b'ONE-TO-ONEthree-persontechnicalcommitteeofwaterforhoursbeforeinstall-that had reported no activity for theing,applyingascratchcoat,a previous three years. I immediatelylevelingcoat,andabondcoat, appointed20technically-knowl- eachwithitsownformula,and edgeableindustrymembersandrushed to apply the tile before the scheduled quarterly meetings. Wemortar hardenedand considered promptlystartedproducingdocu- installing 60-80 square feet a day ments designed to guide the con- as good production. Tile installa-tractorthroughthemazeofnewtions were very labor intense. and challenging installation meth- In those times, the required craft odsandproducts.Thoseeffortsskillwasmuchhigher,andthe resultedinthehighly-populartechnical skill was much less than NTCA Reference Manual. I servedtoday.Ifoneclaimedtobea as Chairman of this committee forjourneymantilesetterwithless 13 years and was followed by Donthanafour-yearapprenticeship, Scott,whoservedforanothersixhe would be laughed off the job. years.MartinHowardandChrisTherewasahighsenseofpride Walker are current members of thatamong the most gifted craftsmen. committee. Our team members, onItwouldntbeunusualtoseea all levels, have been and continuecraftsman, as he fi nished his work, tobeassociationaddicts.Yes,stepbackandobservehiswork, we know the value of associationjust as an artist may do in critiqu-involvement and recognize that weing his painting. are largely who we are because ofRelationshipsweremorelikely our association involvement.to be personal and far less likely to end in a legal contest. Contracts Incomparingtodaysconstruc- werealsomorelikelytobever-tionenvironmentandtiletradebal or just one page. Many of my tothebeginningofyourcareer,contractorcustomerswerealso tell us a little about the changingmy friends. world we live in. What was easierMostcommercialtilecontrac-about being a tile contractor in thetorspurchasedtiledirectlyfrom beginningofyourcareer?Whatthemanufacturersincedistribu-was more challenging back then astors didnt exist in most areas. In compared to now?the 1950s, it was not unusual for Roberson:Changeisoftentileespeciallytrimpiecesto uncomfortable,butIbelievebeshippedinbarrelspackedin change sustains. None of us wishsawdust. to return to what we often call theFormanyofmyearlieryears, good old days when we soakedmuchofourinstallationswere glazed wall tile in galvanized tubsconfi nedtotoilets,bathrooms, 54 TileLetter | May 2020'