Tile spacers are used to get an equal gap between each tile. A larger gap between some kinds of tiles will enhance their appearance.
Unfortunately many tile spacers are not that well designed and have hardly improved since the use of wooden matches, if you use the cross type spacers as shown here it is best if the pegging technique is used so that the spacers can be re-used. If you want to make the job much easier I would recommend sure tile spacers as these are extremely useful when tiling in corners and make Scribe cutting tiles very easy.
Tile spacers are normally made from plastic and come in several different sizes.
Tile spacers can be used on each corner of the tile and ensure that the tiles are laid squarely. Most DIY books show people to use spacers this way but this is not the best way to use them.
Tile spacers are normally left in place and then grouted over, but this often means that the grout is too thin where the spacer is and often the spacers can be seen through the grout!
Tile spacers are much better if they are used like this, often referred to as "pegging". The spacers can be removed and used time and time again, saving money. Using the tile spacers in this way can be very helpful when a thick tile is being used as normally the spacer will be lost in the bed of adhesive.
To get the best results when tiling I recommend using sure tile uniplug spacers, these make tiling much easier and the spacers are 100% reusable. You can currently get these to give a 2mm or a 4mm gap.
ENSURE THAT THE TILE ADHESIVE IS FULLY SET BEFORE GROUTING!
