b"PRESIDENT'S LETTERStick to what you knowBy Christopher Walker, NTCA President60+ years ago, the common installation materialsdetermined by how well you followed the standards used for tile consisted of two basic components in the application of the finishes.sandandcement.Tileinstallations60+yearsagoFor the past few years, an initiative led by NTCA alsoconsistedoftwobasicinstallationmethods,staff, volunteers and other industry professionals are mud-set andwait for itthicker mud-set!working on revising the American National Standards Things are very different today. It would be difficultSpecificationfortheInstallationforCeramicTile for one person to be aware of the multitude of dif- (ANSIA-108,A118,A136).Theinitiativeintends ferent tile, tile installation products and installationtoensurethattheANSIdocumentaddressesthe methods available for use today. Even the thicksetrequirementsoftheevolvingcapabilitiesofnew and scratch coat methods have been updated, modi- tilemanufacturing,productsandmethodsaswell fied,additive-enhancedandmembrane-assisted.as ensuring the revised standard is capable of incor-They bear little resemblance to the original versionsporating new materials or methods yet to be known that lasted for generations as successful setting andor developed. As the complexity of tile assemblies levelingbedsfortileandstone.Multiplebrandsgrows,andthesizeofthetilemodulesexplodes, offer several levels of products with various perfor- the need for high-quality stable structures and sub-mance characteristics developed to assure optimalstrates becomes critically important for any success-performanceandlongevityforinstallationsoverful tile installation. It goes without saying that it is problematic structures and substrates. As materialsimportant these documents are current and address are developed and installation methods continue tothe application of modern construction, while not evolve,thechallengesfacinginstallers,specifiers,unfairly or unevenly exposing the consumer, user or consumers, and manufacturers are evolving as well.installer.No matter how you participate in the tile industry,Usually, the tile installation professional is directed it is likely that you are touched in some way by thetoasubstrateoverwhichtheywillapplythetile. industrystechnicalandinstallationmanuals.TheOneproposedchangetotheANSIdocumentwill ANSI manual, TCNA Handbook for Ceramic, Glass andlikely be to move away from instructing other trades Stone Tile Installation and NTCA Reference Manualon how to correctly prepare their specific finish that are intended to provide guidance and to establishprecedestheapplicationoftile.Otherthanrefer-performancerequirementsaswellasgivebasicring to work as Preparation by other Trades, the installation recommendations. Along with manufac- Ceramic Tile Installation Specification may not be the turersinstallationinstructions,theyareresourcesbest place to look for instruction on the preparation to instruct users how to properly apply and integrateof the structure under where the tile is installed. If multilayer tile assemblies. In a worst-case scenario, ifthe tile contractor does not tell the concrete contrac-you have a failure or complaint, your liability may betor how and where to install rebar in concrete, why 62020|TECH"