Almost every tile installer has experienced the scenario of the general contractor calling to say that the job site is ready for tile. However, this statement is normally issued solely to keep the job on schedule. This situation is commonplace on today’s job sites, making the work of the tile contractor difficult, if not impossible. We will review six issues that tile contractors face with improper job site conditions and how they resolve them.
Martin Howard of the David Allen Company in North Carolina revealed that “The pictures we take are typical of the job site conditions where the general contractor (GC) says the job is ‘tile ready.’ We use a program called Procore to document all these conditions in writing with pictures that are uploaded immediately from the field, and a notice is sent to the GC, superintendent, and project manager (PM).”
Work by other trades, but not completed
ANSI A108.01-2.1.3 Accessories states that: “Grounds, anchors, plugs, hangers, door frames, electrical, mechanical, blocking, plumbing, flashing, and other work in or behind tile shall be installed before tile work is started.” But that’s not always the condition that tile installers find at the job site.
Matthew Blood of Paragon Tile Installation in Rhode Island lamented that many times the GC does not provide the appropriate rough opening or blocking for the tub installation, as seen in the attached image. This situation requires corrective action to be taken, which delays the project and incurs additional cost, many times at the tile installer’s expense.
Megan Garvey of Welch Tile in Michigan said that when her team arrived on a recent job, the site was not ready. “We stayed on site and charged the contractor for the additional time,” she said.
Many times, the GC says the job is ready to go, Howard said, but the site prep may be incomplete. “The drainpipe is there, but the shower drain is not installed,” he explained.
Other trades occupying the same space
ANSI A108.01-4.3a Protecting Work Area says, “General contractor must provide complete areas to tile contractor so that all work in each area may be completed and no areas require remobilization or segmented protection of installation.”
Erin Albrecht of J&R Tile in Texas talked about her company’s experience on the job site, and how they ensure the highest degree of success. “Commonly, we deal with coordination conflicts with painters, drywallers, plumbers, electricians, and millwork contractors during tile installation,” she said. “We request dedicated access through daily job site huddles or scheduling meetings with the GC or PM. This ensures no trades are working overhead or tracking debris across prepped substrates. We enforce walk-off protection and clearly mark staging and curing zones with signage and barrier tape.”
Howard added, “Often, we are asked to start in areas where two or more trades are actively working. We document these conditions with photographs that are time stamped and provided to the GC.”
Job site debris
Although there are no specific standards as to the condition of the job site, common sense would dictate that the areas to receive tile must be free of debris and stored materials. If job site housekeeping is not called out in the plans and specifications, it should be established in written form to the architect design professional.
Blood’s experience on some jobs is that, “the shower alcoves are used as trash receptacles,” and Howard noted that, “Many times, the room where we are to begin our work is full of other trades’ stored materials.”
Albrecht warned that debris can spell disaster at the job site. “Loose debris creates unsafe and unworkable conditions,” she said. “Jobsite cleanliness is a shared responsibility. We request daily cleanup protocols and designate tile work areas as ‘clean zones.’ Before floor prep or the install begins, we sweep, vacuum, and mop with clean water to remove the remaining dust that could interfere with adhesion.”
Out of flat and/or level substrates
Here’s what ANSI says about substrate flatness. A108.02-4.2.2: “Substrate flatness for tile 15 in. (0.38 m) or longer: For tiles with at least one edge 15 in. (0.38 m) or longer, the substrate shall have a maximum permissible variation of 1/8 in. in 10 ft. (3 mm in 3 m) from the required plane and no more than 1/16 in. variation in 24 in. (2 mm in 610 mm) when measured from the high points on the surface.”
Albrecht leaves nothing to chance. “Before a single tile is set, we get down and personal with the slab,” she said. “As Frank Galvan of ARDEX likes to say, you have to get intimate with the floor – inspect it closely, feel it, and take your time.
“In Texas, most of our installs are on-grade concrete with large-format porcelain, which makes proper prep critical,” she added. “We submit a formal Field Condition Report (FCR) or Request For Information (RFI) to the GC, Superintendent, or PM and halt tile installation in affected areas. The documentation clarifies that substrate correction is required prior to tile installation to maintain warranty and meet TCNA-recommended practices.”
Substrate contamination
Contractors find that often substrate conditions don’t follow the ANSI standard: A108.01-2.1.2 Substrate requirements: “All substrates shall be clean, free of all contaminants such as sealers, coatings, dust, oil, wax, curing compound, and other coatings.”
But in reality, “We typically must deal with contamination such as plaster and dirt having to be cleaned from the subfloors,” Blood related.
For Albrecht, a highly-contaminated substrate is a hard no for work to take place. “When the substrate appears heavily contaminated with drywall dust and possibly compound residue, which severely impacts mortar bond strength, J&R does not proceed,” she said. “ANSI A108.01 requires a clean, sound substrate free of bond breakers. We notify the GC in writing and request mechanical cleaning (grinding or shot blasting). We don’t proceed until a clean surface is verified.”
Protection of completed work
According to ANSI, the GC needs to safeguard tile work. A108.01-4.3b states, “The general contractor is responsible to keep spaces closed to traffic and other work in areas where tile is being set to ensure tile is not damaged. Tile contractor is not responsible for damage caused by other trades during the installation process.”
Blood relies on documentation to protect his interests on the job. “Due to the carelessness of other trades on a recent job, the floor was badly scratched,” he said. “The picture seen below was paramount in getting the proper trade to cover the costs associated with honing the floor (to remove the scratches) after all trades had moved from this master bathroom. Documentation is critical.”
Numerous times, the GC, superintendent, and/or the PM need to be reminded, in writing, of the ANSI standards and the project drawings/specifications that provide guidelines on how a job site should appear in preparation for the next trade’s work. When this system is followed, the job proceeds smoothly and on schedule. If not, money is lost by all involved.
Scott Carothers
Scott Carothers is the Acdemic Director for the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) and is responsible for the creation of the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program, and is involved in the creation of the Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers (ACT) program as well as providing training to others in the tile industry.
Carothers has been involved in the ceramic tile industry for nearly 40 years and was the owner of a successful retail and installation firm prior to CTEF. He has served as President and Chairman of the Board of the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), Chairman of the NTCA Technical Committee, was named the NTCA Tile Person of the Year in 2005, and the NTCA Ring of Honor recipient in 2013. He is a voting member of the ANSI and the TCNA Handbook committees.
