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Why you need movement joints
Quick and easy ways to achieve them correctly
Hopefully, as a tile installer, you’ve heard a lot about movement, expansion, or movement accommodation joints – and...
Waterproofing for exterior balcony
QUESTION
I have a customer with an exterior balcony that is tiled on the floor and walls. The space below the balcony is conditioned space...
Marble moisture discoloration: don’t blame the stone!
Carrara marble moisture discoloration on shower floors is a common problem that has been experienced by many professional tile and stone installers in the...
Thin brick tips
QUESTION
I am bidding 10,000 to 12,000 square feet of thin brick. And I thought some advice would be prudent!
Would you care to share with...
Why you MUST clean before you disinfect
Cleaning alone can remove more than half of harmful germs
Suddenly and unexpectedly, hygiene has become a top life priority. Clean spaces directly contribute to...
The INS and OUTS of layout
When we analyze the results of the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) test, given by the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, we can see that when...
Efflorescence reappearing on stone floor
Question:
We just installed a stone tile shower floor. It was sealed twice and shortly after white stuff kept showing on the floor even though...
Is there a method for moving a construction joint using anti-fracture membrane?
QUESTION
I have a small floor install in a basement. A construction joint runs about 1/3 into my floor. I’m installing 6”x36” porcelain tiles over...
Lighting is causing wall-washing effect
QUESTION
I wonder if you can help me out on a problem we are having based on coved lighting that causes the wall-washing effect.
We have...
Why proper substrate preparation is critical for tile and stone installations
If you are an attendee of our NTCA online free webinars, this title may sound familiar. That’s because back in February, ARDEX Technical Manager...
Natural Stone Institute unveils Silica & Slab Safety Certificate program
Oberlin, OH, April 28, 2020— The Natural Stone Institute is proud to announce the debut of a new safety resource for stone fabricators and...
Do the typical TCNA standards for expansion joints pertain to GPTP too?
QUESTION
I wonder if I could get some advice from you for this project that we are to start installing in a few weeks. It...
When to use moisture-resistant gyp-board or cement board
QUESTION
I’m writing with a question that I hope you can either answer or point me to the best resource that would be able to...
Mortar, mortero or mud: why you need to know how to work with this ancient material
The use of mortar in construction has been around since around 6500 B.C., and still has a place in today’s construction projects.
The ability to...
Repairing Saltillo tile
QUESTION
I got a call today from a customer who chipped her Saltillo tile and wants to know if it can be repaired. The tile...
How close to the tile wall can a linear drain be placed?
QUESTION
How close to the tile wall can a linear drain be placed?
I’m planning to use an elastomeric waterproofing membrane and install the mortar bed...
Can we install over the sheetrock using a bonding primer or would it be better to install over a cement backer?
QUESTION
We are about to install 16” x 16” terrazzo cement tile (2cm) on a 10' x 10 wall in a doctor’s office. The wall...
Eldorado Stone introduces new, lighter color palette
Eldorado Stone, a Boral brand, introduces a new color palette to accentuate the classically-inspired aesthetics of one of its most popular profiles....
Antolini debuts Crema Cielo marble
Mother Nature has always provided the strongest and most artistic designs imaginable. Antolini has over 60 years of experience harnessing this ...