CTEF Blog - About Tile Education and Installer Certification

The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation has news to share with you! We are searching for an Executive Director to take the foundation's mission to the next level.

This represents a major milestone for CTEF. Realize that all the education, training and certification of 1,500 CTIs and many ACTs achieved this far has happened because of the intense dedication of two full-time staff members, an army of volunteers and the outsourcing of some functions. 

It's time, though, for a dedicated Executive Director.

We caught up with Bart Bettiga, Executive Director of the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) and member of the CTEF Board of Directors to learn more.

Are you familiar with the Global Monumental Hand-Print Mural Project?

It's a massively big project, conceived by the Tile Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to research and the preservation of ceramic surfaces. The mural honors all who participate in and contribute to the tile industry and supports Tile Heritage's vital tile industry archiving work. 

Will you participate? 

Have you noticed the new CTEF logo? It's in two different flavors that both prominently feature the words "Qualified Labor, Certification and Tile Industry Recognized."

These words recognize that the CTEF installer certification programs (i.e., CTI and ACT) are tile industry recognized and define a tile installer with those designations as being ‘Qualified Labor.’

Let's explore in more detail.

If you spend time with anyone involved in the proper installation of ceramic tile, the TCNA Handbook for Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Tile Installation will be the focal point of the conversation.  Why? Because this useful guide assists in clarifying and standardizing installation specifications for tile.

In addition to providing a selection of numbered installation "methods" for differentiating and easy reference, the Handbook includes various product selection guides for ceramic, glass, and stone tiles; guidelines for wet areas; field and installation requirements, and more.

Produced by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA), the TCNA Handbook for Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Tile Installation has been published on a continuous basis since 1963. 

Here's an overview.

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: 

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.

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. 

Every industry has its associations. What makes the tile industry particularly remarkable is the level of collaboration that takes place between its associations and organizations. The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) is an example of that collaboration, working with all those in the industry who are passionate about quality tile installation.

To give you perspective on those dynamics, we've put together this list detailing each tile industry association.

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.