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When you are redoing your bathroom, it is important that your bathroom floor tile looks great and that it properly reflects your personality and the feel of your home. This means that more than likely you don’t want to just pick the first thing you see on the shelf. There are several choices that you will need to make regarding the shape of the tile, and how much space you want between each bathroom floor tile.
Getting the dimensions right and making sure that tile on the floor and the wall stays consistent is easier to accomplish when you are working with professional flooring companies that you can find with the help of Angi, formerly known as Angie’s List.
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Why Tile Spacers are an Important Part of Your Bathroom Tiling Project
When it’s time to replace tiles or lay bathroom floor tiles for the first time, it isn’t as easy as opening the box and gluing tiles to the floor. The tiles need to have a properly balanced look, and that’s one of the times when you can appreciate the experience of the flooring company you found with Angi. Tile spacers don’t look like much. They are little T or X-shaped pieces of ceramic or plastic that help bring consistency to your project. They pinch against the sides of the tiles so the right amount of space is left between each one in order to assure that you have the same amount of grout between each tile. Without them, or if they are not used correctly, your floor or wall tiles may look lopsided and unprofessional.
Your choice of tile spacers is a choice that rivals the selection of your tile, and there are many options to choose from. Spacers can be:
- X-shaped
- T shaped
- U shaped
- TAVY spacers
- Wedge-shaped
With both TAVY and X-shaped tiles, the goal is to provide a checkerboard look to the floor. The shape is similar as well, but has a bit more flexibility, especially at the edges of the room. Wedges and U shapes are more commonly used for walls and counters, rather than floors.
Choosing the Size and Spacing of Your Tiles
While some tile selections come with a predetermined amount of space between the tiles, especially when it comes to wall tiles, there is a bit more leeway when it comes to the tiles on your floor. When you work with an Angi referred bathroom tile installation company, you should discuss the look and feel you are going for in the room. They should be able to provide suggestions based on their experience and help you come up with what you really want.
Depending on where the tiles are laid, the standards differ when it comes to what will look best, and what will be the most practical in your space going forward. If your tiles are small to medium-sized, then a space of 1/8th of an inch or so is usually recommended in order to keep the tiles from rubbing together and chipping. If you are concerned with traction, you may want to discuss having a bit more space in between tiles to preserve safety,
If you decide to use larger tiles or ones with an abnormal shape, it is generally recommended to have a larger grout line that can better mask any inconsistencies, and maintain a better sense of flow to the finished project. When the tiles are varied, such as with a mosaic design, spacing as much as a half-inch is often recommended.
If tiles are simply large, but are consistent in shape, you may be able to get by with a thinner grout line, depending on recommendations from the manufacturer. A thinner liner will give your floor a smoother overall appearance, almost as if your tile was a single piece.
Matching Your Grout
While many think of grout as simply the lines between the tiles, this is still a decision that needs to be considered carefully. With traditional grout, you will need more sand if you are using wider spacers because it offers extra support. In higher humidity areas, such as bathrooms, most flooring companies will use synthetic grout that will hold better and require less bathroom tile repairs down the road. It is also to be wary of sand content if you have chosen tiles that may scratch easily, such as marble.
The color of your grout is another thing to consider. Do you want a match or near match to your floor tile, or do you prefer to complement or contrast the color of the tile? Over time, grout can fade, so it is important to keep this in mind as you are making your choice.
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