b'CASE STUDY lematicinmatchingjoints,hereducestheriskoffailure,while explained, especially on a diago- presenting the scope of work to the nal.Addapatternontothetileclient gains their trust in his com-and it can be a tug of war betweenpanys ability to perform the task. matchingthejointsandpattern.Everything is dry-laid, and issues Itbecomesagameofaveragingarediscussedaheadoftimeso between the two. the expectation can be achieved, As Erin Albrecht, principal/exec- Brookes explained. Careful read-utivevicepresent,J&RTile,Saning of all tile and setting material Antonio,Texas, noted, two differentliteratureisdonepriortostarting thicknesses are always a challenge,the job. We have an understanding and scribing and inlay work withof how critical the layout can be. porcelaincanbedifficultwhenEven with a perfect installation, if notusingtherighttoolingandthis is overlooked, the install can bladesetup.Arandom(nottofall short of expectations.scale,artisticfreedom ofinstaller)isalwaysa little nerve racking when a designer wants some-thingtobeanorganic outline or interpretation of a drawing.Thatfreedomofthe installationteamcan makeusnervousat times,sheexplained, versusaformaldraw-ing,becauseofthe designintentsriskof beinglostininterpreta-tion and an owner/client beingdisappointedby the outcome.MartinBrookes, founder/owner, Heritage Marble&Tile,Mill Valley,Calif.,believes partneringwithmate-rialmanufacturersandAccording to Sal DiBlasi, the secret to installing pat-askingforjob-specificterned tile is all about planning and communication with the owner to explain what the plan is, what is pos-installationmaterialssible and what is unfeasible. 92TileLetter | January 2020'