TECH TALK –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Now, trusted TEC® HydraFlexTM Waterproofing Crack Isolation Membrane dries faster than ever to accelerate your tile installation! Install tile in as little as one hour after applying a single coat of HydraFlex for a 1/8” crack isolation appli- cation. Exceeding ANSI A118.10 and ANSI A118.12 specs for waterproof- ing and crack isolation, respectively; HydraFlex is also IAPMO approved. It forms a smooth, monolithic, watertight surface over walls, floors and ceilings, while stopping in-plane cracks from 1⁄8” up to 1⁄4” (based on application) wide at the subfloor from telegraphing through to ceramic or stone tile. You can roll, trowel or spray rapid-drying HydraFlex on green concrete as little as three days old! Whether your project is outside or inside, residential or extra-heavy com- mercial, HydraFlex is the go-to prod- uct for rapidly installing a waterproof- ing and crack isolation system. Now HydraFlex comes in a convenient 3.5 gallon size. Accelerate your tile instal- lation with TEC® HydraFlex Membrane! tecspecialty.com. America. TCNA also strongly supports the mission of the CeramicTile Education Foundation. What is the TCNA Handbook for Ceramic, Glass, and Stone Tile Installation? The TCNA website describes the Handbook as follows: “A guide to assist in clarifying and standardizing installation specifica- tions for tile. Each installation recom- mendation, or method, requires a properly designed, constructed, and prepared substructure using materi- als and construction techniques that meet nationally recognized material and construction standards. Included are: product selection guides for ceramic, glass, and stone tiles; guide- lines for wet areas; ISO mortar and grout specifications; information on substrate flatness requirements; information on grout joint sizes and patterns, and workmanship stan- dards excerpted from ANSI installa- tion standards.” The TCNA Handbook provides installation methods from which to choose, based on the requirements of the installation or the types of applications in which they may be used. For example, will the tile be installed inside or outside? In a wet area such as a shower or steam room? Or in a dry area such as an entry foyer? Each method includes a generic drawing that shows each component or mate- rial required as you can see in the image below, which addresses install- ing stone floor tile. 62 TileLetter | January 2018