Our very own Nyle Wadford was recognized as Tile Person of the Year by the National Tile Contractors Association at Coverings 2013 in Atlanta this month. Since 1958, NTCA has been honoring a tile professional each year who is dedicated to supporting the non-profit trade association and its service to all segments of the tile and stone industry.
NTCA Tile Person of the Year
Nyle joins a prestigious group of tile professionals who have received this honor, and, we’re pleased to say, he was completely surprised at the ceremony (good job team!). Nyle’s work to create qualified labor specifications for the tile industry and his contributions to the growth of NTCA were cited among his many industry accomplishments.
The whole Neuse Tile team shares Nyle’s passion for correct tile installations, but it’s Nyle and the team at NTCA who have worked so diligently to make sure all tile contractors have the technical instructions they need to perform installations that will last. When Nyle was President of the NTCA, the organization experienced record growth in membership, expanded its Partners for Success program, formed an historic partnership with Tile Contractors Association of America, and significantly expanded the NTCA’s Five-Star Contractor Program.
Nyle will continue to represent the NTCA on the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) Handbook Committee, and serve on the ANSI ASC 108 Committee, making Neuse Tile Service one of two contractors worldwide to sit on all three committees! He currently is the Chairman of the Board for NTCA.
Way to go Nyle! We’re proud of you!
Check out this interview with Nyle from the floor of the Coverings Show in Atlanta:
As another year comes to a close, we’ve enjoyed reflecting on some wonderful
installations and some great general contractors and homeowners on projects large and small. But if we had to single out one project from this year that speaks volumes, it would be a local homeowner’s steam shower.
Unfortunately, we were called in after a so-called “tile contractor” had completed his ‘installation’, and the homeowner had experienced the resulting rain in their kitchen below. This one had to go all the way back to framing to correct the plethora of mistakes that had been made (including cardboard shims under the tile).
The incompetence of the work is outstanding, of course, but the project itself is indicative of so much more. These very nice homeowners had taken the recommendation of a someone in the industry and had invested their hard-earned money. What they got was barely passable on the surface, and horrific underneath. It’s a good thing that it started raining in their kitchen;
otherwise, it might have been a year or two before the extent of this travesty was revealed. So many of the jobs we’ve had to tear out and replace this year have been 2 years or 5 years old, and the original contractor is long gone. We were honored to help this family get the steam shower they paid for, but it would have been so much better if they had not had to endure the process and the expense of a project done twice.
We hope and pray that in this coming New Year, quality and integrity will come back into style; that the professional businesses in the construction industry will
Steam shower tranquility.
be allowed to thrive; and that homeowners and contractors will remember that the lowest bidder is always going to cost someone in the long run.
A successful business is one which delivers on its commitments AND prices its work so that it can be around to serve customers in the future. Here’s hoping we are one of those in 2013!
“Still Climbing Out” is the theme of the 7th annual blogfest, which brings together bloggers from around the globe to write about the importance of bathrooms in the customer experience. Their posts come from a wide range of perspectives that include sociology, marketing, research, psychology, environmental, customer experience, and design.
We have always been North Carolina folks – our parents are ‘from here’, we grew up here, we will probably always live here, and 98% of our business has been in the Tarheel State. In the past several years, however, we’ve been fortunate to be involved in the tile industry on a national level. We’ve attended national conferences, written for industry trade journals, and even worked on joint projects with tile contractors from other states. As we travel and talk with our peers the general consensus is that we are still climbing out of the debris that has been the construction industry for the past several years.
However, from our vantage point, the best of the industry seems to be climbing out together- not scraping and clawing but building upon and encouraging. Many throughout our nation want to focus on what divides us, but, for the most part, quality tile contractors seem to be concentrating on what we can do as a group to help the industry collectively. Certainly we compete on projects from time-to-time and we often prefer our own way of doing things, but the general belief is that when individual companies are better trained, better equipped, better managed, and working toward common goals, then all of us succeed. Perhaps our nation can return to that ideal in coming days as well…
In our industry we’ve seen unprecedented cooperation as trade and labor tile organizations have worked together to develop specifications that will help designers, architects, and consumers more carefully select tile installers; manufacturers have worked jointly to agree on common standards for the ‘green’ characteristics of their tile products; tile installers and distributors have begun having trade conferences jointly to offer even more learning opportunities; and tile contractors from all over the US now meet as one Five Star and Trowel of Excellence group to share ideas, promote excellence, and continue to drive the industry forward.
