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CTEF Blog - About Tile Education and Installer Certification


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How to Install Tile with Electrical Radiant Heating

[fa icon="calendar'] Jul 4, 2023 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in Installing Tile TIps

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Tile is a natural for radiant heating.

However, installing tile with radiant heating can get overwhelming when you realize that the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) Handbook includes multiple methods that address this type of installation. The details vary somewhat depending on the structure you are working on and which type of heat source your radiant system uses - hydronic or electrical.

  • On ground concrete
  • Above ground concrete
  • Wood subfloor/joist system

Fortunately, Mark Heinlein CTI #1112 and National Tile Contractors Association Training Director, Technical Trainer / Presenter shares his expertise in this article.

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What to Expect From an NTCA Experience With CTEF

[fa icon="calendar'] Jun 6, 2023 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in About CTEF

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An NTCA Experience is genuinely priceless. That's why it's included in the CTEF Auction. It allows you to experience what makes the tile industry special.

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Elevate Your Reputation With Tile Certification: Martin Brookes Explains

[fa icon="calendar'] May 23, 2023 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in Certified Tile Installer Program

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Are you wondering how to elevate your reputation in the marketplace? If you install tile, the ideal way is through the CTEF tile certification programs.

Martin Brookes is the owner of Heritage Marble & Tile in Mill Valley, California. He's involved in the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) including as past president, is a Five Star Contractor, and is a strong supporter of the CTEF tile certification programs.

He has seen firsthand how certification affects the entire ethos of his business. Certification has enabled Heritage Marble & Tile to stand out not only as highly reputable and expert but also as the San Francisco Bay Area Premier Tile Installation Company.

We caught up with Martin to learn more.

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Coverings 2023: Advanced Certifications for Tile, Hands-On Demos

[fa icon="calendar'] May 9, 2023 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in About CTEF, Tile Education & Training

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Did you attend Coverings 2023? If you did, we hope you visited the CTEF booth where tile installation education and certification were prominently displayed! More specifically, CTEF demonstrated Sealants, Mosaics, and Troweling for Coverage, and Walked Through Gauged Porcelain Tile Panel Test for Advanced Installer Certification (ACT).

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Why Should You Take the CTI Test? Contractors Respond

[fa icon="calendar'] Apr 25, 2023 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in Certified Tile Installer Program, Qualified Labor Series

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Why should a tile installer consider becoming a Certified Tile Installer (CTI)? We asked the community to weigh in on Facebook, so you can read about some of their reasons - in their own words - for becoming certified and Qualified Labor.

This is a classic from 2018 that is as relevant now as it was then. You'll find the responses organized into 10 themes.

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How Not to Install Tile on Floors, Walls and in Showers

[fa icon="calendar'] Apr 11, 2023 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in Installing Tile TIps, Hiring a Tile Installer

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Sometimes, the best way to explain how important it is to work with a Certified Tile Installer (CTI) is to show you how not to install tile on floors, walls, and in showers.

This article focuses on a real-life situation where those doing the work (aka tile placers) clearly did not have the knowledge, expertise, or experience to deliver a high-quality tile installation. They were not CTIs.  Although originally published on 9/27/2016, it continues to speak directly and strongly about unqualified labor and the perils of poorly installed tile.

Let's explore this master bathroom installation to better understand what went wrong.

>> See Hiring a Tile Installer? Here's What to Look For.

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Take Wally the Gator Home With You

[fa icon="calendar'] Mar 28, 2023 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in About CTEF

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Have you met Wally the Gator?

He's ferocious, looks ready to lunge at you, and his teeth come alive. He's also the most magnificent work of tile art you can imagine, and you might be the lucky one to take him home.

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When to Avoid Hiring a Tile Contractor: 10 Warning Signs!

[fa icon="calendar'] Mar 14, 2023 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in Hiring a Tile Installer, Installation + Design

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When you're hiring a tile contractor, you expect to have the work done right the first time. Unfortunately, you don't always have the benefit of seeing the contractor's work beforehand and realizing what you need to avoid (see How Not to Install Tile on Floors, Walls, and in Showers).

That's why we've put together these warning signs to help you avoid hiring a tile contractor who is poorly qualified and more of a tile "placer." (Definition: tile placer - a person who does not have the skills, knowledge, and experience to install the job correctly.)

That way, you can rest assured that the beautiful tile installation in your mind's eye has every opportunity to become reality and bring you delight for years to come.

Special thanks to Sal DiBlasi for basing a video on this article. ♥

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Two Yes or No Questions for Hiring a Tile Setter

[fa icon="calendar'] Feb 28, 2023 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in Hiring a Tile Installer

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As you might imagine, knowing how to hire the right tile setter is a big deal for homeowners and commercial owners. That's why we developed the homeowner's guide to hiring qualified tile installers, and we'll soon have one geared toward architects, designers, and other tile installation project specifiers. 

In fact, it's such a big deal that it regularly comes up as a blog article topic - for example, Mark Heinlein  NTCA Training Director and Presenter shared with us how to Qualify Your Tile Installation Contractor With These 5 Questions - as well as in comments and conversations. That's why we put together this blog article about two questions to ask.

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The Top Ten Requirements for a Quality Tile Installation

[fa icon="calendar'] Feb 14, 2023 8:30:00 AM / by CTEF Blog Team posted in Installing Tile TIps, Hiring a Tile Installer

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What does it take to ensure that you have a quality tile installation? Based on our experience, knowledge, and work with the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) Handbook, we have identified ten requirements. 

Note that these aren't all industry requirements. However, they all contribute to a quality tile installation.

Here they are.

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Certified Tile Installer Mike Corona says,

You don't become a tile installer or a business owner overnight. It takes time, enthusiasm, pride, reliability, respectfulness, a willingness to learn, and dedication. No two jobs are the same; each one has its own unique nuances. As a qualified installer, you need to be able to communicate how to deal with those nuances and qualify yourself to not only meet but exceed expectations. Being qualified will exponentially increase your value and you will have endless opportunities.

Mike Corona CTI #923 Corona Marble and Tile

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Mike Corona CTI #923
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