Do I really need to use a "tile leveling system" ?

[DMY]

My countertop is 24 inches wide. I have cut all my tiles and have them laid out on the countertop and have done a level check. There is one area where there is a bulge in the cement board that I never noticed - There's a 1/8 inch drop over the distance of one foot. Do I buy tile levelers, or is there another way to fix this problem ? I don't see any shims advertised that install under tiles. It looks like I need to build a very small area up about 1/8 of an inch. Do I just add more mortar to my cement board or is there a better method to bring the surface up 1/8 of an inch ? thank you for any advice.

 

[Jadnashua]

It's cheaper now to remove the cbu and fix the problem. Trying to add extra thickness of mortar across the rest of the counter so the tiles will sit flat and level is much harder and most thinset is a lot more expensive that some new cbu. Also, did you put mortar underneath the cbu? IF not, you've not followed the manufacturer's instructions, and risk problems. You need a small gap between sheets and alkali resistant mesh tape on the seams. You can add that while you're tiling so you don't create speed bumps by doing it prior and letting the thinset cure.

A bulge tends to happen if you screw down the corners and then try to fill in the screws in the middle. It tends to work better if you go from one end to the other, or from the middle out.

A tile leveling system won't compensate for the bulge.

What have you got underneath the cbu? That needs to be sturdy and stable enough for the tile AND flat and level prior to adding the cbu on top. If the cabinets are not all perfectly aligned, when you screw down the plywood and cbu, it will just bend to follow the top of the cabinets.