b"PRESIDENT'S LETTERTechnology and the tile tradeBy Christopher Walker, NTCA PresidentIve been doing it this way for 20 years. No doubtplace. Couple that with significant improvements in the youhaveheardsomeonesaythis,orwordstothatquality of digital printing and there is little comparison effect. Think of how absurd that comment is as you looktomaterialsproducedafewdecadesago.The118.15 around to see advances in almost every aspect of ourdry-set mortar looks, smells, feels and trowels much dif-lives. One thing that may not have changed is that weferently that the 118.1 dirt in a bag I started out using. cannot imagine what our world will be like even 20-30Frominnovativeleapsinmanufacturingtosimple years from now.thingslikelevelingclips,changescontinuetoimprove In our craft, many traditional methods may never beequipment, mortars, tile, sealers, methodseverything! improvedon.ButIfinditunlikelythatanyoneintheInnovations will challenge you to improve your game and industrytodayisdoingthingsEXACTLYastheydid20stay current with what you do. There is no disputing how years ago. Thirty years ago we were getting used to thefast our craft is changing. Consider that mosaicists and new large 12 x 12 tile. Then 16 and 18 tiles gainedcraftspeopleprettymuchdidthingsthesamewayfor popularity requiring installers to true the substrate. Thatover 3,000 years. By comparison, changes we are expe-accelerated the use of flowable hydraulic cement mor- riencing today are happening at light speed. It is exciting tars, commonly (incorrectly) referred to as self-levelingthat our access to innovation is limited only by our will-preparation mortars. The consumers interest in largeringness to pursue and embrace it. formatshelpeddriveimprovementsinmanufacturingAnotherchangebeingactivelydevelopedtokeep where we now see 5 x 10 porcelain panels as common- pacewithimprovementsinourtradeisarevisionto the American National Standards Institutes (ANSI)A-108MaterialsandInstallation Standards.Anefforthasbeenunderway for some time to evaluate how to update thestandardstoincorporatenewand improved materials into a renewed docu-ment. Advances in tile and allied products have provided consumers with new choices andpresentedtodayscraftspersonwith moretechnicallychallenginginstallations. These changes are requiring that we evalu-ate the standards and assure inclusion of the multitude of products available today. Newtilematerialsandtechnologically-superiorinstallationproductschallenge traditional skills and highlight the need to evaluate andin some casesupdate the information in the standards. 62019|TECH"