Spacers - in or out??

[cas.crash25]

I've laid a dry run of my laundry floor tiles and relied heavily on the spacers to line up the tiles nicely. What happens when I get to laying them for real? Should I leave the spacers in and grout over them, or remove them as I go? If I leave them, does this affect the grouting? Thanks :)

[droog]

Do not leave them in, this is the first place the grout will fail.
I usually dont use spacers for floor tiles just align them by eye however there is no problem using them if it is easier for you, but dont leave them in. When doing wall tiles I still use spacers but I do not embed them between the corners of the tile, I just use the point of them to space between the tiles, you use a lot more of them but they are easy to remove once the glue sets.

Hope this helps. Dave

[stevoh741]

x2. Dont lay them down in the corners.

[cas.crash25]

Thanks for the heads up. Spacers out! :)

[intertd6]

With any clay fired material there is a minute amount growth of the product for many years after being fixed in position, the difference between cementitious grout & slightly flexible spacers is debatable, the real important thing is expansion joints at the appropriate locations.
regards inter

[goldie1]

If you are not confident about keeping straight by eye on the floor area work to a string line.

[cas.crash25]

Thanks to all, I am learning lots of advice. I can't wait to get the tiles down now!

[METRIX]

Hi Cas

Use the spacers to keep your lines straight but put the spacer in using one edge leaving the other three edges sticking out of the top of the tile.

You will need to use 4 spacers per tile intersection, when the glue has dried just pull the spacers out.

Don't be tempted to put the spacers in flat touching all four corners with the intention of removing them after the glue has dried as it will be very difficult to remove them.

Also get yourself a pack of tiling wedges, these will assist in keeping things straight when the spacers don't do exactly what you want, you will find the glue can tend to pull your tiles slightly off line and the wedges will help you to keep things straight.

Get the ones that go from 0 to about 5mm these are usually yellow.