I just decided to use a leveling system and chose spin doctor. Should have it in a day or so. Thanks for this video to give me a head start! We’ll see u guess, I know it will take a little extra time but this little tweak should get my jobs to the next level.
I am doing a bathroom with 12x24 tiles over Shluter right now and this is a MUST for avoiding lippage when doing large format tiles over the slight "humps" that Kerdi band creates at the joints and corners.
Great video....... I learn so much from you. I am tearing out a plastic shower tub, building a new pan, tiling floor and walls and building a niche also.
This is a basement bathroom i installed 10 years ago, had a quarter round corner shower, plastic base got all cracked and leaking. When drain was put into floor, was put too close to corner, 7 in off corner. Had do some dry wall removal to get base into place. So only way to make rite was a concrete base shower. Alot of unknowns to me! Until i saw your youtube videos! Gave me the confidence to attempt this project. Being a marine service tech for over 30 years, feel like with some expert guidance, i could do this. Sal You are my expert, thank you. Your student Bob.
Gotta love Sal taking off spindles (@ 10:11) while video is speed up ... LOL Almost like Super Mario in video game. As always Mr DiBlasi does amazing job and on top of that he leaves instructional video for the rest of us. Cheers
Protectors are good not only because they prevent tile from getting scratch but the spindles won't move the tiles, giving you a nice consistent grout line. This is a problem that I have with the raimondi system...when you push the shims in, tile tend to separate from the other.
I've been watching your videos for the last couple of days as i head into my first tiling job. Great work. After enough lessons I'm that much more comfortable approach my small tiling job. I'm using large mosaic tiles that are designed to conceal 1/16 grout lines. I'm tiling two corner shower walls. tiles are 39 x 14, any advice on where to begin the tiling? Also, my cement board overhangs inside of the shower pan side walls by 1/4 but does not full touch the floor of the pan side way so there is a little space left, about 1/2 inch. Should my tiles touch the top of the floor pan side wall?
Very nice explanation regarding the tiles imperfections and uneven walls, I had an issue with my 24×12 porcelain tiles, the bases would break but not below the grout line and that turned out to be a pain...
Sal - love your videos - I saw another one where you were using the T-Lock system and was curious if you had a preference between the 2 and if so why. Thanks!
Say job sal as always I stop using Tuscan levelling system I just ordered this system found then to be not expensive. I ordered 500 hundred each been using Tuscan for about 3 years it's just to expensive . Watching you doing this shower convince me to finally order them on amazon. Thanks shower looks great . Hope they are as good as they look.
I've been using the blue pro levelers for a while but switched to spin doctor for the washers I also like the hard plastic bases compared to pro-levelers. But now the spacers are gone from Amazon and I can't find them anywhere else. Any suggestions.
www.tiletools.com/product/rtc-spin-doctor-tile-leveling-system-18-bases/ Thank for the quick reply. It is the bases that are "out of stock" everywhere.
Sal, Sal, Sal I know you really are a traditionalist, but here we go time has moved on, as I have been watching you for a very berry long time,, I have one question , I for one know you use enough mortar, as that is one of your hallmark, trademarks , if there was one lesson I ever learned from you , proper trowel notch size selection, and proper thinset application are paramount--- This advice and lesson you taught me has paid off in dividends for me through the years. However , me the dinosaur,, have a Question not of you but the question is of this high tech spacer system. By using this system -- Am I going to be creating voids under the tile , as this spacers lift and level the edges of the different tile rows and butting tile edges . Just a thought that I had , As I looked at these spaces from a far. I kind of know my answer/ solution mortar mortar and mortar, but just wanted your input. . Sal I do want to thank you for all of your hard work you have performed out in the field,, As well as, all of your hard work and dedication you have done from editing and producing these youtube videos.
