The origins of the Visual Inspection of Tilework standard
The NTCA Technical Committee researches, composes, edits, and updates documents in the NTCA Reference Manual, and is, in my opinion, one of the best returns on investment for an NTCA member.
However, I don’t think some of our NTCA members know that there are major installation standards that were first discussed by – or originated in – the NTCA Technical Committee.
In the following months, Technical Committee Vice Chairman Nyle Wadford and I will be sharing these standard developments – along with other work of the Technical Committee – in a series of articles so that our membership understands how this committee functions, and has helped tile contracting companies and tile installers avoid installation pitfalls and mistakes. Our goal is to have the NTCA membership look at the Technical Committee in a new light.
An example of the Committee’s work is ANSI standard A108.01-5.0 Visual Inspection of Tilework. This ANSI standard – the only standard in our industry for reviewing finished tilework – was developed through the work of the NTCA Technical Committee.
Giving contractors a voice
The contractors involved in the Technical Committee brought their concerns to the attention of the Committee because architects, general contractors and end users were disqualifying or rejecting finished tile installations as a result of their subjective opinions on how tilework is supposed to appear when finished. These details included inconsistent joint width, facial variation in tile and the most popular: looking at finished tile installations in low-angle lighting (think flashlights with the lights off or looking at the finished tile installation at a certain time of day).
Paraphrasing the standard: when viewing the finished tile installation, the viewer must consider the allowable tolerances of tile manufacturing, substrate flatness, and workmanship. The viewer must also consider the hand-built aspect of the tile installation. On this last point, the person reviewing the installation must take into account that a human being is installing the tile, which is an imperfect product. The standard also states that the prescribed distance for viewing wall tile installation is from 36″, and the standard for viewing a floor tile installation is at 60″ from above, both in the permanent intended lighting.
In our last TCNA Handbook meeting in Atlanta in August of 2024, the word perpendicular was added to the standard when viewing the installation. The importance of perpendicular to the inspection criteria means you are directly overhead of the floor tile or directly in front of the wall tile so that the low-angled lighting is reduced when inspecting from 36″ or 60″. This will be updated in the TCNA Handbook and the ANSI A108, A118 and A136 standards in 2025.
The language for this standard was heavily emphasized by participants of the Technical Committee and members of the committee that also sit on other influential committees within the industry. It should be noted that Martin Brookes – then a tile contractor and former president of our association – was a major contributor to this idea that grew into a national standard.
You have a place at the table
As an NTCA member, your attendance at the Technical Committee meeting is welcomed and appreciated. It is an open meeting. In fact, you can volunteer for participation on any subcommittee without being an official member of the Technical Committee. The Committee as a whole is composed of contractors, manufacturers, industry associations, and consultants. The subcommittees vary in topic and focus on timely issues facing our industry.
As Nyle and I have observed, several of those “audience” members have become valuable members of the Technical Committee. While volunteers are not paid by the NTCA to participate in the meetings, your NTCA dues help pay for the meeting expenses of the Committee. I encourage all of you to see for yourself how that money and commitment translate into a fantastic investment in our association and, more importantly, your business, and our tile installation industry.
The NTCA Technical Committee formally meets twice a year at Total Solutions Plus and Coverings. To learn more about what members of the NTCA Technical Committee are working on, visit the NTCA YouTube Channel and under playlists, look for the NTCA Technical Committee Updates: https://www.youtube.com/nationaltilecontractorsass3030
James Woelfel
James Woelfel is the President of Artcraft Granite Marble and Tile in Mesa, Arizona. As a third-generation family business, Artcraft Granite, Marble & Tile Company is an NTCA Five-Star Contractor Member and his company has proudly worked with integrity for more than 85 years in providing quality craftsmanship in tile and stone installation. Woelfel is also Chairman of the NTCA Technical Committee since 2007 and is a voting member of the TCNA Handbook and ANSI A108, 118, and 137.1 Committees. He served as president of the NTCA from 2015-2017, was the 2011 recipient of the NTCA Tile Person of the Year Award and the 2019 recipient of the NTCA Ring of Honor. Woelfel is also an NTCA Recognized Consultant and a highly-rated speaker at industry shows such as Coverings, The International Surface Event (TISE), and Total Solutions Plus.
