Have you saved December 1st for #GivingTuesday? It's a great way to support organizations such as CTEF...
CTEF Blog Team
Recent Posts
Have you seen this video by Sal DiBlasi about the hands-on Certified Tile Installer (CTI) test?
If you haven't and you're considering becoming certified, we encourage you to do so. We've even embedded it into this article.
Do you know any tile industry Rock Stars? If you do, then nominate them for the Coverings 2021 Emerging Leaders Program, otherwise known as Coverings Rock Stars. You have until December 18, 2020.
Given that we're CTEF, we encourage you to nominate tile contractor Rock Stars today!
If you spend time with anyone involved in the proper installation of ceramic tile, the TCNA Handbook for Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Tile Installation will be the focal point of the conversation. Why? Because this useful guide assists in clarifying and standardizing installation specifications for tile.
In addition to providing a selection of numbered installation "methods" for differentiating and easy reference, the Handbook includes various product selection guides for ceramic, glass, and stone tiles; guidelines for wet areas; field and installation requirements, and more.
Have you wondered what goes into specifying ceramic tile, stone and glass for kitchen and bath installations - especially if you want those installations to be successful? That's what Scott Carothers focused on in his NKBA presentation, using stunning installation examples.
Here's a summary with highlights and the actual presentation included at the end of the article.
Have you registered for your August dose of Coverings Connected? If not, time to do so! It takes place August 26, 2020, and includes three outstanding presentations.
More details below.
Have you heard? CTEF's “Fundamentals of Thin-Bed Knowledge” - otherwise known as the FTBK Guide - is now available at no cost to anyone associated with the tile industry. That's right no cost.
Furthermore, if you'd like to use your newly-found tile industry knowledge from this guide to complete an online test, you can earn a Certificate of Completion as a Fundamentals of Thin-Bed Knowledge industry professional for a $99 fee.
When it comes to successfully completing kitchen and bath installations, Qualified Labor matters. It helps ensure that the tile installation will perform as expected and look as designed for years to come in spaces that demand a great deal from proper performance.
Given how demanding these spaces are, there's a tremendous benefit to ensuring that designers and installers collaborate as Dan Hecox showed us in Dan Hecox Inspires Designers, Tile Installers to Aspire to Higher Standards. The more designers understand the requirements of tile installations that perform and the better tile installers communicate with designers, the more likely success is all around.
You've probably noticed that this blog focuses heavily on proper tile installation methods and techniques. At the same time, all of us involved in the CTEF Mission intensely admire timeless tile installations that truly delight the senses.
We abhor tile installation failures and encourage every opportunity to celebrate greatness in design and execution. That's what you regularly experience during the yearly Coverings show, the premier United States exhibition of ceramic tile and stone.
As beautiful as tile is when it is first created, the end result must also delight the senses, perform functionally while doing so beautifully, and generally withstand the test of time and usage.
To that end, this article celebrates a few of those inspiring timeless tile executions, including ones highlighted during Coverings 2020.
