row installation • Hand beater/slapper to remove air from under the tile • Mobile step system to make it convenient and safe for hard-to- reach areas • 47° miter saw to miter tile edges The above-mentioned tools and equipment will only work well with qualified and trained install- ers. When there are two to three installers working with a full-size porcelain panel, it is essential for them to work as a team, to com- municate, work together safely, and designate a team leader or crew chief. Proper preparation prevents poor performance Proper preparation prevents poor performance! What do I mean by that? Here’s an example: There was a project in a very busy downtown area. The con- tractor had sufficient room to set up the tools and equipment but there wasn’t enough room to store the tiles. Knowing this in advance, the contractor acquired the right equipment needed in order to unload the panels – one by one – from a nearby parking lot. This illustrates how important it is to be aware of the circumstances in advance in order to estimate the job correctly. Keep these consid- erations in mind: • The tools need to be staged in a way that will eliminate any extra steps and unnecessary move- ments, for example, the table should be no more than 10’ away from the tile panels. • Use an aluminum frame with suction cups to remove the tiles from the crate or A-frame in order to place the tile on the table for cutting. • After the tile is cut, attach the suction cups again to the face of the tile and turn it upside down on a set of sawhorses to get it ready for thinset application. • This process takes a considerable amount of space – as previously noted – a minimum of 400 sq. ft. • As the tile installation contrac- tor, oversee this installation pro- cess from the beginning to the end. The essential ETM Grip has eight adjust- able handles and is easily moved on casters. TECH TALK –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 60 TileLetter | October 2017