Device for leveling and aligning tiles and method for leveling and aligning tiles
A device for leveling and aligning tiles and method for leveling and aligning tiles are disclosed. In one embodiment, the leveling device includes a body and two spaced and parallel strip members extending transversely from the body. Each of the spaced and parallel strip members extend to the front and rear of the body. Two opposing lateral open windows are formed in the body. A breakaway section is defined along the body. A wedge device is provided for penetrating one or more of the two opposing lateral open windows and exerting a force on the tiles for leveling them relative to each other.
1. A tile leveling device comprising:
a body defining an open window;
a base orthogonally coupled to the body, the base extending to a front of the body and the base extending to a rear of the body;
a base to body coupling including a frangible breakaway section, the base and body being integral prior to frangible separation, the frangible breakaway section, upon breaking, frangibly separating the body from the base;
a through notch positioned in the base, the through notch traversing the base toward the front of the body, the through notch being configured to provide tile-to-mortar-to-subfloor contact for the tile leveling device; and
a spacing pad integral with the body and extending from at least one of the front and rear thereof, the combination of the spacing pad and the body setting a predetermined joint distance that is greater than a thickness of the body for the tile leveling device within a single product.
2. The tile leveling device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the base further comprises spaced first, second, third, and fourth bars, each of which taper upwards.
3. The tile leveling device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the base further comprises an I-shaped base.
4. The tile leveling device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the I-shaped base is intersected by a crossbar located between the spaced first and third bars.
5. The tile leveling device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the I-shaped base is intersected by a crossbar located between the spaced second and fourth bars.
6. The tile leveling device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises an inverted U-shaped body.
7. The tile leveling device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the body further comprises an inverted U-shaped body defining an open window between first and second stems of the inverted U-shaped body.
8. The tile leveling device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the frangible breakaway section further comprises first and second breakaway sections defined along the respective first and second stems of the inverted U-shaped body.
9. A tile leveling device comprising:
a body defining an open window;
a base orthogonally coupled to the body, the base extending to a front of the body and the base extending to a rear of the body;
a base to body coupling including a frangible breakaway section, the base and body being integral prior to frangible separation, the frangible breakaway section, upon breaking, frangibly separating the body from the base;
a through notch positioned in the base, the through notch traversing the base toward the front of the body, the through notch being configured to provide tile-to-mortar-to-subfloor contact for the tile leveling device; and
a spacing pad integral with the body and extending from at least one of the front and rear thereof, the combination of the spacing pad and the body setting a predetermined joint distance that is greater than a thickness of the body for the tile leveling device, eliminating a requirement for any non-tile leveling device spacing components.
10. The tile leveling device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the base further comprises spaced first, second, third, and fourth bars, each of which taper upwards.
11. The tile leveling device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the base further comprises an I-shaped base.
12. A tile leveling device comprising:
a body defining an open window;
a base orthogonally coupled to the body, the base extending to a front of the body and the base extending to a rear of the body;
a base to body coupling including a frangible breakaway section, the base and body being integral prior to frangible separation, the frangible breakaway section, upon breaking, frangibly separating the body from the base;
a through notch positioned in the base, the through notch traversing the base toward the front of the body, the through notch being configured to provide tile-to-mortar-to-subfloor contact for the tile leveling device; and
a spacing pad integral with the body and extending from at least one of the front and rear thereof, the combination of the spacing pad and the body setting a predetermined joint distance that is greater than a thickness of the body for the tile leveling device within a single product, eliminating a requirement for any non-tile leveling device spacing components.