I have the video just for you, ruclips.net/video/3GFkOiWvbUA/видео.html it is a common miss conception that the tile leveling systems pull the tiles up, it is quite the opposite, they pull the high tiles down when the tile is installed correctly. They are also "Tuning Systems", not magical tools that fix problems, they are supposed to be used for leveling tiles by small amounts, not to fix wavy uneven floors. Watch the video
Thank you for offering your informative videos, I've have viewed all of the Schluter products and leveling systems you have uploaded. After viewing a professional tile and use these products, I have a couple of questions. I broke a few of the spin doctor spacer/leveling clips flush with tile surface and not recessed for grout. Any suggestions, and can I you Kerdi fix to set a shelf in shower supported on three sides to kerdi board. Thanks, your the best
Cut out the broken legs, with a utility knife, warm them up with a heat gun if you are having a hard time, the will become soft and easy to cut.you can adhere kerdi board to kerdi board with kerdi fix, but don't use it to set the fixture.
Sal DiBlasi thank you very much for the reply. Great idea about heating the knife. I was trying to cut it out with a utility knife but it was difficult and I didn't want to scratch the tile. I did come up with a alternative by using a small 1/8" tip soldering iron and slowly melted it back to the depth of the tile. worked really great. thank you for your suggestions. Thanks again, have a great day.
I will attempting a shower tile job. I have alot of free 12x24 porceline tile and i will need to use a leveling system. plus I never did tile before. Im scared but determined.
Sal what do you charge roughly per sqft? Does it vary based on the size of the tile or amount of cutting? Thanks for you video's as I am in the process of a redoing a bathroom. But will hire out the tile laying since you have scared me away from doing such a large job.
+Brian Smith I don't charge by the square foot, that is largely a thing of the past, there are so many variables these days it is just not a smart thing to do.
Very nice work! Thanks for showing the product...it looks better than the QEP leveling system! I am curious though, if you'd use the Spin Doctor on floor tile?
Seems very similar to the Proleveling system without the tee & cross options. How does it compare in price to Prolevel? It would be worth using a few extra if it was cheaper. Nice work!
Several years later to this video and I’m wondering how to level 6x6 tiles one a mesh with neighboring large format tiles. I’ve already set and leveled the large tiles that are thicker than the smaller tiles on the mesh. So what system is preferable in that situation? I’ve already looked at the T-Lock but it seems more fitting for larger format tiles? And I can’t seem to find a video on the situation. Do you already have one uploaded? If you reply I’m very grateful but I also understand if you don’t.
Let's just say that you have used the system several times, and let's just say that you try to keep them very clean, but impossible to be perfect. Now you have a perfectly good spindle that might have some thinset on the bottom, you turn that spindle and the sand in the base scratches the tile. Or let's just say you clean your tile as you go, make sure it is perfectly clean, and you have a brand new spindle to use, however you did not see that one grain of sand that gets under it, and when you turn it, it scratches the tile. It is not the plastic that will scratch the tile, but whatever might get under it.
This may be a dumb question as I've never tiled but am trying to learn. Are the tiles supposed to butt up against the side wall tiles or should there be a grout line.?
another commenter mentioned something about this. They said that the clear plastic "washers" that Mr. Dibasi is using to protect the tile surface also worked to prevent the tile movement. Here it is: Protectors are good not only because they prevent tile from getting scratch but the spindles won't move the tiles, giving you a nice consistent grout line.
I would love to see how you you did the ceiling tile on the curve. The next bath Im doing has the same shape. (My bath) I have been tossing idea back and forth on doing that. Will there a sep video for this room? Thanks for all the great pointers. You feed my ocd for perfection…lol
I see that now that I paused the video. If you were someone who has a vast background in construction but is not specifically a tile setter; would you recommend these over the wedge type system? Im looking for good results without a huge expenditure. I will pay for quality but I don't do tile daily. Just with proper prep and install in mind.
what is the point of the laser level once you have already established your first row? If your first row is level, and the tiles are square, you have no choice but to be good as you go up. If there are minute differences in the manufacture of the tile, I would think it is still more important to maintain your grout spacing, rather than try to maintain a perfect laser level. No one will see if it is slightly out of level, but they will notice a grout space that is wider at one end than the other.
It is obvious that you are not a tile guy, because if you were you would not make those assumptions, because experience would have taught you what really happens.
