CTEF Blog - About Tile Education and Installer Certification

Do you know how to install glass tile correctly? After all, it's beautiful and on-trend which usually means that customers will ask you about it for kitchen backsplashes, bathrooms, and showers. As you might imagine, when installed correctly, this stunning product provides years of enjoyment. 

At the same time, if you - as an installer - haven't done your homework, you'll wish you had never heard of it!

Have you had to deal with ramps and level changes on your tile job site? How have you addressed them?

Yes, there's a labor shortage out there. But that's not a reason for abandoning standards and hiring just anybody. You need Qualified Labor - especially when it comes to tile setters or installers. Why? Because tile isn't just a decorative layer in home or commercial buildings. It must meet specific standards so that it performs as it should over time.

If you understand that all tile assemblies move and that movement (expansion) joints are mandatory, you also know that they are the only way to ensure success.

However, do you think installing movement (expansion) joints in tile installations is a pain in the #?&? If so, here are two quick and easy ways to install high-quality and long-lasting movement joints.

Is the mortar coverage under the tile you install important? You bet. Do you just assume that you are getting sufficient coverage?  I hope not.

As often as mortar coverage comes up in articles about tile installation, you'd think that the problem would go away.  Unfortunately, it hasn’t, especially in exterior and shower areas, for natural stone tile, and even high-profile commercial installations.

If you want your tile installation to function as it should, don't assume you have sufficient mortar coverage. Check it. That's the best way to avoid costly callbacks and ensure a successful installation .

Do you build a tile installation mockup for your customers? If you don't, we strongly encourage you to consider doing so.

Here's why.

Yes, credit card joints - as in grout joints the thickness of a credit card - are popular, but given tile industry standards, they aren't possible, appropriate, or even recommended.

Many installers have had customers who have seen tile installations in a magazine or brochure which is exactly what they want in their homes. Unfortunately, the “look” they want to achieve with credit card thickness grout joints most likely will not be possible using the tile that has been selected.

Let's explore why.

Do you back butter your tile?

Back buttering tile is a highly opinionated and widely debated topic among tile installers. Although it's recommended for natural stone tile, it's not always necessary or required to get adequate mortar coverage on ceramic and porcelain tile. So, how important is it?

To begin this discussion, we first need to define several words.  According to the NTCA Reference Manual:

When you install tile, do you ensure that you have enough mortar to accommodate inherent (actual) tile warpage associated with large format tile?

Tile sizes are changing; getting larger, longer, and proportionately having more inherent warpage. Likewise, changes are being seen in tile installation methods, using thin set and large and heavy tile mortars to accommodate tile warpage.

Let's review what's involved.

We've all seen it: that really ugly white powder that grows on cement grout and also tile, stone, brick, and concrete, particularly when it's installed someplace with moisture (i.e., in a basement or outdoors). That white residue is called efflorescence.

This article goes into detail about efflorescence, including situations that readers have shared with us since the article was originally published in September 2016.