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.

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 – Having hollow tiles by itself doesn’t mean there is a problem.  But that fact that when the tiles were removed they came up in one piece is an indication they are not bonded well.…

 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…