What spacing for wall tiles? (30 x 60 cm)

Question

hi,

Im about to tile my bathroom walls and wondering about the right tile spacing.

I’m using  30x60cm tiles, rectified white gloss.

(https://www.bunnings.com.au/duratile-30-x-60cm-white-gloss-ceramic-wall-tile-8-pack_p6661134)

Is a 1,5mm spacing ok for these tiles/project? I noticed that recommendations are 2mm or 3mm….but also thst 1,5mm is ok for rectified tiles.

whst would you recommend? And what are the pros / cons of wider or narrow spacing.

thanks!

JacobZ · Answer

Hi @MartinM,

Apologies, I didn't think to check assuming we would stock them.

We could certainly get you some 2mm tile spacers as our supplier DTA Australia (

https://www.dta-aus.com.au/products/CROSS%20SPACERS

) does have them, you would have to special order them though. If you'd prefer 2mm spacers, then I'd suggest you speak with the Special Orders team at your local store. They will be able to organise them for you.

Otherwise, our friends at Beaumont Tiles should have them in stock -

https://www.beaumont-tiles.com.au/115464-dta-cross-spacer-2mm-500pk

.

Let me know if there is anything else I can do to assist.

Jacob

MartinM · Answer

thanks @JacobZ for such comprehensive response.

I will go then with a wider spacing. 2mm tile spacer are quite hard to find, Bunnings doesn’t have any.

I will try to find a 2mm or will go with a 3mm

Thanks again

JacobZ · Answer

Hi @MartinM,

While grout lines serve a few purposes, one of the main ones is being a space where you can hide small variations.

A 1.5mm grout joint can be possible with rectified tiles, but it leaves very little margin for variation or error. The tiles need to be extremely consistent in size, the wall must be perfectly flat, and the layout and levelling need to be very accurate. Even rectified tiles can have slight dimensional differences, so it is worth dry-laying tiles from several boxes and measuring them before deciding.

The main advantage of a narrow joint is the clean, almost seamless appearance, particularly with white tiles and a matching grout. The disadvantages are that small alignment errors and lippage become more noticeable, and there is less room to compensate for variations in the tiles or wall. It can also be more difficult to pack the grout fully into a very narrow joint.

A wider joint is more forgiving and makes it easier to maintain straight, consistent lines, but the grout grid will be more visible and there will be more grout to maintain.

For these 300 x 600mm tiles, I’d suggest 2mm as a practical compromise. It should still provide a neat, modern appearance while giving you a little more tolerance than 1.5mm. Realistically, you will barely notice 0.5mm difference, but it will give you a little more margin for error.

Whichever width you choose, follow any minimum joint specified by the tile or adhesive manufacturer, and remember that grout joints do not replace the flexible silicone joints required at internal corners, wall-to-floor junctions and other changes of plane.

Check out

https://www.bunnings.com.au/diy-advice/diy-skills/tiling/how-to-tile-a-wall

for some further guidance and let me know if you have any other questions.

Jacob