Lippage tools Severalcontractorswereverykeen on “tile benders” as NTCA mem- ber Wayne Riemersma of Marne, Michigan’s, Tileworks calls them. Although his company – celebrating 37 years in business – resisted using lippage control devices for years, a recent job that received 1,200 square feet of big-box-store 6” x 32” planking caused a change of heart. “Using all our old school methods, we could not get them to lay flat,” Riemersma said. So they purchased two different kinds of lippage sys- tems and after an hour of use, his installers gave Spin Doctor from RTC Products the thumbs up. Riemersma fears that “in five years time we’ll start seeing tile popping off and hitting the ceil- ing when the mortar dries out,” and feels that the lippage issue is the manufacturer’s problem and responsibility. In an on-page social media discussion, Phil Green of P.G.C. Construction, Remodeling and Design in Gilberts, Ill., coun- tered with, “The industry has already ALLOWED for warpage in larger tiles (especially planks) and I doubt that manufacturers are going to change their minds and provide PERFECTLY flat tiles... Even FLAT tiles can be installed with lippage.” He pointed out that there is a lip- page tolerance, even in the TCNA Handbook, and added, “I think the lippage systems will become the standard for the way new tile set- ters set their tile. The large format tiles NEED to have reduced lippage in order for the installation to look and perform great. COULD we set HOT TOPICS –––––––––––––––––––––––––– Tools and accessories By Lesley Goddin There’s so much to know about setting tile – and one of the essential things is to know what tools work to make your job easier, more effec- tive, efficient, and dare I say – more fun? We took the questions of “What are your favorite, most essential tile setting tools and why?” and “Which tools give you fits, and why?” to contractors active on social media in the NTCA Members and Tile Geeks Facebook groups for this month’s topic. 80 TileLetter | April 2017