CTEF Blog - About Tile Education and Installer Certification

Virginia Tile's Brent Stoller is a serial Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program hands-on testing host. In fact, he has hosted more tests in a single location than anyone else in the entire United States. He also regularly hosts Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers (ACT) evaluations in the Virginia Tile facility in Kansas City, KS. As you can imagine, we're grateful for all that Brent and Virginia Tile have done to promote these programs along with finding the installers to take the tests. 

Brent is also actively involved in CTEF as a Board Member.

We recently caught up with him to learn more about his background and his intense commitment to the CTI program.

What do you do on weekends? In the case of the installers pictured above, they gathered to take the CTEF Certified Tile Installer (CTI) hands-on tile installation evaluation test at Daltile in San Antonio, Texas.

What sets Certified Tile Installers apart is a deep passion and commitment for setting tile by the book. The TCNA Handbook that is, along with its companion references, the ANSI Standards and the NTCA Reference Manual.

Jason McDaniel CTI #1273 of Stoneman Construction LLC in Portland, Oregon is a perfect example.  He's also next in the CTEF Blog series about Qualified Labor. 

Wondering why tile installation certification is necessary for your tile business? Robert Davis CTI #1246 provides five good reasons why a tile installer should become a Certified Tile Installer (CTI).

Robert is next in the CTEF Blog series about Qualified Labor  based on an article in TileLetter.com titled "Becoming a Certified Tile Installer: a way to measure progress" by Terryn Rutford.

As the only tile industry-recognized third-party assessment of tile installation skill and knowledge, the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program conducted by theCeramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) depends on support from the entire industry. Case in point: the first ever hands-on CTI test in New Jersey hosted by Schluter Systems.

Here's how this event came about.

For Dave Karp CTI #220, becoming a Certified Tile Installer (CTI) meant standing out as a professional tile setter. Not only did it provide him with enough confidence to open his own tile shop - Tile Fusion - but it has also set him on a path that allows him to hone his high-end, detail-focused residential tile installation business.

Dave is next in the CTEF Blog series about Qualified Labor  based on articles in TileLetter.com. 

>> See Certification: a standard to validating professionalism, skills and willingness to excel

Thanks to tile industry leaders like Harold Yarborough, President and CEO of D&B Tile Distributors in Florida and member of the CTEF Board of Directors, CTEF is able to bring to life and grow its mission and tile certification: 

Edwardo Martinez CTI #1239 describes becoming a Certified Tile Installer as, “I did it backwards. No studying, no prep work. I filled a spot last minute. I did it to test my skill and knowledge.”

He is next in the CTEF Blog series about Qualified Labor  based on articles in TileLetter.com. 

>> See Certification provides confidence; shows commitment and excellence

Why should we discuss tile trends on a blog that focuses primarily on tile education and installer certification? Because they really matter.

Shon Parker CTI #999 compares becoming a Certified Tile Installer to going to college for computer programming and obtaining a degree. It increases your worth to employers and clients and signals your commitment to learning everything you can about installing tile correctly the first time. 

Shon Parker is next in the CTEF Blog series about Qualified Labor  based on articles in TileLetter.com. 

>> See CTI exam tests and teaches Hawthorne Tile’s project manager Shon Parker learns from the Certified Tile Installer evaluation