"Ended up cutting custom plywood shims right there on-site, carefully paying attention to grain direction as mentioned earlier, and they worked perfectly."
Good call on the grain direction—makes a bigger difference than most realize. I've also found plywood shims to be a lifesaver in older homes. Plastic spacers can be convenient, sure, but they just don't give you that subtle control needed when nothing's square or plumb. Sometimes the simplest solutions really are best... Glad it worked out for you.
You're spot-on about plywood shims versus plastic spacers. Plastic's handy and quick, but it just doesn't give you that finesse when you're dealing with older framing or wonky lumber. I remember one renovation job—mid-century ranch, walls looked straight enough until we started drywalling. Suddenly, nothing lined up right. We ended up doing exactly what you described—cutting custom shims from scrap plywood on-site. Grain direction was key; the first few we cut without thinking about grain orientation cracked under pressure, forcing a redo. Lesson learned the hard way.
Anyway, glad your method worked smoothly. Sometimes those simple, low-tech solutions are exactly what the project needs, especially when you're deep into the quirks of older construction. Nice job figuring it out on the fly...
Good points about plywood shims, but honestly, I've had decent luck with plastic spacers even on older builds. The trick is to combine them with a bit of construction adhesive—gives you some flexibility and holds things steady once set. That said, I agree plywood shims give you more control, especially if you're dealing with really uneven framing. Just depends how much time you have and how picky you wanna get...
"Just depends how much time you have and how picky you wanna get..."
Haha, that's exactly it. I've used plastic spacers with adhesive too, and they're fine for small adjustments or quick fixes. But when you're chasing that perfectly straight wall—especially important with high-end finishes or large format tile—plywood shims just give you way more precision. Learned that the hard way after spending hours fighting uneven drywall seams... never again. I'd rather spend the extra time upfront than wrestle with it later.
Totally get the plywood shim approach, especially if you're dealing with large tiles or premium finishes. But honestly, I've found that if you spend a bit more time selecting straighter lumber at the yard—checking each piece carefully—you save yourself a ton of hassle later. It feels tedious at first, but a few extra minutes upfront can save hours of frustration. Ever tried hand-picking lumber like that, or do you usually just grab and go?
