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Expert Answers in Standards
What is the Stone Industry Standard for the Allowable amount of Marble Tile Lippage?
ANSWER - Per the Natural Stone Institute Dimension Stone Design Manual the tolerance for the allowable lippage for a for a calibrated marble or any calibrated natural stone floor tile is 1/32". This is based…
Read MoreShould Stone Countertop Backsplashes be Thinner than the Countertop
ANSWER - There are no industry standards for natural stone countertops that dictates how thick the backsplash is relative to the thickness of the countertop itself. All of the industry details for countertops depict the…
Read MoreWhat are the Standards for the Fabrication and Installation of Stone Countertops?
ANSWER - There is no mandate on where seams can or cannot be placed on a stone countertop, although the standards do state that the layout of the joinery of the countertops is extremely important…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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