As the fatigue factor lessens from the endurance test of the past few years, we are hopeful that this common spirit flourishes even more. Perhaps it’s been the desperation of our shared economic crisis that has pushed us to think collectively, but the result has been an encouraging lift to our spirits. Challenging climbs still await to be sure, but a moment of appreciation that we are still here to climb another day is in order.
To help architectural and design professionals demand installation excellence, the tile industry approved historic new language for its 2012 Tile Council of North America (TCNA) Handbook. This update details the credentials an installer needs to complete a specific project so that the customer can rely on both the beauty and longevity of the tile.
In the past, correct tile specifications have included types of tile, setting materials, methods of installation, and any mention of installer qualifications has been vague at best. However, this new TCNA handbook, “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.”
Listed are recognized certifications and programs which give an indication of a tile professional’s qualifications. Also referenced is a Contractor Questionnaire developed by the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) which can be used “to aid in evaluating and comparing contractors.”
This industry-approved language has also been added to MasterSpec and other systems designed for use by engineers, architects, specification writers and owners.
Most tile installers will tell you they do a ‘quality’ job, but for true ‘quality’ other things MUST be considered:
-How long will the installation last? will it move when the structure breathes? how much use can the surface withstand? will the setting material keep the tile in place when water seeps through? how challenging will it be to maintain the surface?
-What are the consequences of a project’s failure? grout coming up or ‘crunching’ heard each time you walk across a floor? tiles popping loose and creating a trip hazard? down-time and money to re-do the project; or water seeping through the downstairs ceiling?
As TCNA executive director Eric Astrachan said, “For a tile installation with permanence and artistry, specify installers who are passionate about their craft. For a permanent finish, the issue should never be who is cheapest, but rather who is best.”
Tile containing recycled content or set with materials which emit no harmful odors meets the criteria to be called ‘green’ in some rating systems, but, if it’s manufactured overseas and brought here using a great amount of transportation energy, should it still be considered part of an environmentally friendly local-government building?
We’ve seen this scenario play out a few times in the past several years, and are always amazed that fabulous tiles manufactured within 500 miles of our location are not used on local ‘green’ projects. (Of course, we’re also flabbergasted by local projects that bring in contractors and subcontractors from other states, but that’s another blog topic.)
The point is that ‘green’ criteria to date have addressed individual components of a tile installation – the composition of the tile or setting material, the long-term durability of tile, the fact that tile doesn’t emit any VOC’s (volatile organic compounds), where it’s manufactured, or how the plant that makes it handles its water supply. Now, however, there’s a measurement standard which will encompass all aspects of ‘green.’ ANSI’s new Green Squared Standard (A138.1) is a “multi-attribute, total-system approach to sustainability.”
Within the standard, things like recycled material, life-cycle assessment, and re-use of post-life product are detailed. It’s complex and measured by independent certification laboratories so that the industry now has definite points of evaluation and end-users can determine which products are truly ‘green.’ With the Green Squared certification, customers will be able to see that they are choosing some of the most sustainable products on the market today.
‘Green’ features aren’t new to tile and stone, but this quantification of its positive attributes should help easily translate its viability to architectural specifiers and consumers. “Tile’s inherent durability, and the perpetuity of the natural materials out of which tiles are manufactured, have made ceramic tiles the natural choice for centuries,” states the 2012 TCNA Handbook.
When we talk about tile’s durability, I often think of the image of a solitary tile shower stall on the second story of an area home that withstood the devastation of a 1988 tornado. That blue 4×4 tile seemed to stand out defiantly in a neighborhood ransacked by nature’s power.
The property damage and loss of life that night were devastating, but, 24 years later, thinking of that shower reminds me of all our craft used to be. Tile was the substantial, durable, and standard bathroom material. The color choices might have been few, but the installation was meant to last.
Today tile is a designer product, a limitless ‘feature’, and often an ‘upgrade,’ and yet we spend many of our hours tearing out our competitor’s poor installations and tiling them as they should have been done the first time. It isn’t the fashion or even the function of the tile itself that’s made the difference in durability. It’s what’s under the tile – what you can’t see.
