What is the Installation Experience?
The Coverings Tiling Installation Experience consisted of a self-guided tour that took attendees through a sequence of spaces documenting the following:
In the Hall of Failures and the Hall of Excellence, the difference between the right and wrong way to complete a tile installation.
A cut-away version of the CTI module with Regional Evaluators of the Certified Tile Installer program on hand to explain the parameters of the test and answer questions.
In the Hall of ACT (Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers), demonstrations of each of the advanced areas of certification with ACT Evaluators on hand to answer questions from installers and others interested in the promotion of Qualified Labor as described in the Tile Council of America (TCNA) Handbook.
Live interactive installations including a fully functioning kitchen; a bathroom with heated tile floor and a fully functioning stall shower, along with a transformed vintage fireplace. These state-of-the-art projects included glass tile, porcelain, gauged porcelain tile panels, natural stone and other cutting-edge tile products along with breakthrough technology installation systems.
An expansive seating area and TV screen offered viewers a time-lapsed progress video, highlighting the various construction stages of the projects that took place.
The CTI challenge where two Certified Tile Installer teams competed against each other to provide the best installation possible.
Let's explore each section starting with the Hall of Failures.
Welcome to the Hall of Failures
The sign below says it best:"The tiles displayed here are first quality. However, the work was NOT done by Qualified Labor."
Why start with poorly installed tile products?
To draw attention to the kind of work that poorly trained tile placers - be it in residential or commercial projects - deliver to customers. These tile placers aren't true professional tile installers or tile mechanics. They pretend to know what they are doing.
Unlike Qualified Labor installers who follow the American National Standards Institute or ANSI requirements for properly installed tile, these ill-trained and careless individuals create the kind of installation problems you see in the Hall of Failures, giving the tile industry a black eye.
The more demanding the installation, the more critical it is for an installer to know what s/he is doing. Otherwise you're in for catastrophic failures.
Inconsistent Grout Joints
The installation below doesn't follow the approved standard for grout joints, resulting in tiles are set too close together and aren't flat.
Misaligned and Unsightly Tile
Below you see crooked and poorly aligned tile in this chevron pattern. The end result in this 45-degree angled wall is truly unsightly.
Here you see it in another installation.
Spot Bonding
Spot bonded wall and floor tile occurs when the “tile placer” puts a dollop of mortar on each corner and one in the center of the tile.
This unreliable trick does not provide the required ANSI mortar coverage in a wet (shower) area which is 95%.
Even in a dry area, the required 80% is not achieved. At best, this failure yields less than 15% coverage. Not even close to what is required. Failure is coming.
Inadequate Mortar Coverage
The lack of adequate mortar is demonstrated here. The ANSI requirement for mortar on the back of the tile is 80% in dry area and 95% in wet areas.
This is the result of not using the proper technique for applying mortar.
On floors this is especially important. If the supporting mortar is not there, the tile will crack and be unsightly.
Lippage
When tile on both floors and walls is not properly aligned, the result is what is known as lippage where one tile is higher or lower than the adjacent tile.
This condition is exacerbated by lighting that is placed too closely to the wall, accentuating the problem.
On floors, this condition is not aesthetically pleasing, but more importantly, it can present a serious and financially-costly liability problem. If someone falls and is injured, the tile placer can be financially responsible.
Hire Qualified Labor
How to overcome these tile installation failures? Hire Qualified Labor.
Qualified labor refers to having the most qualified professional perform the scope of the work you are specifying rather than basing the decision on the lowest price.
The Tile Council of North America (TCNA) Handbook committee strongly recommends using installers who have demonstrated their commitment to their craft and taken the time to stay current with the latest materials and methods. Because tile is a permanent finish, the lowest bid should not be the driving factor, but rather who is the most qualified to perform the scope of the work specified.
The Handbook further defines Qualified Labor being provided by the following non-profit organizations and programs:
The Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers (ACT),
The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF),
The International Masonry Institute (IMI) Contractor College Program,
Journeyman Tile Layer Apprenticeship Program,
The Marble Institute of America (MIA) Accreditation for Natural Stone Tile Installation Contractors,
The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) Five Star Contractors Program,
The Tile Contractors’ Association of America (TCAA) Trowel of Excellence Program.