ASK THE EXPERTS QUESTION I’m interested in installing tile on an elevator floor. Are there industry guidelines or standards for doing so? I have 3/4” of avail- able depth to work with between the bottom of the elevator door and the floor. ANSWER There is no method for installa- tion of tile on an elevator floor in our industry guidelines. The elevator cabs chosen for some construction projects are not designed for tile or stone floor finishes. The manufacturer of these elevator cabs will list acceptable floor finishes, which usually only include soft goods such as vinyl, carpet, and wood products. In order to be considered for tile or stone, the substructure should be constructed in such a way as to not to deflect or “bend” more than a small amount under a con- centrated heavy load. There are elevator cabs that are designed to meet these minimum require- ments but they are usually much more expensive so they are not chosen in most construction bud- gets. As for installing tile in the most common elevator cabs that are not designed for it, it's risky and not recommended. There are products available that Sponsored by Several questions have been directed lately to our technical team con- cerning installing tile in elevators. Here is a compilation of responses: 22 TileLetter | May 2017