CTEF Blog - About Tile Education and Installer Certification

John Cox, President of Cox Tile (pictured in the image above on the far left), is the Technical Consultant to the Coverings Installation Design Showcase. 

First launched at Coverings 2008, the Installation Design Showcase or IDS features the live installation of tile in several professionally designed vignettes. Although planning and preparation begin several months before the show, the big deal about the IDS is that installation must be completed before the end of the Coverings exhibition, in time for review, admiration, comments, and celebration.

Tile industry teamwork is what powers so much of the awareness of quality labor and the importance of tile industry installation standards and best practices.

Not only do  you see it happening within the Top Tile Associations and Organizations, but you see it regularly in action when hands-on Certified Tile Installer (CTI) evaluations take place, starting with the tile companies that host the evaluations.

What's certainly true about a tiny house is that, by virtue of its size, it brings you closer to nature. Imagine taking that one step further based on how tile inside the house mimics nature. That's what the Vitruvian, a tiled tiny house created during Coverings 2017 in Orlando, captures based on the vision of designer Nikki Vega from BlueTreeHome based in Orlando. She specializes in tiny homes.

Nikki teamed up with the installation team from J & R Tile, Inc. for the live installation of tile in a tiny house on the Coverings show floor during the annual Installation Design Showcase.

Tile in a tiny house is a natural choice for anyone who admires how versatile and sustainable tile is. It's also a must for those participating in the live installation of tile in three tiny houses on the Coverings show floor as J&R Tile did during Covering17 in Orlando, Florida.

We are frequently asked why someone who has been laying tile for twenty or more years should bother becoming a Certified Tile Installer.

>> See Certification: providing a bridge to the larger tile community for Charles Nolen, Miller’s Flooring America

Inspired by tile for a tiny house? Most definitely yes, when that tile captures a clean, calm feel that The Georgia Pear Interiors' Lauren Figueroa decided was perfect for the West Michigan tiny home she designed for the Installation Design Showcase during Coverings 2017.

She teamed up with Welch Tile & Marble for the live installation of tile in a tiny house on the Coverings show floor... 

Imagine creating a tiled tiny house where every interior surface is covered with tile...

That's what Dan Welch from Welch Tile & Marble and Lauren Figueroa from The Georgia Pear Interiors did during the Coverings 2017 Installation Design Showcase. They were one of three groups participating in the live installation of tile in three tiny houses on the Coverings show floor. In this case, the team completed the West Michigan Tiny House. 

We caught up with Dan to ask him about his tiny home  experience while participating in the Installation Design Showcase. 

Have you experienced a tiny home where tile is the star? Coverings 2017 featured the live installation of tile in three such tiny houses on the Coverings show floor, including the Palm Springs Mid Century Retro Tiny Home featured in this article.  Kim Lewis Designs collaborated Visalia Ceramic Tile, Inc. to bring this project to life. 

We caught up with Kim Lewis to learn more about her, the project and how she used tile in the design of her tiny home.

During Coverings 2017, Visalia Ceramic Tile, Inc. joined forces with Kim Lewis Designs during the yearly Installation Design Showcase. What made this Installation Design Showcase different was that it featured the live installation of tile in three tiny houses on the Coverings show floor. In this case, the team completed the Retro Bungalow Tiny House.

We caught up with Visalia Ceramic Tile's Sam Bruce to ask him about his company and what tiling a tiny home at Coverings was like.

Scott Heron CTI #182 of Precision Tile Company, Inc. in West Columbia, S.C., is thoroughly committed to quality tile installations. Not only is he a CTEF Certified Tile Installer (CTI), but he has also achieved the distinction of holding three certifications in the Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers (ACT) program.

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

>> See Five-Star Spotlight - Precision Tile Company Inc. 

>> See CTEF, Schluter conduct first open-shop ACT testing