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…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Expert Answers Grout Standards stone

What 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…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile color Variation Expert Answers Standards

What 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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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Expert Answers Standards stone

How 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…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Expert Answers Movement Joints Standards stone

Can 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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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Deflection Expert Answers installation Standards

What is the allowable deflection of a substrate suitable for a porcelain tile?

ANSWER - The standards for a porcelain tile is that the substrate can not have more deflection than L/360.  For natural stone over a wood subfloor it is L/720.  L stands for…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Expert Answers installation Installation Guidelines Standards

What is the proper way to install tile over linoleum?

ANSWER - As long as the linoleum is well attached to its substrate, and the substrate is structurally sound, then you can install tile over it.  The new tile installation will only be as good…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Concrete Substrate Slab Expert Answers installation Installation Guidelines Standards stone

What is the proper Installation Method for Installing Large Format Tiles?

ANSWER - It is hard to see exactly what they did.  Your message says “photo thin set 1/16” is on the floor, 1.5” to 2.5” of mortar mix with less than 90% coverage, and thin-set 1/16”…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Expert Answers installation Standards Workmanship

What are the standards for the proper alignment for tile installations?

ANSWER - ANSI A108.02 are the standards for tile installer workmanship.  Some of the standards are quantitative, but many are qualitative and subjective. The only reference to alignment is that the tile should be installed…

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Ceramic and Porcelain Tile Expert Answers failures Grout installation Leak Moisture Problems Movement Joints Standards Waterproofing Wet Areas

Why is my Tiled Balcony Leaking and How Can I fix it?

ANSWER - When there is a problem it normally is not due to one deficiency, but due to multiple compounding deficiencies. You state that the peel and stick moisture barrier was properly installed.  If if…

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