@@SalDiBlasi How are you defining "best" in connection with leveling systems? And "best" compared to, what? Spin Doctor? How so? Is T-Lock objectively "best" even when compared to the half-dozen other well-reviewed products that function similarly to T-Lock? Would your answer be different if you didn't sell T-Lock? Someone in a comment section below asked you to clarify your position about Spin Doctor -- "good? bad? ok?" -- but you didn't answer other than to say that you use what you sell. Your response here is even more curious given that you've previously repeatedly said/wrote "all ...leveling systems work, it is more what you like, than if they are any 'good'".
So what's the verdict on Spin Doctor?? is it good? bad? ok? no review saying what you liked or didn't like?? You said in a previous video Perfect Master was your favourite?/ What do you think of SpinDr. and is Perfect master still the best in your opinion??? Nice presentation video but you don't say anything as far as what you like or don't like about it??
That will be determined by how even the tiles run in size. for tiles that are very uniform a small grout line will work, the bigger the difference in size the wider the grout joint.
if this is the direction tile installation is going... I don't want to do it anymore...you can't pay me enough to clamp the tile together... that many times,,, in such a small area...
My experience with these was not good. You can't see what you're with the the thing right in the corner. I spent a day and half replacing tiles cause they were off. Plus when you crank on them it moves the tiles all around, then you're always adjusting. Just a FYI.
Hello Robert, have you tried using the Clear View Shield? If you use that in combination with the Spin Doctor it removes the friction from the surface of the tile preventing the tile from moving as you tension it down. www.tiletools.com/product/rtc-spin-doctor-tile-leveling-system-anti-friction-shield/
get a drill with a socket or cut notches in the socket that will fit the red caps and zap them down by a push of a finger put it on low speed final torque by hand only.
Geez how much longer does this take to do . Very time consuming.good for a home owner I guess not sure about the professional field you’d have to almost double the labor price ..
Sal DiBlasi I guess ,but professional tile installers I’ve dealt with do a great job without this.if it helps the installer then all good.im just saying it looks like it adds a lot of time to the project..
I just decided to use a leveling system and chose spin doctor. Should have it in a day or so. Thanks for this video to give me a head start! We’ll see u guess, I know it will take a little extra time but this little tweak should get my jobs to the next level.
I am doing a bathroom with 12x24 tiles over Shluter right now and this is a MUST for avoiding lippage when doing large format tiles over the slight "humps" that Kerdi band creates at the joints and corners.
Great video....... I learn so much from you. I am tearing out a plastic shower tub, building a new pan, tiling floor and walls and building a niche also.
Sal what leveling system do you like the best? Thanks for all the great information.
This is a basement bathroom i installed 10 years ago, had a quarter round corner shower, plastic base got all cracked and leaking. When drain was put into floor, was put too close to corner, 7 in off corner. Had do some dry wall removal to get base into place. So only way to make rite was a concrete base shower. Alot of unknowns to me! Until i saw your youtube videos! Gave me the confidence to attempt this project. Being a marine service tech for over 30 years, feel like with some expert guidance, i could do this. Sal You are my expert, thank you. Your student Bob.
Gotta love Sal taking off spindles (@ 10:11) while video is speed up ... LOL Almost like Super Mario in video game. As always Mr DiBlasi does amazing job and on top of that he leaves instructional video for the rest of us. Cheers
Thanks 👍😀
Protectors are good not only because they prevent tile from getting scratch but the spindles won't move the tiles, giving you a nice consistent grout line.
This is a problem that I have with the raimondi system...when you push the shims in, tile tend to separate from the other.
Shows application in 10x speed, shows removal of spinners in real time....LOL! I love it!
I've been watching your videos for the last couple of days as i head into my first tiling job. Great work. After enough lessons I'm that much more comfortable approach my small tiling job. I'm using large mosaic tiles that are designed to conceal 1/16 grout lines. I'm tiling two corner shower walls. tiles are 39 x 14, any advice on where to begin the tiling? Also, my cement board overhangs inside of the shower pan side walls by 1/4 but does not full touch the floor of the pan side way so there is a little space left, about 1/2 inch. Should my tiles touch the top of the floor pan side wall?
