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This discussion, "Tuscan Leveling System", in Tools, Equipment and Supplies (part of the category The Professional Forums), begins, "Tuscan Leveling System World's first tile leveling system
Here's a new product that should be of great interest to all ..."
Here's a new product that should be of great interest to all ceramic tile and stone tile installers.
To begin with I want to say I personally I disagree with the name of the product because technically it won't level a tile installation but it sure will eliminate the problem of surface lippage in an instant. I was fortunate to be a participant at another forum website when this product was introduced to the regulars there. One of the principals of the Tuscan Leveling System offered to put some product into the hands of a few installers for them to try. I recently had an opportunity to use the Tuscan Leveling System and found it to be as advertised. I like it! It is easy to work with, the basic principle is so simple it's crazy. There are similar products available but apparently their use is not widespread in our industry. I think THIS Tuscan product could probably take-off.
The TUSCAN LEVELING SYSTEM is being introduced this week at the Coverings Show in Chicago and will be on the market soon from what I hear.
I have had some conversation with an expert tile guy well-known in the tile installation industry about this product and he is somewhat apprehensive about the product for now. He fears the creation of voids under the tile when using the product. Based on my limited experience with the product (at this time) I think I will respectfully disagree. If the thinset is mixed properly with the use of this system in mind it is easy to eliminate any voids.
I do agree however that the old fashion methods of first leveling the substrate should be foremost in the minds of tile installers while at the same time I can see where this Tuscan product could be a boon to the tile installation community if it is not abused by misguided and lazy installers. I only wish I had thought of it.
Here's a video explaining the use of the Tuscan Leveling System:
If you have used it four times, I presume you like it? The video is neat- I was wondering how the tabs were cut before grouting. If it speeds jobs up that quickly, seems like a no brainer. Are the caps re-usable? The gun looks a little cheesy too. Do you think it will hold up for a long period of usage?
Very intriguing product.
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Me, enjoying one of the main food groups
Peter the caps are reuseable several times. The tabs have five small perforations at the base of the tab to facilitate the tab breaking-away easily below the bottom edge of the tile when the time comes to remove them. Before I had used the system Tileman warned me about keeping thinset away from the tabs and not allowing the thinset to purge upward around the tabs as this will cause the tabs to break-off too high and they then must be dug out with a utility knife or routed out with a Dremel or RotoZip. Of course I did have to dig out a few anyway.
By placing the 'gun' back on the tab and using a slight twisting motion the tabs break off perfectly at their base where they are intended to unless of course you have them surrounded with thinset.
The tool itself is a tool that is actually used for tightening plastic zip-ties and the one I have is a heavy duty tool that works really well.
I have been waiting to use this system on a 1000 sq ft (19") tile installation but this particular tile has been backordered on three different occaisions and it may never get here. I have used the system on a small bathroom of twenty-inch tiles and it works remarkably well.
The easiest and quickest way to break them is to kick em along the grout joint, I don't use the gun to remove em, you might chip the pyramids sometimes doing it this way, but no big deal, the gun is very well made, this is by no means a product thatwill make setting stone easy, you still have to know what you are are doing first, this will just make it easier for the seasoned pro, it's a learning curve that takes some time to get used to.
Here are some photos of them in use.
Last edited by TFP Admin; May 6, 2007 at 01:59 PM.
Just a quick note, it says leveling system, by no means if the floor is off, this will fix it, but will help if more thinset is placed under a tile over a low area, you know what I mean, it's more of a lippage system, used correctly, you will have a lippage free floor, no more coming back the next morning to see a tile that has sunk some in the thinset or sunk due to thinset shrinking a hair from curing and moving the tile.
Here's some photos of a job done by the inventer that was a custom cut by water jet.
This was for a new movie theatre in Jersey.
Last edited by TFP Admin; May 6, 2007 at 04:42 PM.
Do they have different size thickness, so they are the grout joint spacer, too??
Yeah, how come they don't work at the intersect so they could be used as spacers. Before these became an item, I used transmision cooler zip ties with the round end at the intersect to level them up and I didn't need no gun. Hey T, how come this quote isn't in the little yellow box?
Last edited by Bud Cline; May 7, 2007 at 05:30 PM.
Reason: Put quote in little yellow box.
Yeah, how come they don't work at the intersect so they could be used as spacers. Before these became an item, I used transmision cooler zip ties with the round end at the intersect to level them up and I didn't need no gun. Hey T, how come this quote isn't in the little yellow box?
They work fine as spacers, thinner at the botton than the top, PITA to use them in the corners, either add tavy spacers there or line up by eye and straightedge, not an issue.
If you want wider joints, add spacers, they still work, once locked, you can still move and ajust the tile sideways.
Last edited by TFP Admin; May 7, 2007 at 03:12 PM.
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