CTEF Blog - About Tile Education and Installer Certification

Do you love to watch Home Improvement shows like HGTV? For many, they are a wonderful source of design ideas and inspiration especially for complex spaces such as bathrooms and showers. In the case of Jeremy Waldorf CTI #1185, these shows are also an opportunity to observe the quality of the tile installation. 

Jeremy is owner/operator of Legacy Floors in Howell, Michigan. He is the next Certified Tile Installer (CTI) to be featured in the CTEF Blog series about Qualified Labor based on articles in TileLetter.com. 

>> See Jeremy Waldorf: owner/operator Legacy Floors - Certification offers customer extra value, bolstered by education and experience

To support the mission of the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF), Kevin Insalato of California Flooring in the Chicago area has started officially promoting tile installation certification with focus on the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program.

Kevin is as passionate about quality tile installation as Scott Carothers is (see Why Scott Carothers Cares Intensely About Tile Installation Certification and Education). Only fitting that he should join forces with CTEF to help develop the Regional Evaluators program for tile installation certification. We caught up with Kevin to learn more.

CTEF owes special thanks to Coverings for its generous and long time support. In fact, that's why you will now notice Coverings listed as an Elite CTEF Sponsor when you explore becoming a CTEF Sponsor.

About Coverings

If you aren't familiar with Coverings, here's perspective on the show and the critical role it plays in the tile industry. 

According to Steve Keator CTI #455, being a Certified Tile Installer (CTI) means providing tile installation that truly satisfies the greatest expectations for quality. Steve is the next Certified Tile Installer (CTI) to be featured in the CTEF Blog series about Qualified Labor based on articles in TileLetter.com. 

Did you attend the Remodeling Show | DeckExpo | JLC LIVE (R|D|J) on Oct. 6 and 7 in Baltimore, Maryland? If you did, you had the opportunity to see proper tile installation firsthand, and ask questions of installation experts, Scott Carothers from CTEF and Mark Heinlein from NTCA (pictured above).

>> See Why Scott Carothers Cares Intensely About Tile Installation Certification and Education

>> See Mark Heinlein on 5 Benefits of Being a Certified Tile Installer

Interested in differentiating your business? Try tile installation certification. This article highlights J&R Tile, Inc. in San Antonio, Texas, which has successfully differentiated its business through the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program.

We caught up with Erin Albrecht, J&R Tile Director of Operations and daughter and niece of the company co-founders, to learn more.

Having members of the tile industry come together to address installation issues, new product introductions and customer questions makes the work of the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation really exciting. Ultimately, this truly kicks tile industry education up a knotch or two and more.

Take Karl Parker CTI #1188 who believes strongly in industry education. Karl is the next Certified Tile Installer (CTI) to be featured in the CTEF Blog series about Qualified Labor based on articles in TileLetter.com. 

According to Kevin Hurla CTI# 1053, "The whole Certified Tile Installer (CTI) process has information that installers should know to ensure proper installation."

Kevin is the first Certified Tile Installer to be featured in a new CTEF Blog series about Qualified Labor based on articles in TileLetter.com. 

>> See “Knowledge is power,” for recently-certified installer Kevin Hurla of Fox Ceramic Tile

In 5 Benefits of Being a Certified Tile Installer, we mentioned that a certified installer is considered 'qualified labor' as defined by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA).  Quality tile installation is at the heart of all of the education and tile installation certification programs CTEF offers. Needless to say, this topic is near and dear to our hearts!

If you are considering becoming a Certified Tile Installer, your future looks bright!  You see, flooring installers - and particularly quality installers - are in short supply.  In fact, the floor covering industry considers this so critical that it held an Installation Summit focused on installation issues and opportunities, including those relevant to tile.

In this article, Bart Bettiga, National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) Executive Director and CTEF Board Member, shares highlights from the session.

The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) depends on the support of the entire tile industry - individuals and companies alike - to make quality tile installation possible.

It's a combination of vision and imagining the "what if" possibilities of creating something from scratch, not to mention intense collaboration with people who have the right creative attitude, and who generously contribute time and money.

>> See About CTEF

One such collaborative visionary is Joseph Lundgren of JL Consulting and formerly of Dal-Tile. We caught up with Joe to ask him a few questions.