Favorite tile leveling system

[bottlefed]

Hello all, looking to replace my lash conventional system.

What is your preference, most of my work these days is 12 by 24 and larger.

Thanks in advance,

Richard Gavle

[PC7060]

Hi Richard,

I’m still using the Lash system, available at HD. They’ve redesigned the under tile clips to remove the curve and the beaded ends. Much easier to use. The wedge opening is also larger so you don’t have to fight to remove the wedges from the discard portion of the clip during cleanup.
I’ve got the Lowes version of the wedge install pliers, work great.
Lowes sells a knockoff version of the old style Lash clips but with a large wedge slot as well so the wedges pretty much fall out during cleanup. Same price as the OEM Lash clips.

The system does a great job keeping the tile edges aligned but works best if the thin sets is mixed a little loose. The tiles in the attached picture are 15x30

Unfortunately, it doesn’t help keep the job tidy.

[bottlefed]

My main beef with the lash (other than the tapered flexy clips) is that the wedges almost fall through on all but the thicker tiles. On a few jobs the where the client wanted a grout joint larger than 1/8th the clips were all the way to the last notch and barely contacting the tile on the short side of the wedge.

Looking at your picture it appears yours also suffers from the same issue (I thought maybe I just had a bad batch of wedges) where even with tile you are using that appears to be pretty thick and a fairly narrow grout joint the wedges are almost to the end of their travel.

I am thinking Raimondi as their wedges appear to be much thicker.

Thanks for the reply. PS I am in Bethesda MD so welcome neighbor ;-)

[PC7060]

I probably over tighten the wedges since I started using the hand tools. Before that I just wiggled / pushed into a place; always had plenty of mating between tiles.

Bethesda is nice place. I used to live in Gaithersburg before moving to VA. Went a meeting recently at an office located in the development where the old king farm was off 355. Wow, had no idea how to find my way around until I got back on Gaither road.

[cx]

If you'll type leveling system into the Advanced Search feature and limit your search to the Hangout, you'll find some information there. Even though none of those lippage control systems does any leveling at all.

Would likely be a good idea for you to put that geographic location into your User Profile, too.

[bottlefed]

Thanks CX,

I just found the user control panel feature and was able to add my location as well as my car picture.

Richard

[bottlefed]

Agreed PC,

I used to live in Gburg and work as a mechanic at Walnut Hill Shell as well as Shady Grove Texaco (Same owner) back when Victoria Station was just past the bowling alley off Shady Grove Rd. Now they have one of those car vending machines and an Indoor sky diving place near where Victoria Station was.....of course what they have done to Gburg pales in comparison to downtown Bethesda which I avoid like the plague.

Richard

[Tiger Mountain Tile Inc]

MLT.

The 1-piece T2 straps were my fav but have been discontinued. Mick says the new 0.8 straps are even better. I'll be trying those out here in the next week or two.

I've never had a T2 strap break wrong where I have to cut it out of the grout joint. That's remarkable.

[ss3964spd]

For what it's worth from a DIY'er, Richard, the Spin Doctor system does a great job. Certainly a bit more spendy than others. The caps and "optional" protective clear disks (you'll want those) are re-useable.

[bottlefed]

Thanks TMT,

That seems to be the consensus among those who do this as the pros who do this as their primary line of work, however for part timer like myself the price for the kit is a hard pill to swallow.....like the Stabila levels ;-)

However I have never regretted a good tool purchase. So I will probably go ahead and bite the bullet on the next large shower job that comes my way and pick up the set.

Richard

[bottlefed]

Thanks SS,

The spin doctor spin doctor seems to do a good job although I will probably wind up getting a cheaper wedge system until I bite the bullet and pick up the MLT.

Richard

PS probably said it in the past but I love the SS takes me back to my youth.....I had a 67 with a 396 outfitted with the routine cam, intake, headers etc. But no driveshaft loop and as I was banging second gear it split the yoke on the driveshaft and folded the shaft up under the car....weird failure for sure.

[Tiger Mountain Tile Inc]

For what it's worth, I hear that the Spin Doctor system is a really good spinner system. I also hear good things about LevTec and Perfect Level Master when it comes to wedge systems.

But I don't have any experience with any of the ones that I listed above

[ss3964spd]

Originally Posted by Richard

...weird failure for sure.

Not to mention probably causing a pretty significant pucker.

Mine's a '66 Impala, factory 4 speed car. I don't hammer on it because I really don't want to hurt the #'s matching M20, and am pretty scared of the stock 1310 u-joints coming apart, or worse, the stock 12 bolt. People who know how to set up a rear end correctly are few and far between, at least around NoVa.

[PC7060]

Getting scarce everywhere, Dan. There’s a muscle car shop across the river from Fredericksburg in old town Falmouth, next to Amy’s cafe. Looks old school, run out of an old garage with lots of car in various levels of work.

[ss3964spd]

It is a challenge, PC. I'm fortunate that I can do the majority of work on that car but, like tile work, finding someone who knows how to set up a rear end, and has the tools to do it properly, well, hens teeth. I especially like when they say, "sure, just leave it here and we'll get to it sometime this week". Leave it with you, seriously?

It needs a new pinon seal, it wants more highway friendly gears.