tiling, to ensure they can be firmly anchored. It’s becoming more common for blocking to be included at the fram- ing stage, regardless of whether grab bars will be installed right away. “It’s easier to have these mea- sures addressed as the bathroom is being created than after the fact,” said Vallefuoco. “We leave the cli- ent with a drawing of where they are located,” said Collins, “in the event they want to install them at a later date.” Robert Showers, of Avalon Flooring in Cherry Hill, N.J., noted that some grab bars don’t require blocking nor drilling through tile. However, those option do have to be part of the original plan, as they are installed when the backer board is being installed. At the same time, a residential contractor may opt to avoid work related to handrails. Neuse Tile is often asked to put them in but rarely does, “because of the liability asso- ciated with a failure of the fasten- ing methods,” said Wadford. “As a result of that and the variety of dif- fering apparatuses that can be used, we leave that work to the expertise of others.” Curbless showers: zero entry or barrier free? Another growing trend is for showers to be curbless, also com- TECH TALK –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– WHERE GROWING YOUR BUSINESS IS OUR PURPOSE. Joe Lundgren is a globally recognized product and marketing expert in the ceramic and stone worldwide markets. His specialty is Business Development, Product Management, and Marketing. Joe has developed his expertise in strategic planning, new product development, and marketing strategy for North America during his 27 year career at Dal-Tile, a subsidiary of Mohawk Industries. Joe has extensive experience in multiple sales channels including distribution and Home Centers. Additionally, Joe represents the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) for its testing laboratories, which has Joe at the epicenter of the industry for all new initiatives. Please contact Joe Lundgren for a free consultation proposal! +1.214.641.7773 JOSEPHLUNDGRENCONSULTING.COM JLC_1.2_Horiz_Ad_1710.indd 1 9/15/17 9:24 AM 74 TileLetter | January 2019