Stephanie Samulski does a great job explaining the change in tile installation methods and the consequences in the Tile Council of North America’s 2012 Handbook. Here’s an excerpt from Stephanie’s article:
In the earlier days of tile setting, “there were only a few methods of installing tile – bonded mortar beds and unbonded mortar beds. For several reasons, the resulting installations were likely to be problem-free, and indeed, many of them are still around today.
First, mortar beds were, simply stated, good. They helped tile installations withstand building movement and the installer created the substrate, for a nice flat finish.
Second, because mortar bed methods had been in use for hundreds of years, the knowledge and understanding of how to properly execute them was high.
Third, there was a culture of tile setters, a fraternity of sorts, of the tradesmen who knew how to turn a pile of sand and a couple bags of cement into substrate, setting material, and grout. Anyone who could do this was, by necessity, thoroughly trained, and the industry benefited from this built-in training and quality control mechanism.
Tile Installation guide 2012
Fast forward to today. Even though mortar bed methods are still recognized as the best choice for many scenarios, most jobs are being specified with thin-bed installation methods because these thinner, lighter installations are faster and less expensive to install. They are also less expensive to design for: floors don’t need to be recessed, lighter duty framing materials can be used, and the installation is 75 percent lighter than if a mortar bed were specified. This has allowed tile installations to be more affordable and more readily available.
But what else happens when a labor-intensive, highly skilled method of installation is almost completely supplanted by methods that don’t require years of training? The built-in competency requirement diminishes. Outside of a few state licensing programs, very little is in place to make sure a tile contractor knows industry standards and best practices and has good installers. The consistent uptick in tile consumption over the last fifty years attracted workers and business owners who recognized a growth industry with very few obstacles to getting started, and many good companies and installers entered the trade, but at the same time less-skilled workers and less-qualified business owners set up shop as tile contractors too.
The perception popularized by television shows, internet blogs, YouTube, and the like – that tile setting is so easy you can do it yourself – is a fallacy that oversimplifies the craft. While materials exist now that make it look easy and allow nearly everyone to attach tiles to a floor or wall, knowing the right materials for the project and installing them properly to last the life of the building is, in some ways, even more difficult today than it was when only mortar beds were used. With all the improvements to setting materials through the years and the changes to how buildings are constructed, tile setting has gone from a skill-centric trade to a knowledge-centric trade. Knowing what will work over the life of the building requires real expertise.”
As the TCNA Handbook states, “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.”
We are in the process of tearing out and re-doing a very nice couple’s steam shower. The tile work they had was horrific, the ‘waterproofing’ was non-existent, the framing was a joke, and the ‘finished’ product leaked all over their house. It wasn’t our work – it was the work of someone who claimed to be a ‘contractor’ and who has taken advantage of these unsuspecting homeowners.
This was one of the worst excuses for construction we’ve seen in a while. (Though last week’s shower with 8 nails through the pan liner was bad too!!)
There’s no way this ’tile installer’ thought he was doing a sufficient job for these folks– he stuck cardboard in behind tile as a ‘filler’ in one area of the shower! Yet, he was recommended to this couple by a plumbing manufacturer, so they thought they were hiring someone who would do a good job.
He didn’t; and he’s doing his best to give our industry a black eye. But, to this couple’s credit, they realize he is an exception, and they’ve maintained a positive attitude meeting their adversity by educating themselves. Before they signed on with us to tear out and re-tile their steam shower, they got references, researched the products we suggested, and even came by a steam shower installation in progress to see our guys at work.
Good for them! When you’re not in the construction business, it’s hard to know where to start to find a reputable and experienced craftsman. Certainly, referrals are a good resource, as is doing some research on-line. Other valuable places to get information on potential contractors are their trade associations (ours is National Tile Contractors Association); a certification body (for us its Ceramic Tile Education Foundation); the local Home Builders Association; local business groups; and other people in similar fields. Your money and your home are too precious to entrust to someone who would stick tile to cardboard.
We wish we had met this couple before their bad experience started, and we’re doing our best to create the steam shower they had in mind when this project started many months ago.
