CTEF Blog - About Tile Education and Installer Certification

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?

Are you a CTI? If you've not completed the Certified Tile Installer program, you should reconsider. Don't take it from CTEF. Instead, we invite you to learn from Chris Osterritter CTI #1800 in this article from the Qualified Labor Series.

Are you on the fence about whether to become a Certified Tile Installer? In this article, Eric Tetreault CTI #708 offers you seven reasons for not looking back and validating your skills as a tile setter.

Are you wondering how to leverage your Certified Tile Installer (CTI) status in your business? This well-earned professional distinction offers tile installation professionals many benefits as Mark Heinlein, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) Technical Trainer and Presenter and CTI #1112, explains in this article. 

The 2022 CTEF Online Auction is over, and we can't thank you enough for being involved!

Do you remember the incredibly beautiful Mosaic Flag crafted by Angie Halford Ré, owner of Unique Mosaics, and donated by Ron Nash, President of Laticrete? CTEF sold raffle tickets and the drawing took place at Coverings 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. After several months of working through logistics, we are so pleased to share with you that the Mosaic Flag has found a home at VFW Post 9400 in Phoenix, Arizona!

A heartfelt Thank You from all of us at CTEF for being part of the 2022 NTCA Matching Grant Campaign!

Or, Why You Should Always Work with Qualified Tile Installers

Did you get to tour the Tile Installation Experience at Coverings 2018? Whether you did or didn't, here's your chance to review and appreciate what makes working with Qualified Tile Installers truly unique - in terms of best practices you can expect and bad practices you will want to avoid.

We've even included a Facebook Live tour with Scott Carothers that Floor Covering Installer magazine conducted during Coverings.

Although from 2018, this article is sure to put tile installation excellence into perspective.

There's no denying that without companies like Tile ProSource to support CTEF, the Certified Tile Installer program would not be what it is today.

The CTI program requires hands-on testing locations around the country, not just in Pendleton, SC where CTEF is headquartered. Furthermore, in addition to the hands-on test itself, the program includes an orientation the evening before the test, not to mention cleanup.

So committing to being a CTI test location host means you're willing to give up a good bit of space for some serious tile installation action over more than a day.

In the case of Tile ProSource in Tennessee, the owners not only generously offered CTEF warehouse space but also treated everyone involved in the CTI test to a tile-themed feast. Plus, they've also added to their online checkout process an option to donate to the CTEF Mission!

If you've been reading the articles on this blog, you're familiar with the importance of carefully planning your installation ahead of time, and ensuring that you've obtained approval on a mockup from everyone involved - architect and/or designer, general contractor, and, of course, the owner - before you start installing. 

In case you still don't believe that it matters, this article is for you.