Very nice explanation regarding the tiles imperfections and uneven walls, I had an issue with my 24×12 porcelain tiles, the bases would break but not below the grout line and that turned out to be a pain...
Have to keep the grout lines clear and knock them out the very next day.
I'm on the same stuff.. cupped in the middle... nightmare shower!
Sal you do some amazing beautiful work. Thanks for all your videos and help
Sal - love your videos - I saw another one where you were using the T-Lock system and was curious if you had a preference between the 2 and if so why. Thanks!
Say job sal as always I stop using Tuscan levelling system I just ordered this system found then to be not expensive. I ordered 500 hundred each been using Tuscan for about 3 years it's just to expensive . Watching you doing this shower convince me to finally order them on amazon. Thanks shower looks great . Hope they are as good as they look.
Lots of choices these days for leveling systems.
Hey sal Iv been using the wedge system for years is this a better system
saludos desde nicaragua muy buen trabajo
I use these and they’re great, but the center one on the short leg of the tile your putting in isn’t necessary. 😁👍🏻
great instructions. your time is greatly appreciated👍
I've been using the blue pro levelers for a while but switched to spin doctor for the washers I also like the hard plastic bases compared to pro-levelers. But now the spacers are gone from Amazon and I can't find them anywhere else. Any suggestions.
www.tiletools.com/product/rtc-spin-doctor-tile-leveling-system-anti-friction-shield/
www.tiletools.com/product/rtc-spin-doctor-tile-leveling-system-18-bases/ Thank for the quick reply. It is the bases that are "out of stock" everywhere.
Found them this morning at Contractors Direct.
Sal, Sal, Sal I know you really are a traditionalist, but here we go time has moved on,
as I have been watching you for a very berry long time,,
I have one question ,
I for one know you use enough mortar,
as that is one of your hallmark, trademarks ,
if there was one lesson I ever learned from you ,
proper trowel notch size selection, and proper thinset application are paramount--- This advice and lesson you taught me has paid off in dividends for me through the years.
However , me the dinosaur,, have a Question not of you
but the question is of this high tech spacer system.
By using this system -- Am I going to be creating voids under the tile , as this spacers lift and level the edges of the different tile rows and butting tile edges .
Just a thought that I had , As I looked at these spaces from a far.
I kind of know my answer/ solution mortar mortar and mortar, but just wanted your input. .
Sal I do want to thank you for all of your hard work you have performed out in the field,,
As well as, all of your hard work and dedication you have done from editing and producing these youtube videos.
I have the video just for you, ruclips.net/video/3GFkOiWvbUA/видео.html it is a common miss conception that the tile leveling systems pull the tiles up, it is quite the opposite, they pull the high tiles down when the tile is installed correctly. They are also "Tuning Systems", not magical tools that fix problems, they are supposed to be used for leveling tiles by small amounts, not to fix wavy uneven floors. Watch the video
Thank you for offering your informative videos, I've have viewed all of the Schluter products and leveling systems you have uploaded. After viewing a professional tile and use these products, I have a couple of questions. I broke a few of the spin doctor spacer/leveling clips flush with tile surface and not recessed for grout. Any suggestions, and can I you Kerdi fix to set a shelf in shower supported on three sides to kerdi board. Thanks, your the best
Cut out the broken legs, with a utility knife, warm them up with a heat gun if you are having a hard time, the will become soft and easy to cut.you can adhere kerdi board to kerdi board with kerdi fix, but don't use it to set the fixture.
Sal DiBlasi thank you very much for the reply. Great idea about heating the knife. I was trying to cut it out with a utility knife but it was difficult and I didn't want to scratch the tile. I did come up with a alternative by using a small 1/8" tip soldering iron and slowly melted it back to the depth of the tile. worked really great. thank you for your suggestions. Thanks again, have a great day.
I will attempting a shower tile job. I have alot of free 12x24 porceline tile and i will need to use a leveling system. plus I never did tile before. Im scared but determined.
Sal what do you charge roughly per sqft? Does it vary based on the size of the tile or amount of cutting? Thanks for you video's as I am in the process of a redoing a bathroom. But will hire out the tile laying since you have scared me away from doing such a large job.
