No products in the cart.
TileWise Cartoons
One-Direction Troweling
About One-Direction Troweling
Current thin-set standards require a minimum of 80% thin-set contact for interior dry applications. For exterior or interior wet applications the requirement is 95% contact. Contact means that the thin-set is in continuous contact between the back of the tile and its substrate. The standards say that within the allowable 5% or 20% voids respectively, there can be no void larger than 2″ x 2″, and that all corners and edges of the tile have to be fully supported with thin-set (no voids). To achieve full thin-set contact can be difficult particularly on large format tiles. Air can get trapped under the tile and no matter how much thin-set you use or how much you beat the tile in, the air in those voids can’t escape. A recommended method to achieve full thin-set contact is to trowel in one direction, after you have burned/keyed the thin-set into the substrate/tile. If you trowel on both the back of the tile and the substrate, make sure those trowel lines are parallel to each other when you set the tile on the substrate. Once you set the tile on the substrate then press it firmly into the thin-set and move the tile perpendicular to the direction of the trowel ridges, at least a 1/4″ or so, to flatten the ridges of the thin-set and collapse it into the valleys of the thin-set. This allows the air in the valleys of the thin-set to escape from the sides of the tile. If you try this with a clear glass or plexiglass tile you will see how effective it is compared to troweling in an irregular pattern.
About the Tilewise Cartoons
TileWise cartoons were developed under Donato Pompo's leadership for Club '84 (Ceramic Tile Action Group). Club '84 was a non-profit organization of accomplished individuals from all segments of the ceramic tile industry. The group's mission was to develop and distribute educational aids to educate, train and bring quality awareness to the distributors, specifiers, installers, and consumers of Ceramic Tile.
The TileWise cartoons were created to communicate issuses and concerns in the business of using ceramic tile for all segments of the industry. The objective was to educate to promote the quality use of ceramic tile. In each cartoon the screen exaggerates what you shouldn't do or emphasizes an issue or concern, then George the Bucket (named after CTI founder George Lavenberg) says what is correct. The cartoons ran for twelve years in each issue of the Tile Industry News, a major industry publication, published by the Ceramic Tile Institute until 1999 when it ceased.
Use these cartoons to educate your customers and employees to help avoid potential problems, and to promote a positive image of your company through newsletters, posters or mailings.
We hope you can put these cartoons to good use to help your industry and your business, and we know you will certainly benefit from them if you do. Good Luck!
The TileWise Cartoons will be displayed and available for your use. Restricted to limited single use. Randy’s cherished wife, Suzanne, is working hard to care for their precious sons, Rudie and Remie. Randy’s sudden illness left them with limited resources. If you can benefit from the use of the TileWise Cartoons, and if you can afford it, a donation to Randy's family would be very much appreciated. Please see form below to pledge whatever amount you would like to donate.
Right click the cartoon of your choice (Restricted to limited single use) and do a "Save Picture As..." to your hardrive.
(over 50 TileWise cartoons for your pleasure, and to use to educate your customers and employees)
Please take the time to learn about Randy.
Fill out my online
form.