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Expert Answers in Standards
Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Free Tile and Stone Installation Guidelines installation Installation Guidelines Showers Slope Percent Standards Wet Areas
How thick should the Mortar Be for a Shower Pan Floor in a Shower?
ANSWER - First of all, the way you construct a shower pan is to first apply a pre-sloped mortar bed to establish a slope to the drain of 1/4" per foot. You can float over…
Read More Backer Board Ceramic and Porcelain Tile cracks Expert Answers Exterior failures installation Plywood Substrate Standards
Why is by Exterior Covered Deck Tile Backer Board Installation Causing Tile to Crack?
ANSWER - Normally when you get cracking over a suspended floor following the joints of the tile backer board that the tile was bonded to, it is due to a combination of excessive deflection in…
Read More Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Debonding Tile Expert Answers failures grout Installation Guidelines Showers Standards Waterproofing Workmanship
How do we determine what caused our Tile Shower to Fail?
ANSWER - You are asking a lot that can't be answered without performing a forensic inspection to determine what is causing the failures. I can make some general statements that may or may not apply…
Read More Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Expert Answers installation Installation Guidelines Showers Standards Steam Showers Waterproofing
Is it a problem if Schluter Ditra is installed on the walls of a Steam Shower?
ANSWER - Based on the Schluter literature, although they only show floor applications, they don't say it is only for floors. The Ditra is waterproof if installed correctly for waterproofing. It does have a key…
Read More Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Expert Answers Exterior installation Installation Guidelines Installation Products - Adhesives Standards stone Vapor Barrier Waterproofing
What kind of Water Resistant Barrier or Vapor Barrier should be used For Exterior Tile Veneer Installations?
ANSWER - W244E can be a ceramic or glass tile or a stone application for an exterior framed wall with cement backer board over it. If it is a cementitious backer board then they would put…
Read MoreWhat are the standards for grout joint widths and properly filling with grout?
ANSWER - The Natural Stone Institute (previously the Marble Institute of America) Dimensional Design manual state that the grout joint on a stone should never be less than 1/16" wide and preferably 1/8" wide. To…
Read MoreWhat is Acceptable Color Variation from the Tile Sample Selected to What is Provided?
ANSWER - What is called Shade Variation is normal in the tile industry, but what is considered reasonable variation depends... In the industry we have what is called in ANSI A137.1 Aesthetic Classes, which is…
Read MoreHow many bad tiles are acceptable in a tile installation?
ANSWER - In terms of manufacturing of ceramic tiles, which includes porcelain tiles that are a type of ceramic tile, there are quality control standards in ANSI A137.1 that allow a small percentage of tiles…
Read MoreCan Movement Joint Widths be less than 1/4 inch as TCNA Handbook states?
ANSWER - TCNA Handbook does say that movement joints within the tile assembly should be at least ¼” wide, but the current version of the handbook does indicate that if your movement joints are installed…
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