+Brian Smith I don't charge by the square foot, that is largely a thing of the past, there are so many variables these days it is just not a smart thing to do.
Very nice work! Thanks for showing the product...it looks better than the QEP leveling system! I am curious though, if you'd use the Spin Doctor on floor tile?
It is designed for both walls and floors so if it was the system I was using that day, yes I would.
So i gong to do flood test, tomorrow waterproofing will be dry enough.Hopefully will not leak, but if it does. More waterproofing?
Seems very similar to the Proleveling system without the tee & cross options. How does it compare in price to Prolevel? It would be worth using a few extra if it was cheaper. Nice work!
Sal what laser are you using?
Several years later to this video and I’m wondering how to level 6x6 tiles one a mesh with neighboring large format tiles. I’ve already set and leveled the large tiles that are thicker than the smaller tiles on the mesh. So what system is preferable in that situation? I’ve already looked at the T-Lock but it seems more fitting for larger format tiles? And I can’t seem to find a video on the situation. Do you already have one uploaded? If you reply I’m very grateful but I also understand if you don’t.
You would not use a leveling system with a mosaic tile on a mesh. Go to my channel and do a search for "mosaic border" you will find several videos.
how can you scratch tile with plastic? The tile is much harder than the plastic.
Let's just say that you have used the system several times, and let's just say that you try to keep them very clean, but impossible to be perfect. Now you have a perfectly good spindle that might have some thinset on the bottom, you turn that spindle and the sand in the base scratches the tile. Or let's just say you clean your tile as you go, make sure it is perfectly clean, and you have a brand new spindle to use, however you did not see that one grain of sand that gets under it, and when you turn it, it scratches the tile. It is not the plastic that will scratch the tile, but whatever might get under it.
This may be a dumb question as I've never tiled but am trying to learn. Are the tiles supposed to butt up against the side wall tiles or should there be a grout line.?
Should always be a space for expansion and contraction, and it should have a soft joint.
When I tighten the red tops of the spin doctor it changes the width of my grout lines. Is this common or am I doing something wrong?
another commenter mentioned something about this. They said that the clear plastic "washers" that Mr. Dibasi is using to protect the tile surface also worked to prevent the tile movement. Here it is: Protectors are good not only because they prevent tile from getting scratch but the spindles won't move the tiles, giving you a nice consistent grout line.
mundo bom... um dos melhores canais muito tempo já sou escrito do seu canal.... abraços
alvinho acabamento alvinho aww nah thats in the other room
I would love to see how you you did the ceiling tile on the curve. The next bath Im doing has the same shape. (My bath) I have been tossing idea back and forth on doing that. Will there a sep video for this room? Thanks for all the great pointers. You feed my ocd for perfection…lol
Ceiling is not actually curved, just two an extra angle.
I see that now that I paused the video. If you were someone who has a vast background in construction but is not specifically a tile setter; would you recommend these over the wedge type system? Im looking for good results without a huge expenditure. I will pay for quality but I don't do tile daily. Just with proper prep and install in mind.
You do some amazing work!!! Thanks for showing these videos. I feel it's making me better just watching these!
Sal, good vids, simple and to the point, maybe steady the camera a bit by panning slower. just saying :) Thanks man.
Hey sal have you ever knocked a tile off the wall removing the leveling system?
Big Dog No, never, if that ever happens there is something very wrong with the installation
Well of your lifting the tile up a little what's about the adhesive behind it.. The tile won't be a solid bond between the tile and wall
Leveling systems pull tile down not up
what is the point of the laser level once you have already established your first row? If your first row is level, and the tiles are square, you have no choice but to be good as you go up. If there are minute differences in the manufacture of the tile, I would think it is still more important to maintain your grout spacing, rather than try to maintain a perfect laser level. No one will see if it is slightly out of level, but they will notice a grout space that is wider at one end than the other.
It is obvious that you are not a tile guy, because if you were you would not make those assumptions, because experience would have taught you what really happens.
