Tile Positioning Cross
1. Name
Tile positioning cross, also known as plastic cross, is referred to as tile spacer or plastic cross in English.
2. Material
The more mature products in the market are made of PE material, with a color of ceramic white. Its advantages include good toughness, good tensile strength, non-toxic, impact-resistant, moisture-resistant, chemical-resistant, and not easy to break.
3. Product Purpose
To adjust the size of the gaps between the tiles, making the tile installation neat and beautiful, and ensuring that the gaps between the tiles are consistent and even.
When laying tiles, it is essential to leave gaps. Some so-called seamless tiles are merely a shortcut. Leaving gaps in tiles is not only to address issues with irregular sizes but also to provide space for thermal expansion and contraction. In the past, you may have heard about seamless steel pipes. Currently, consumers need to be cautious about the hype surrounding seamless tiles. Setting aside decoration, from a physical perspective, it is theoretically untenable: the expansion of seamless steel pipes occurs uniformly outward in all directions, so no cracks appear. However, tiles are mostly installed in a relatively enclosed space. For example, with walls, the sides and bottom are usually fixed against the wall and floor. If tiles are treated seamlessly during installation, where will they expand? Clearly, for seamless tiles to work, their thermal expansion and contraction rate would need to be zero, which is impossible. So what is the consequence of forcing a seamless treatment? Tiles cannot expand and push against the wall because the adhesive strength on the back cannot exceed the force pushing against the wall. The only outcome is that the tiles will arch up.
4. Specifications
Specifications include 1.0mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm, 2.5mm, 3.0mm, 4.0mm, 5.0mm, 6.0mm, 8.0mm, 10mm, etc. The 1.5mm specification refers to a width of 1.5mm.
For wall tiles, a gap of 1-2mm is optimal, while for smaller tiles (100x100mm), larger gaps may be needed for aesthetic purposes.
For floor tiles, with the exception of retro tiles that require larger gaps (5mm-10mm), other types of tiles are generally best at 1-5mm. Seamless tiles or polished tiles usually choose 1 or 1.5mm.
The following data is for reference only; specific size choices may also depend on personal preference and aesthetic considerations.
1.0mm, 1.5mm are used for seamless tiles and marble tiles.
2.0mm is used for wall tiles.
2.5mm, 3.0mm are used for small-sized tiles.
4.0mm, 5.0mm, 6.0mm are used for medium-sized tiles.
8.0mm, 10mm are used for large-sized tiles and outdoor tiles.
5. Usage
Quantity of tile positioning crosses: under normal circumstances, one cross is used per tile. A 5mm cross can typically be removed and reused after the tiles have dried, allowing for about three uses, which can save some costs. However, 3mm and 2mm crosses are difficult to remove without risking dislodging the tiles, and they can only be taken out once the tiles are completely dry. Therefore, they are generally not reusable. If you do not want to remove them, you can leave them inside and they will be concealed when the gaps are filled. It is recommended to purchase according to the principle of one cross per tile.
6. Purpose of Leaving Gaps
To adjust the size discrepancies of wall tiles and maintain overall aesthetics;
Secondly, to reserve expansion joints for wall tiles to prevent the upper row of tiles from compressing the lower row, which could cause hollowing and detachment of the wall tiles.
