How To Choose Crosses For Tiles

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-03 19:28

There is nothing complicated in wall cladding with ceramic tiles. If the surface is flat enough, then you can easily cope with this task. You just need to stock up on the necessary materials, including crosses for tiles.

1. So that as a result of laying the tiles, you get the same inter-tile joints, use special crosses. These plastic products are made in the form of crosses, which is why they were named so. Today, manufacturers offer various options for crosses with different thicknesses from one and a half to ten millimeters.

2. Select crosses based on the desired width between the individual tiles. The larger the tile, the larger the crosses should be. For example, for tiles with dimensions of 100 x 100 mm, the crosses should be 1.5 mm wide. Lay them during work, after the next tile is glued. To do this, apply a special prepared glue to the wall with a square-notched trowel, spray the back of the tile with water to knock off the dust and moisten it enough, place the tile on the profile and press gently. It is better to use a metal level for pressing, then the pressing force on each tile will be the same. After that, put crosses to separate one row from another.

3. Do not glue the tiles completely without gaps, because there are dimensional errors in any of them, and it will not be possible to perfectly stick the tiles to each other. Ceramic also swells when exposed to water, and crosses help avoid cracks and other defects.

4. When installing porcelain stoneware, insert crosses at the corner joints between the individual tiles. To do this, you need four crosses for each tile. This method is used to create wide tile joints. Usually, after laying, these crosses are not removed, but overwritten.

5. For a more accurate alignment of the joints between tiles, use a different method of installing plastic crosses. To do this, spend eight parts per tile, i.e. two crosses on each side. Install them at a distance of 3-5 cm from the corners of the tile, taking into account its size. Put them on one side, then, after a while, you can freely pull them out and reuse.

6. After removing the crosses with a grout and a tiling tool, seal the joints between tiles. Grout usually comes in different colors, it hides cement or glue, looks more aesthetically pleasing and does not allow moisture to seep out.

Please note that if you did not remove the crosses, then in this case, in some places the grout thickness will be much less, which may affect the quality of the joints.

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