A lot of Youtube videos is showing subway tiles being installed without spacers…
Do you really need spacers or not for Subway tiles (Bathtub surround tiling) ??
Thank you
Andrew
Tile – Do you need spacers for subway tiles
bathtubceramic-tile
Related Solutions
I have repaired the issue I had with this tile. I did not take the advice given above and looked around for an alternative as the risk of damaging the tile-warmer element was too high (and expensive). I spent a few hours and carefully dug out the grout around the tile and surrounding tiles - this was very tedious as I didn't want to damage the heating element. I vacuumed and cleaned thoroughly. I then mixed up some epoxy grout and with a putty knife pushed the grout as far as possible into the gaps. Since I had used grooved trowel to lay the tiles, the epoxy grout filled under the tile into the gaps. After 2 days I tested the tile and it does not move at all. The epoxy grout is INCREDIBLY strong and hopefully stabilized the tile. I am glad I didn't resort to breaking up the tiles.
You should NOT place a vapor barrier BEHIND the backer board.
Where, pray tell, would any such collected vapor/water go?
Answer:There's nowhere proper for such moisture to egress.
The current best practice is to place waterproofing OVER the backetboard and just UNDER the tile. Thin sheet membranes like Kerdi or NobleFlex are examples . Paint on membranes can also be used, such as RedGuard or AquaDefense.
This a is a recent job I completed illustrating Kerdi over Hardibacker.
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Best Answer
4-1/4" and some larger wall tiles have bumps cast in that act as spacers. Unless you want a larger gap, no additional spacers are needed.
Whether your particular tile has them is uncertain. They're often necessary to prevent sagging with heavier tile while the mortar or mastic sets.