Earlier this month, TileLetter put out the question:
“What do tile setters wish manufacturers understood?”
To my surprise, every problem was specific to tile and not to any of the installation tools or products.
Here’s a condensed list of the complaints
- mosaic tile problems
- a few other things
The problems unique to mosaics
Tops of the list were mesh-mounted mosaic tile problems. Further, there were several:
- glue that releases when wet
- glue that interferes with bonding to the tile
- crooked on the sheet
Tile Industry Standards
It’s always nice to say “Choose a tile that meets ANSI 137.1” but this is rarely practical.
Stores sell whatever they can sell and they don’t care about ANSI standards. Further, dragging their feet when it comes to warranty claims suits their interests as well.
Finally, as TileLetter points out, ANSI standards leave a lot to be desired. For example, any mosaics beyond the square shape, such as the ever-popular penny rounds, are outside industry standards solely because they are an unusual shape.
It’s always up to you
Clients choosing problematic tiles isn’t going away any time soon. As much as you can be involved in the selection process, the better.
But until stores stop selling second-rate tile, this issue will continue to cause tile setters friction.
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