CTEF Blog - About Tile Education and Installer Certification

The December 2025 CTEF Online Auction is over, and we can't thank you enough for being involved and helping CTEF raise $15,786.00!

These funds are critical to supporting the invaluable work CTEF does through its tile installation certification programs and continued education programs.  

What goes into evaluating a finished tile installation?

At times, this can be the most frustrating part of the project - for both the installer and the homeowner or project owner. Why? Due to finished tile expectations, naturally occurring variations, and other unexpected situations that fall within industry standards.

It's #GivingTuesday! Please support CTEF. 

By supporting, you help all of us in the tile industry celebrate tile installation training, education, and certification, and honor all those who make CTEF's work possible. Please join this Global Generosity movement with us to raise funds and awareness for tile installation certification and education.

Are you ready to stock up on tile installation tools, products, and materials? If so, please mark your calendar for the December 2025 CTEF Online Auction.

Let's talk about floor prep. How seriously do you take it?

Realize that the success or failure of most tile projects is largely determined by the amount of floor preparation provided and the attention to detail.  When you or anyone else cuts corners to save time and or money on a job, the result is almost always failure. 

To make my point, here are specific examples highlighting seven perils of improper floor prep. You may have encountered others that we can add to the list.

Here we have a pyrite wall failure. What do you think it teaches about proper tile installation?

On this blog, you read about best practices for quality tile installations and how Certified Tile Installers (CTIs) go about installing tile. You've also heard them refer to having their work taken apart and inspected as part of the CTI hands-on test.

That same approach is how Mark Heinlein CTI #1112, and Robb Roderick  CTI #727 troubleshoot tile installation issues in their role as National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) Technical Trainers. In this article, they respond to a failed installation of pyrite tile on a wall.

NASHVILLE, TN  – The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF), the tile industry’s nonprofit dedicated to tile installation training, education, and certification, is proud to announce the appointment of Noah Chitty as its new Chairman of the Board of Directors.

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

How often are you including tile edge protection in your tile assembly specifications? Although not required for all installations, edge protection absolutely provides better results.

Ultimately, if you're serious about delivering only high-quality installations of ceramic, porcelain, and stone tile, you must have the hand-skills to put the entire tile assembly into place along with the knowledge of what products are available to finish the project successfully.

Thinking about protecting tile edges is a perfect example. 

Glass tile has truly captured the hearts of consumers in both the residential and commercial marketplaces, making it important for tile installers to understand how to avoid trowel ridges and marks that are visible through translucent glass tile.

Do you know the proper technique?