6 2017 | TECH As we approach Total Solutions Plus in November, I’m excited to share an update on the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation’s (CTEF’s) expansion and enhancement of the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program. We currently have certified more than 1,400 installers nationwide. For those who may not be familiar with the Certified Tile Installer program I’ll give a brief outline. This program is a two-stage certification of an install- er’s knowledge and craftsmanship. The knowledge portion is verified in two steps; the first is a four-hour open book written exam based on industry standards and best practic- es. The second step is an eight-hour practical exam designed to verify the practically applied knowledge and craftsmanship of applicants. They are required to install a floor and wall mock-up complete with underlay- ment, complex tile patterns, trim, grout and caulk. Upon completion, the mock-up is graded for finish qual- ity, appearance and completeness. Then it is deconstructed by the evalu- ator and graded for compliance with proper installation standards and methods. In the past few months Kevin Insalato of California Tile has been brought on board full time to assist Scott Carothers administer this very valuable program. One of the first tasks to be addressed was to recruit, train and deploy additional Regional Evaluators across the country so that many more tests can be conduct- ed every year. Currently, we have 24 Regional Evaluators capable of increasing the number of testing events each year by more than 400%! In addition to having more Regional Evaluators in the field, we are intro- ducing additional training options that will include hands-on education and training in-person the day prior to administering the CTI practical exam – or access to the same infor- mation via web link video instruction prior to the exam. This additional training will not make the CTI practi- cal exam any easier or compromise the integrity of the test in any way. It will provide candidates with a thor- ough understanding of the industry standards and best practices as they approach the exam. The skills and craftsmanship requirements remain unchanged. We have learned over the past year that not all applicants have either had the opportunity or taken the time to study the pre-exam materials prior to showing up for the practical exam. This has put them at a great disad- vantage, even when they have the skills, knowledge and craftsmanship necessary to successfully complete the practical exam. Our goal is to see thousands of installers successfully complete the CTI exam and instill confidence in the marketplace that quality craftsmanship is on the rise. With these improvements to the CTI program, architects, designers, own- ers and general contractors should seek to hire Certified Tile Installers for their projects. If you would like to find a list of CTIs in your area or learn how to become CTI certified, go to www. ceramictilefoundation.org/tile-certi- fication-overview-ctef. You can also hire a NTCA Five Star Contractor, who is required to employ CTI cer- tified installers. To find a NTCA Five Star Contractor go to http:// www.tile-assn.com/search/custom. asp?id=2838. Keep on tiling! Martin Howard, president NTCA Committee member, ANSI A108 mhoward@davidallen.com PRESIDENT'S LETTER Howard Martin CTI program expands with 24 Regional Evaluators, brings certification exams to a site near you