CTEF Blog - About Tile Education and Installer Certification

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.

>> See Coverings Elite CTEF Sponsor

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.

Tiling over a water problem will not make the problem disappear. Rather, you need to find the source of the water leak before installing any floor surface, including tile.

Layout is a big deal in a tile installation. Have you tried snapping a chalk line to ensure that your tile layout is successful?

In a nutshell, tile installation certification programs transform the tile trade and industry for the better. Those programs include the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program as well as the Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers (ACT) program.  #TransformTheTrade   

If  you think that warped tile isn't acceptable, we're here to help you  understand what is and what isn't acceptable. You see, there are two categories to consider: inherent (actual) warpage and excessive warpage.

Actual warpage is a function of the tile manufacturing process. It's something qualified tile installers and Certified Tile Installers take into consideration.

Excessive warpage may indicate a bigger issue.

Perhaps tiling an elevator isn't at the top of the average homeowner's list of tile installation questions, however it is one that matters to owners, architects, designers and tile contractors involved in multi-story buildings - including residential ones - with elevators.

In this article, we specifically address a question about using tile for an elevator floor, sharing with you how Mark Heinlein CTI #1112 and Robb Roderick CTI #727 respond in their role as National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) Technical Trainers. 

So, you're ready to hire a tile installer for that stone-glass mixed mosaic decorative border that will look perfect with the large format wall tile and wood plank floor tile you selected. What are your next steps? Follow this roadmap.

We've put it together for you based on years of experience ensuring that tile gets installed correctly the first time because your tile installer is truly considered Qualified Labor.