CTEF Blog - About Tile Education and Installer Certification

Thin porcelain tile in large-size panels enable beautiful installations. However, gauged porcelain tile panels or slabs - as thin porcelain tile is now known as - requires specialized knowledge and expertise as you will learn from this interview with Dan Welch, President, Welch Tile and Stone, a second-generation tile, stone and terrazzo installation company based in Kent City, Michigan.

Do you back butter your tile?

Back buttering tile is a highly opinionated and widely-debated topic among tile installers. Although it's recommended for natural stone tile, it's not always necessary or required to get adequate mortar coverage on ceramic and porcelain tile. So, how important is it?

To begin this discussion, we first need to define several words.  According to the NTCA Reference Manual:

During Coverings, the largest tile & stone exhibition in North America, the best and most expert tile installers collaborate with the most talented architects and designers to demonstrate what's possible in a tile installation. Depending on the venue, that process unfolds over the few days of the show.

During Coverings 2016, Artcraft Granite, Marble & Tile Company, a third-generation family business, teamed up with Designer Alena Capra, principal of Alena Capra Designs and the Coverings Industry Ambassador, to create a magnificent retail space for the Installation Design Showcase (IDS).

Are You Inspired by Tile?

We are and that's why we're excited to join in on the National Tile Day celebrations by sharing with you highlights from current tile trends.

Are all tile installer certifications created equal? The short answer is NO!

Have you encountered tile discoloration in a shower?

Showers, because they are inherently and intensely wet, tend to be harsh environments. They also tend not to be forgiving of uninformed installations. That's why employing Certified Tile Installers is so important. They know to anticipate situations such as tile discoloration in a shower because they take very seriously the TCNA Handbook, the ANSI Standards and manufacturer instructions.

It's a brand-new year and an ideal time to make tile installation resolutions for 2021.

If you're already in the know, consider these a refresher. And, if you're new to the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation and the Certified Tile Installer Program, then consider this your introduction to a bold, new standards-based, methodical approach to installing ceramic tile.

Did you know that there's an easy way to financially support CTEF without it costing you anything? That's where AmazonSmile comes in.

If you're asking how to trowel mortar when installing tile, realize that you are asking a fundamentally critical question. It's so critical that readers like you have made this CTEF Blog article the one with the highest readership since we originally published it on June 7, 2016.

You see, when thin set mortar is incorrectly applied, the installation will many times fail. More likely than not, the tile will break - as you see in the image below.

Not a good situation for the customer and a terrible one for everyone involved in installing tile correctly.

Let's focus then on how to properly apply the mortar.

Today, December 1st is #GivingTuesday. Will you support CTEF? 

We're celebrating #TransformTheTrade and #BecomeaCTI, and honoring all those who make CTEF's work possible.

Will you participate? Will you join this Global Generosity movement with us to raise funds and awareness for tile installation certification and education?