How is the Handbook organized? In addition to detailing tile instal- lation methods for ceramic and glass tile and natural stone tile, the Handbook includes: β’ Product selection guides for ceram- ic tile, glass tile, natural stone tile, setting materials, grout, back- er board, membrane, additional products and Green Building β’ Field and installation requirements (i.e., substrate requirements, light- ing, mortar and mortar coverage, flatness and lippage, grout joint size and pattern considerations, finished tilework, accessibility and wet areas guidelines) β’ Floor tiling installation guide β’ Environmental exposure classifica- tions β’ Using the TCNA Handbook for specification writing β’ Installer and contractor qualifica- tions guide β’ EJ171 Movement Joint Guidelines for Ceramic, Glass and Stone β’ Appendices and method locators Each tile installation method details: β’ Recommended uses β’ Service rating β’ Environmental exposure classi- fications β’ Typical weight of tile installation β’ Limitations β’ Membrane options β’ Requirements β’ Materials (including for Green/ Sustainable design) β’ Preparation by other trades β’ Movement joint requirements β’ Installation specifications β’ Notes The evolution of the TCNA Handbook The Handbook is truly a living, breathing entity that evolves in lock-step with the tile industry. As new products get introduced β for example, new tile formats and new mortars and tools to support those formats β new installations methods quickly follow to ensure best prac- tices. As a result, the Handbook has increased in size. A press release detailing changes in the 2017 issue includes the following: β’ The new sections βTile Layout Considerationsβ and βSystem Modularityβ are geared more toward those involved in tile selec- tion and design. As an example of the various revisions to Handbook TECH TALK ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ The TCNA Handbook works hand-in-hand with the ANSI Specifications to provide tile instal- lations that are proven to stand the test of time. 64 TileLetter | January 2018