QUESTION

Tile Lippage (one edge higher than the other) - i am building a new home they have laided the tile down and it looks likse some of the tiles are not flat with the neighboring tile. Is there a standard amount of error allowed. to me it should all be perfect level. when you walk on it barefooted you can feel the uneveness in the tiles... thanks for you help.

ANSWER

ANSWER - Tile lippage is when one tile adjacent to another is higher or lower exposing the edge to some degree.  There are quantitative lippage maximums in tile, but you have to take into consideration the type of tile it is being applied to.  For stone the maximum lippage is 1/32" in a precisely gauged tile.  Although it is subjective when applied to more irregular stones like slate and sandstone.  If the stone is irregular then reasonable lippage could be as high as 1/4".

Ceramic Tile, which porcelain tile is a type of ceramic tile, has maximum lippage of 1/32" to 1/16" plus the amount of allowable warpage in that type of tile, which then depends on the width of the grout joint and the type of the tile.  There are some types of tile that are so irregular that it doesn't apply to them.

Lippage can be affected by a substrate not being properly prepared so it is flat.  It can also be perceived as excessive lippage if seen in the type of lighting conditions that accentuate lippage due to shadows.

A well gauged tile manufactured within standards on a properly prepared substrate should not have lippage that can easily be felt.  This is a complex condition that may require a well experienced investigator as from our company to be able to properly evaluate the situation.  Good Luck.