Overheard a couple arguing about tile spacers at the hardware store

They were debating whether to use the little plastic crosses or just eyeball it for a small backsplash. The guy said his dad always told him 'the grout line is your friend, not your enemy' and insisted on using them. Made me realize I've been skipping that step on small jobs for years... probably why my last kitchen tile job in the bungalow on Elm Street looked a bit wavy up close. Anyone have a good rule for when you can get away without spacers?

3 comments

3 Comments

claire_ross6123d ago

My cousin tried to freehand the tile in his camper van... said it was just a tiny area behind the sink. Ended up with these weird, pinched corners that drove him nuts every time he did the dishes. He ripped it all out after six months and used the little crosses. Now he swears by them for anything bigger than a single accent piece.

hannah_craig22d ago

Six months of staring at pinched tile corners while washing a single coffee cup sounds like a special kind of DIY torture. I get the urge to just go for it, especially in a small van space where you think you can manage. But those little plastic crosses are basically training wheels for straight lines, and there's no shame in using them. Your cousin learned the hard way that eyeballing it is a fast track to a project that bugs you forever. I'd rather spend five extra minutes at the start than six months of quiet rage every time I do the dishes.

pat_harris23d ago

Yeah, those little spacers are a lifesaver. Did my own kitchen backsplash and tried to eyeball it at first. The lines went all wobbly after just a few tiles. Switched to the plastic spacers and it came out perfectly straight, no weird gaps. Totally worth the extra few minutes to set them.