Nice work sir
Hi Sal, I was wondering what in your opinion is the best leveling system??
T-lock dibsmart.com/product/large-clips-and-wedges-set/
@@SalDiBlasi How are you defining "best" in connection with leveling systems? And "best" compared to, what? Spin Doctor? How so? Is T-Lock objectively "best" even when compared to the half-dozen other well-reviewed products that function similarly to T-Lock? Would your answer be different if you didn't sell T-Lock? Someone in a comment section below asked you to clarify your position about Spin Doctor -- "good? bad? ok?" -- but you didn't answer other than to say that you use what you sell. Your response here is even more curious given that you've previously repeatedly said/wrote "all ...leveling systems work, it is more what you like, than if they are any 'good'".
my question is do you have any problems grouting and its performance using these leveling systems?
No, not one bit, why would this affect grout?
oh ok i just was wondering
which leveling system do you prefer ?
This one ruclips.net/video/DN0V1UWg5Bs/видео.html
yeah i guess that was a silly question..lol
But where the plastic pieces are that means that there is no mortar there which means the tiles can start to break loose from all of those spots.
If you are installing the tile according to industry standards, it is not an issue.
So what's the verdict on Spin Doctor?? is it good? bad? ok? no review saying what you liked or didn't like?? You said in a previous video Perfect Master was your favourite?/ What do you think of SpinDr. and is Perfect master still the best in your opinion??? Nice presentation video but you don't say anything as far as what you like or don't like about it??
More a demonstration than a review. And yes I still use T-Lock by Perfect Level Master.
Hi , Can these spacers be purchased in lindon uk
You can get them here, don't know if they will ship to the UK
In the UK the Spin Doctor is sold by Sigma Italia and can be ordered from any Sigma distributor in the UK.
I found 1 mm & 2mm,any one is the best working with wall?
That will be determined by how even the tiles run in size. for tiles that are very uniform a small grout line will work, the bigger the difference in size the wider the grout joint.
@@SalDiBlasi i know dear,i ask about the standard size in work, because i need good job will be and beautiful shape
Do you recommend use on 6in tile?
What ever suits your fancy.
Thank you Sal! I Am about to do flood test, have pre slope, liner, mud base, 3 coats water proofing.This sound rite to you?
Flood test should have been done when the liner was installed and before the mud went over it.
Shit! Well do you think i should still flood test?
You will still be able to detect a leak, but will be much harder to find the cause. It is your call.
if this is the direction tile installation is going... I don't want to do it anymore...you can't pay me enough to clamp the tile together... that many times,,, in such a small area...
so if you get a tile that is bowed, you just install it that way.
Wow great work as always. Was that electrical in the shower????
Not that i know.
Maybe for a light?
My experience with these was not good. You can't see what you're with the the thing right in the corner. I spent a day and half replacing tiles cause they were off. Plus when you crank on them it moves the tiles all around, then you're always adjusting. Just a FYI.
Hello Robert, have you tried using the Clear View Shield? If you use that in combination with the Spin Doctor it removes the friction from the surface of the tile preventing the tile from moving as you tension it down.
www.tiletools.com/product/rtc-spin-doctor-tile-leveling-system-anti-friction-shield/
how long does it take you to do a shower like this
You’re at the right level for the laser to reflect off of the inside of your glasses into your eyes
I can't see your point. 😊
get a drill with a socket or cut notches in the socket that will fit the red caps and zap them down by a push of a finger put it on low speed final torque by hand only.
Geez how much longer does this take to do . Very time consuming.good for a home owner I guess not sure about the professional field you’d have to almost double the labor price ..
Lot of different systems on the market, and most are being used by professional installers, you need to try it before you make a judgment.
Sal DiBlasi I guess ,but professional tile installers I’ve dealt with do a great job without this.if it helps the installer then all good.im just saying it looks like it adds a lot of time to the project..
i need it
in india ,so what should i do
please tell me please
Why would you even need to use them on a wall, so much arsing about!!!
If the wall is out, just back butter the tile to build out!!
lee corner have you ever used any of them
I can do it with or without and this is way way faster and easier.
This is for kids 😀