Are you a tile contractor? Do you have at least two years of experience as a full-time lead tile installer? By experience we mean that you have full responsibility for substrate prep, layout, along with properly installing underlayment, tile, grout and sealant materials. If yes, consider becoming a Certified Tile Installer (CTI).
Do you know how to correctly install glass tile? After all, it's beautiful and on trend which usually means that customers will ask you about it for kitchen backsplashes, bathrooms, and showers. As you might imagine, this stunning product, when installed correctly, provides years of enjoyment.
One of the highlights of Coverings, the yearly global tile and stone experience, is bringing together tile installation and design expertise to create the impossible under tight deadlines.
During Coverings 2019, this event was part of the newly expanded Installation & Design Experience incorporated into the National Tile Contractors Association Booth and included three vignettes.
This article celebrates Steve Rausch, a passionate tile industry and CTEF advocate who never missed a moment to promote quality and Qualified Labor.
Steve passed away unexpectedly on June 8th, 2019. As you might imagine, all of us at CTEF will miss him.
Every industry has its associations. What makes the tile industry particularly remarkable is the level of collaboration that takes place between its associations and organizations. The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) is an example of that collaboration, working with all those in the industry who are passionate about quality tile installation.
To give you some perspective on those dynamics, we've put together this updated list detailing each tile industry association.
We have exciting news to share with you: there's a new member of the CTEF team! Her name is Heidi Cronin and she's been hired as CTEF Industry Liaison and Promotions Director.
This is a newly created role to support the next stage of evolution for CTEF. As Bart Bettiga Executive Director of the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and member of the CTEF Board of Directors says,
"We are pleased to welcome Heidi to CTEF in this newly created position. Given her professional experience and passion for Qualified Labor, we are confident that she will be instrumental in supporting the growth of the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program alongside Scott Carothers, Director of Certification and Training for CTEF, and shaping the tile and stone industry in the United States."
We caught up with Heidi to ask her a few questions.
Yes, credit card joints - as in grout joints the thickness of a credit card - are popular, but given tile industry standards, they aren't possible, appropriate or even recommended.
Many installers have had customers who have seen tile installations in a magazine or brochure which is exactly what they want in their homes. Unfortunately, the “look” they want to achieve with credit card thickness grout joints most likely will not be possible using the tile that has been selected.
Let's explore why.
Every Certified Tile Installer has his or her own story for wanting to become a CTI. In the case of Kris Nardone CTI #1364, it had to do with adding credibility to his installation business.
If you're curious about tile installation certification and the benefits it offers homeowners, specifiers as well as tile installers, you'll want to watch "Certification in Action," a 6-minute video embedded at the end of this article.
The video answers questions such as:
- How do you choose a tile installer or contractor?
- How can you be sure the job will be done correctly?
- Why should you hire a certified tile installer?
What Do You Use to Patch Your Substrate so It Is Ready for Tile?
You've surely been in the position as a tile installer to deal with jobsite conditions that require the substrate (floors and walls) to be patched making it “tile ready”. No question, it's critical to get the substrate flat enough to accommodate tile. This is particularly true if the tile is large format.