In the meantime, we’ll keep reminding everyone how important it is to find a reputable and experienced contractor who will stand behind their work. (Longevity in the business DOES matter, especially in today’s economy.) If you have any suggestions on where else we should be spreading the word, feel free to share.
We seem to be making lots of circles lately – and, with square tiles, that’s a pretty big accomplishment
When you were in school, you probably wondered if you’d ever use what you learned in math class. Most people don’t need a compass or protractor to accomplish daily tasks, but our profession is based on measurements, fractions, and geometry (with some chemistry and physics thrown in, of course).
It takes skilled craftsmen to install these works of artistry, but behind-the-scenes we’re often using colored pencils and protractors to prep for the laser lines and configurations used on the actual job site.
Detailed measurements and certified installers combine to create beautiful symmetry.
A recent photo of our work on the front page of the local newspaper featured mosaic tiles with concentric metal rings that we fashioned from regular square edging. And, after we made a circular pattern with changing-colored tiles, an architect wrote to tell us,
“the floor tile in the lobby is some of the best work I’ve seen in a while. The circles are very close to perfect. The arches are cut in nicely, the joints are very good. It’s just a good neat job.”
Geometry & tile artistry make this lobby a work of art.
And, we even won a national award for a combination of tile and marble circles that we formulated to fill the first floor of a commercial space. Good thing we still remember how to use that compass and string from math class all those years ago!
Whether it be in circles or squares, we love a long-lasting and beautiful tile installation. And, no matter what– it takes math to get there.
Scroll down for a before-and-after picture of a grout transformation.
We installed this kitchen tile 6 years ago, and it’s had some heavy-duty traffic, so the grout had gotten pretty dingy. A thorough clean from our technicians, and the floor looks as good as it did when it was new!
Tile and grout renewed after our heavy-duty cleaning.
Properly installed tile doesn’t do much moving on its own, so when a tiled surface is cracking, there’s often an underlying problem. A recent article by Katelyn Simpson of the Tile Council of North America gives us some insight:
In an installation over a concrete subfloor, reflective cracks can result from movement or cracking of the concrete. Concrete continues to shrink long after it’s first poured, and “it causes many shear and compressive forces on the thin-set, tile, and grout. If the shear force exceeds the strength of the bond, the tile may de-bond from the floor. This is also called tenting.”
To help prevent the problem?
Allow concrete to cure so that any cracks that form can be filled and any distortion of the slab can be ground down. A cure time of 14 to 28 days may be sufficient depending on the thin-set adhesive to be used. Crack isolation or anti-fracture membranes can also be of help. These membranes bond to the concrete subfloor, and then the tile is installed with thin-set over top of the membrane. This can reduce any concrete movement from being transferred to the tile.
The addition of movement joints can also diminish the stress that occurs between the concrete substrate and the tile. Of course, all floor tile installations should make allowances for movement.
In an installation over wood, a possible cause for cracked tile is excessive deflection (lack of rigidity or excessive ‘bounce’). Typically, the grout will crack first, and in severe cases, the tile can crack as the compressive and tensile forces bear on the installation.
To help prevent the problem?
Appropriate joist spacing can minimize deflection. This information from the TCNA information page sheds more light:
“Traditionally, the accepted minimum requirement for floor rigidity is L/360 – before the tile underlayment is installed. The L/360 standard means that the floor should not deflect more than the “span” divided by 360. If the span of the joists is 10 feet (between supports), then the deflection should not be more than 1/3″ between the center and the end. Frequently, there is misunderstanding regarding deflection between joists. For example, while joist manufacturers regularly meet the standard L/360 criteria for code construction with 24″ on center systems, these floors often have deflection between the joists exceeding L/360.
Recent research has shown tile to fail under some conditions, when the floor is more rigid than L/360 – in fact failures at L/600 have been observed. It is for this reason that recommendations for floor rigidity are not based on deflection measurements but on empirically established methods found to work over normal code construction.”
Neuse Tile‘s staff can provide consulting and repair services if you have a problem with cracked tile.
the fact that tile doesn’t emit any VOC’s (volatile organic compounds), where it’s manufactured, or how the plant that makes it handles its water supply. Now, however, there’s a measurement standard which will encompass all aspects of ‘green.’ ANSI’s new Green Squared Standard (A138.1) is a “multi-attribute, total-system approach to sustainability.”
