pay for if you mess it up. Back in 2012, most of the audi- ence had never heard of ‘thin tile’ and no hands went up when asked if they had worked with or installed it. But in 2018, thanks in large part to the educational efforts of Crossville, MAPEI, and Coverings, everyone in attendance was famil- iar with the product and at least half had seen and worked with it. This year, the audience offered each other solutions to questions based on experience instead of the manufacturers giving solutions based on experimental results. After a very busy afternoon, the group stayed well past the allot- ted time of 4:30 p.m. to ask fol- low-up questions, trade business cards, and share war stories. Those installers who have embraced Gauged Porcelain Tile and Gauged Porcelain Panels have found a niche where their craftsmanship can shine. Architects and designers love the minimal grout joints and dramatic styling. Building owners are pleased with the low mainte- nance and many compliments they receive. As for Noah and Dan, they are simply happy when the last questions are answered, all of the tools are back in their boxes and the next trade show is still a few months away. After the PowerPoint, attendees got to witness an actual wall and floor GPTP installation. MAPEI’s Gerald Sloan shows how to release air trapped beneath the large thin panels using the Cross-walk method. THIN TILE –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 102 TileLetter | September 2018