Lindsay Meyer enjoyed learning from Hecox’s experience and con- siders it “easiest for us to understand what not to do (and why) by seeing bad examples. Dan did a great job sharing with us, and I learned a lot from him.” These insights include learning about different types of underlayment and backer board, being able to touch the samples to better illustrate the lessons, and ensuring that both GC and tile con- tractor are reliable, often by work- ing with certified tile setters. “Another thing I learned is that it is important for me, as the design- er, to show up on the job often to double check the installation process, and if something is awry, to speak with the general con- tractor about my concerns. I also learned that if there is lippage in a wall application of tile, not having light fixtures wash the wall directly can help hide that. Especially with larger format tiles, the cupping of tiles is inevitable to some degree, so it is up to the designer to make sure it shows as little as possible.” Truthfully, Becky Virgl wasn’t too jazzed about listening to “some guy talk about tiles all class, but I really enjoyed everything he had to say. It was really nice to learn what good tile installation actually looks like, and see what a dramatic effect it can have on the look of the tiles overall.” Since the class, Virgl has been noticing bad tile installations in bathrooms and other public places. “I can really appreciate the value of good installation now that I know the difference,” she said, adding that when recently watching videos on Facebook, she came across a tile video in her queue. “I felt so frustrated because they were seem- ingly knowledgeable, but they were instructing people incorrectly – we learned, you cannot just slap mor- tar on all willy-nilly without giving the air a place to escape to and you cannot spot-bond tiles. I really appreciated this class because it gave me actual concrete knowledge on a subject that will be incredibly useful to me as a designer and a homeowner in the future.” It seems from the comments of the students that Spale’s goal that the presentation “allow the stu- dents to develop a critical eye and insist that all installations are up to the standards specified,” was achieved. The student feedback was a big help to Hecox, too. “I’d obviously never given a presentation like this to college students, so I really was unsure of how and what to pres- ent to them,” he said. “But hearing how they really enjoyed the pre- sentation, and that now when they are out and about they are inspect- ing tile work that they see, shows me that what I presented them was spot on.” Might there be an opportunity to share your knowledge with a university or high school class in your area? QUALIFIED LABOR –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 54 TileLetter | July 2018