Mason on my first tile job told me to ditch the 1/4 inch spacers, and he was right

Wade Reed · 2026-10-27T05:45:04.485001+00:00

Back in March I was doing a 40 sq ft shower surround in my own house and I was fighting grout lines the entire time, uneven gaps everywhere. The mason doing work next door poked his head in and told me my 1/4 inch spacers were the problem because the tiles were actually 6.2mm thick and the grout joint needs to match your tile's bevel, not some number on a bag. I swapped to 3/16 inch wedges and leveling clips the next day and the lines came out clean, no more shimming with cardboard scraps. Cost me about $25 for the clips but probably saved me from tearing out a whole row. If you're about to tile a tub surround, check your actual tile specs before you buy spacers, has anyone else had a mason or pro call out something this basic?

Vivisector

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Mason on my first tile job told me to ditch the 1/4 inch spacers, and he was right | Bathroom Remodeling - Vivisector