Why do I need crosses for tiles?

Before you make any repairs, you need to think in advance and buy the required materials. Tiling is not an exception, and in this case, in addition to tile and glue, experts recommend to purchase special remote beacons, from the correct choice of which depends on the appearance and quality of installation. It makes sense to find out in more detail what kind of accessories they are and why we need crosses for tiles.

Crosses for tiles are small plastic accessories that have a cruciform shape and help in the process of tiling. Having knowledge of the correct choice and use of crosses for wall tiles or floor ceramic products, you can count on a good quality of work.

This supporting material performs a number of important functions:

• Fixing and controlling the width of the seams - the space that is formed between adjacent tiles. Beacons for ceramic products on the wall or for tile floor have equal-sized beams that are installed at the intersection of the modules, and the master can adjust the space in four directions, fixing levels horizontally and vertically. Thanks to such manipulations, the seams are perfectly even, and the lining looks neat and aesthetic.

• Visual correction of seam sizes. There are some minor factory defects of ceramics, such as irregular cuts, nodules at the corners, slightly different lengths of the sides. Due to the ability to maintain the required distance between the two modules, these shortcomings can be easily eliminated.
• Formation of the required space between the fragments, since the crosses have different sizes. The presence of gaps allows to preserve the integrity of the tiles during the operation of the lining, because during heating the tile tends to expand, and the seams compensate for the required space.

In order for the purchased cross to help you make a high-quality lining, you need to pay attention to some characteristics of these accessories.

Currently, there are several types of remote crosses:

• Standard self-leveling plastic four-terminal cruciform elements are used for ordinary tile laying. If you need to perform a lining in the run (on the principle of brickwork), you will need T-shaped crosses. This item is unlikely to be bought, so they are made from standard ones, manually cutting one beam. Crosses are solid or hollow. It is believed that it is more convenient to work with the latter, because they do not squeeze a part of the adhesive onto the tile.

• There are crosses that have a different thickness of the rays. They are used when performing specific facings. Without certain application skills, you should not purchase such products.
• Crosses in the form of wedges. Deepening such elements into the space between the seams, it is easy to adjust to the required width, adjust the distance between the two fragments.Wedges, as a rule, are used when facing with large ceramic granite tiles. Convenient to use when placing the very first row.

• A special tile alignment system, the so-called 3D beacons, the hallmark of which is the ability to adjust tile laying in a three-dimensional design, i.e. not only the width of the seams, but also the surface relative to each other. The set of SVP includes special clips, caps, wedges, various meters depending on the type of system. Through the use of 3D crosses, you can get rid of the problem of the formation of air voids under the coating, as well as to avoid cracks and chips on the modules as a result of improper installation.

The minimum thickness of the remote beacons is 1 mm, each size increases by 0.5-1 mm. In everyday life, as a rule, crosses are used, having dimensions of 1.5-6 mm. The most common is the seam thickness of 1.5-2 mm, it looks neat and emphasizes the beauty of the modules and the small and large sizes.

To choose the right crosses, it is necessary to focus not on the size of the plate, but on the geometry of the modules when joining.In many ways, the thickness of the crosses will depend on the errors in the corners. With a protrusion of 0.5 mm, beacons up to 2 mm will be quite enough; errors of 1 mm and more will disappear from 3 mm with a seam.

The best size of space crosses for ceramic coatings on the floor is considered to be 2.5–3 mm thick, and 1.5–2 mm to the wall. The width of the inter-tile seam from 10-12 mm is rarely used in certain types of cladding, for example, "hog", or in cases where design requires. In the absence of beacons of this size, the correct thickness of the seams is maintained with the help of scraps of drywall or pieces of tiles.

It is considered an erroneous view that the least thickness of the seams, i.e. 1 mm, is an important condition for a quality-made lining. Sometimes too thin a seam can fundamentally make it difficult to adjust the distance between the plates, and the coating will generally lose its appeal. For the quality and tidy performance of this work and the achievement of ideal results, you must have knowledge of the correct selection of crosses.

First of all it depends on the intended sizes and shapes of tiles. Slightly noticeable joints are unacceptable for mid-size ceramic tiles. This finish will have an unappealing look.There are varieties of tiles that need to be laid with a wide seam. This can be determined by the end parts of the modules; there is a certain angle at the ends.

Experienced masters recommend guided by the following rule: the width of the seam should be equal to the ratio of the length of the largest side of the ceramic tile to 100. For example, the size of the module is 20 by 30 cm, which means that the thickness of the seam should be 3 mm (300/100 = 3). This principle also applies to equilateral square products. When using this rule, the finish will look neat and professional.

Next you should pay attention to the material of the cross: it is mainly plastic, having a different viscosity. The current industry produces beacons of varying strength, more fragile suitable for giving T - shape. There are more durable products that are harder to break. This quality is important to take into account, since a too fragile cross will be harder to remove. Before buying, you should carefully examine the product.

Many are interested in the issue of the consumption of crosses per 1 m2. There is no definite formula for the calculation, it all depends on the dimensions, and, accordingly, the number of ceramic elements per 1 square meter. mThe result is the following: the number of modules in 1 m2 is multiplied by 4 or 8 pcs. (depending on the parameters of the tile) and add 10-15% to the received number. The average consumption is 30-100 crosses per 1 square. meter.

A global approach to this issue is not worth it, the price of these products is small, besides, they can be reused when the adhesive composition completely hardens. Therefore, it is enough to calculate their capabilities for one day laying.

If it is not possible to purchase remote elements, craftsmen recommend using available materials. In each case, these can be different items, depending on the thickness of the seams. The most common option are matches. For wider seams, you can use a corrugated cardboard from which the boxes are made for tiles. This material has one drawback - it quickly soaks, there are difficulties in removing it from the seams.

Washers having the same thickness - another analogue of the remote crosses. Perhaps the use of pieces of glass of the same thickness, but this option is quite dangerous. In any case, you should know that the use of scrap materials complicates the process of laying.

A few helpful tips for beginner tile masters:

• To produce high-quality styling, it is recommended to choose and buy crosses with jumpers. Such models are a guarantee of reliable fixation and even gaps between the tiles.
• Beautiful tiling is always a combination of even interplate joints and balance of the picture as a whole. Therefore, you should always look for a “middle ground”.

• The most common and frequently purchased cross size in 90% of cases is an auxiliary product of 1.5 mm, because when using such a product sideways, the seam thickness will be 2 mm, which is considered to be the best option when laying tile.
• It is necessary to pay attention to the fact that visually the thickness of the seam will depend directly on the tile itself, more precisely, on the shape of the corner (there are rounded and sharp models).With a rounded corner, the seam less than 2 mm will not work, even if you use a cross in 1 mm. If the tile is calibrated or ratified, the thickness of the interlayer tile will be clearly equal to the width of the beacon used.

In conclusion, it should be noted that remote crosses are not a panacea in principle, even with an immaculate tile. The result of the lining will always depend on the skill, technique and professionalism of the person who uses them.

About why you need crosses for tiles, see the next video.