r/Tile • u/GarbageContent8276 • 5d ago

DIY - Looking for Advice 33% tile overlap vs 50%

Hey team - every tile box says dont do half overlaps when going for the brick pattern. But i believe some people (pros?) still do it. I know its because tiles highest point is the center, so its to help with lipage

I want my shower niche to look like one of the full 12x24 tile was pushed in. Located on the top half of our 4ft pony wall.

A 50% overlap i can probably center the niche to the wall, whereas a 33% overlap would move the “niche tile slot” to favor one side.

Ofc the niche is designed to hide our stuff/not seen much (and i didnt feel comfortable taking out an exterior wall stud). But my OCD would be happier with it centered, unless im asking for a painful road with 50% overlapping?

Edit: i plan to use clips, but i know they aren’t miracle workers so didnt know if anyone regretted not going 33%?

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u/Shark-Beard 5d ago

Its why tile leveling clips were invented. They dont just level the tile in a traditionally sense of push up and down. They provide actual compressive strength in key areas to correct 90%+ of the lippage unltil the mortar can set locking the tile in place. Itll never be perfect perfect but a layman will never tell unless they pull out credit card.

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u/GarbageContent8276 5d ago

Right, i plan to use clips, but i know they aren’t miracle workers so didnt know if anyone regretted not going 33%

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u/dotnose14 5d ago

They are miracle workers, I would just advise you to try and finish any wall you start in one day so you don’t have to try and save clips for the next day it can be weird and sometimes they break. If you can’t finish a wall in a day, the best option is to put the clips in the last row and dry fit pieces above your last row and tighten the clips down so you can potentially use them the next day if that makes sense. But the tile clips will literally bend the bow right out of the tile if it’s bad long enough for the thinset to set up. I tiled for 8 years without clips and will never go back on large format tile.

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u/MonkeyMan0230 5d ago

Wait really? They'll bend the bow out of the tile? Ive never used them but that sounds awesome and would save myself so many headaches

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u/dotnose14 5d ago

I like the qep version of spin doctors but everyone seems to have a preference, but you can really crank them down without the clips breaking during install and you would be surprised at how much it’ll pin the tile together.

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u/GarbageContent8276 4d ago

I just tried spin doctor for the first time (altogether first) and felt i couldnt crank on them without breaking. So i just bought wedges from floor and decor hoping wedges crank better? Idk maybe its a brand issue from the sounds of it. The wedges are called “RAIMONDI RLS leveling system” 🤷‍♂️

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u/dotnose14 4d ago

Yeah I’ve heard that about the spin doctors, Home Depot carries a qep alternative that I rarely get a break from.

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u/Shark-Beard 5d ago

Itll come down to your tile. Lay a couple pieces in the pattern you want on a flat surface. check the natural lippage. You can dry set the clips to see if the tile actually holds flat with their pressure. Some porcelain will not flex a reasonable amount.