Unpopular opinion: Leveling clips are a crutch that make us lazy

I spent two years using those spin leveling clips on every job because everyone swore they saved time. Then I had a job in Portland where the supplier sent the wrong size tabs and I couldn't get replacements for three days. I had to lay 400 square feet of porcelain tile by eye with just spacers and a hammer. And you know what? The floor came out flatter than any clip job I ever did. The clips were hiding the fact that I wasn't checking my lines properly or adjusting my mortar thickness. When I had to actually feel the tile settle and tap it level, I got better results. Now I only use clips on the big format stuff over 24 inches, and even then I'm more careful about my base. Anyone else ditch the gadgets and go back to basics?

3 comments

3 Comments

lily3601mo agoTop Commenter

Tools that give you feedback are great, but ones that do the thinking for you just let you stay sloppy. It's the same with GPS when people stop learning how to read a map.

johnthompson1mo ago

Jump right in with what @lily360 said about GPS because it hits on something bigger. We outsource small skills to gadgets and then lose the ability to do the basic stuff when the gadget fails. Same thing happens with spellcheck making people forget how to spell or calculators making basic math feel harder than it should.

william_taylor22d ago

I've been there myself - started making myself put the phone away for simple directions and force my brain to remember the route. It feels clumsy at first but that muscle memory comes back way faster than you'd think.