Installation

NTCA trainer Rob Roderick walks us through a way of laying out a herringbone pattern so that it’s centered and balanced. It’s a bit unconventional and I’ve never seen anyone do it this way before. But it illustrates that there is more than one method to do things and the more ways you know the […]

I know you guys have never had a shower leak before. Guess what? I have. To my knowledge, I’ve never had one leak after it’s been built. But I’ve had them leak during the flood testing stage before. In fact, I’ve failed several flood tests. Now I’m coming clean. My most recent flood testing failure […]

How to tile outdoors You know what has a high failure rate? Floyd Mayweather opponents (until recently) Trying to call the bottom on Bitcoin Outdoor tile installations A few years ago, one of my local reps told me that outdoor installations were his #1 issue in the field. More than grout! I found this shocking […]

Recently, I asked a question in the Facebook group Global Tile Posse: Where do you put your cut(s) on a tub surround*? Small piece at the top Small piece at the bottom Split the cuts between top and bottom The vast majority, 145 people (68.4%), at least say they split the cuts evenly between the top […]

Over at the CTEF blog, Scott Carothers has put together the most thorough post on back buttering the internet has ever seen. Who knew there was that much to say on the subject? But he covers: Back buttering Coverage Transfer Bond Back buttering is viewed with a bit of controversy. Some feel it’s the holy […]

We all know that tight and clean miters are the key to Instagram fame. But, have you ever stopped to wonder if mitering your outside corners is a good practice? This month’s Tile Letter explores this very topic.   The concerns about miters can, basically, be boiled down to these three categories: Safety Gaps (movement) Durability […]