Expert Answers in Standards

ANSWER - There are ASTM standards for the minimum/maximum physical property requirements for a travertine stone, which is ASTM C1527.   They do classify the stone as either Class I Exterior or Class II interior use,…

ANSWER - The photos clearly show that the vein separation is a fissure, which naturally occurs in some stones. By definition of the American Geological Institute a fissure is an extensive crack, break, or fracture in…

ANSWER - There is an ANSI A108.11 for the installation of cementitious backer board.  Technically Hardibacker board is a fiber cement board, but the installation methods are the same. The ANSI standards are recommendations and…

ANSWER - There is a lot of confusion about what is acceptable tile lippage and what isn’t. I will be preparing an article on this topic soon. There are quantitative industry standards for what is…

ANSWER - The MIA (Marble Institute of America) has standards for tolerance of fabricating stone from one supplier or shipment. They have a category of Thin Stock (3/4” to 2”) thickness that is limited to…

 ANSWER - If you simply email me a photo and I can answer the question within 5 to 10 minutes we don't charge for our time.  Otherwise if you needed our quality control consulting services…

 ANSWER - ANSI A108.10 Installation of Grout in Tilework provides ratios for on-the-job mixture of cementitous grout. 1 part portland cement to 1 part fine graded sand is used for grout joints up to 1/8…

ANSWER - To install tile on your outdoor covered patio you need to consider several things.  Are you in a freeze-thaw climate area?  If so you need a tile that is freeze thaw resistant.  If…

 ANSWER - I'm not certain I fully understand your question, but I think you are saying that the floor tile installation grout joints are consistent in width, but the height difference between two adjacent tiles, which…

ANSWER - The general rule of thumb for whether a ceramic tile is a porcelain type of ceramic tile or another ceramic tile body type is that the porcelain tile body cannot have an absorption rate…