 Imagine this: You are walking across your brand new tiled bathroom floor.... The tile colour is simply perfect...the soft satin finish is just what you've always wanted... it’s beautiful. You've waited so long to find the right tile and it was worth the wait. But, hold on one moment! As your feet slide across the newly tiled floor, your sock catches on the edge of a tile. You start to panic; looking closer, you see that many of the pieces are higher or lower than the rest of the installation. In horror, you look towards your new shower walls hoping for better results, but to your dismay you see four of the tiles protruding past the others, exposing the glazed edge of the tile! Though this story might be overly dramatic, hopefully you haven’t ever found yourself in this position because, once installed, tiles sitting higher or lower than the others makes for a very frustrating and expensive repair. Fortunately, there is a way to avoid this problem in the first place. Had the installer in the previous scenario used “tile levelers” (also called a tile levelling or tile calibration system), the floor and wall tiles would have been almost perfectly flat and flush.
Fifty years ago, the average tile was small.... barely 8”x8” (20x20cm) in size. Tiles had naturally beveled edges and were installed with wide 1/4” (6mm) or larger grout joints. Between the beveled tile edge and the wide grout joint, it was easy for installers to hide irregularities in tile heights. Today, however, the “average” tile is at least 12”x24” (30x60cm), and tiles are getting larger every year. It’s not uncommon to see tile as large as 36” x 120” (100x300cm) being installed in many parts of the world. Many of these large, modern tiles feature sharp “rectified” edges: a method where the tiles are cut to size at the factory. Along with these innovations in tile production, installation methods and grout technology have also evolved, meaning that grout joints are also shrinking in size. Many designers today request 1/8” (3mm) or smaller grout joints. These small grout joints make it almost impossible for the installer to hide minor height differences between the tiles. Even a small variation in heights of the installation with the sharp rectified tile edge is immediately noticeable…and felt when you walk on it!
However, even though we understand why lippage happens, and what the allowable lippage tolerances are, having lippage in your installation is still not a good situation! So how do you solve this problem? With a Tile Leveling system!  Tile levelers function very simply: force is applied simultaneously between two adjacent tiles, using pressure from above and below, to force the tiles into vertical alignment. Tile levelers are the hottest area of growth in the tile tools market right now, with many new alternatives appearing on the market each year. Each product has pros and cons, but here are some of our favourite products, all of which are available online or in store. Mooneward Mono Tile Calibrator
The “Mono” Calibrator is one of few levelling systems on the market which is fully reusable. The Mono Tile Calibrators are a favourite for professional installers because they are a one-time investment that doesn’t require disposable parts like other levelling systems. To use the Mono Calibrator, squeeze the handle together to expose the “hook”, then insert the hook between the grout joint, turn 90 degrees and turn the knob again to align the tiles. Buy the Mono Calibrator here.  Boden Tile Levelling System
 The Boden Tile Leveler is manufactured in Europe and is a very fast system to install and remove. Using the standard “breakaway” concept utilized by the majority of the levelers on the market, you slide the levelling clip below the tile, insert the levelling wedge above the tile and “click” it together with the pliers. The next day, when the thinset has cured, simply kick the top wedge off to reveal your perfectly level installation! Buy the Boden System here. ATR LevL
The “LevL” system is a favourite DIY suggestion because it features both a tile spacer and tile leveler in one. It is impossible to mess up an installation with the LevL system! The tile spacers are available in different grout width options, as well as pattern options to suit all installation patterns. Because this product is screwed together, it does not feature a “breakaway” clip like many other tile levelling systems, which does make it slightly more time consuming to remove. However, the advantage of the screw system is that it can exert a much higher levelling pressure than other systems and the mandrel is reusable. Buy the ATR Levl System here.  Ubertile Tile Levelling System
The Ubertile system is another DIY favourite because it also features a tile spacer and leveller in one. The tile spacers are available in different grout width options, as well as shapes to suit all installation patterns. The system consists of reusable caps and single use leveling base spacers. The spacers have a screw top which the cap is tightened onto to level the tiles. After the mortar has cured, the screw portion is broken off and the cap can be used again for a new installation. Buy the Ubertile System here. With a little bit of help from a levelling system, your next tile job will have professional...and smooth results! 
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