only thing I'd like to do would be to someday grind the grout down in the joints and insert brass strips but the color and texture of the tile we have wouldn't look right

[Rorschach]

Strikes me as a bad idea, voids and extra thick bedding compound sounds like a recipe for cracked tiles.

[Drew1966]

Strikes me as a bad idea, voids and extra thick bedding compound sounds like a recipe for cracked tiles.

Exactly. There are people who claim to be able to use lash clips properly but when you check the work afterward, there are always voids.

[Frank S]

My house has an addition to it and part of the kitchen floor is slab part is beam with wood decking I put down a double layer of cement backer board to help stiffen and level out the floor prior to laying the tile. TO do this I first stripped the floor to the decking and concrete poured construction adhesive over the entire floor as I laid the 1x2 meter backer board then over the wood portion screwed it down on a 20 cm x 20 cm pattern.Then spread adhesive over that for the 2nd layer of backer board, then the tile adhesive and the tiles which were 1/4 meter sq. It didn't come out perfect but good enough for a 50 year old house. I would have preferred to use 200 mm sq or smaller tiles, but the guy doesn't always get to choose the color texture or size.
Now she thinks she wants tile chips for the bathroom walls OUCH! I have been balking on that for 2 years now.