• Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
  • AWARDS
  • EDUCATION
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
  • EMAGAZINE
  • SIGN UP
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • NEWS
  • Breaking Flooring News
  • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
  • Carpet & Area Rugs
  • Hardwood
  • Installation Products
  • Installation Tools & Equipment
  • Laminate
  • Resilient
  • Specialty
  • Tile & Stone
  • MARKETS
  • Commercial
  • Residential
  • AWARDS
  • Installation Awards
  • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
  • Continuing Education
  • Webinars
  • Sponsored Insights
  • MEDIA
  • FLOOR Podcast
  • Videos
  • TISE 2025 Videos
  • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
  • eMagazine
  • Archive Issues
  • Contact
  • Advertise
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
    • Sponsored Insights
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP

Updated Tile Council handbook reflects real-world issues

September 17, 2005


In the upstate region of South Carolina under the "orange glow" of Clemson University lies a research park that is home of The Tile Council of North America (TCNA). The Council is a trade association representing manufacturers of ceramic tile and related products and also serves as the secretariat for the TCA Handbook as well as for several American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards. The work they do has implications for virtually everyone working with ceramic tile. At the same time, TCNA relies on folks working in the field to help make certain their work has pin point accuracy.

By definition, a secretariat is, "an administrative unit responsible for maintaining records and other secretarial duties; especially for international organizations." In many cases it's just administrative personnel with no hands on expertise in their organization's field. But that is certainly not the case at TCNA. The people there have expertise in ceramic tile installation, manufacturing, testing, and other areas related to ceramics, engineering, and materials, etc. This allows the TCNA to act both as an administrative body and as a technical resource, although, due to the sheer volume of inquiries and because of the large number of manufacturers represented, product-specific technical queries are often forwarded to a manufacturer.

The TCNA's roll includes publishing the TCA Handbook and the ANSI standards. The specific ANSI standards over which TCNA is secretariat are: A108 - American National Standard Specifications for Installation of Ceramic Tile and A137.1 -American National Standard Specifications for Ceramic Tile (in progress). The responsibility for getting these documents published means that TCNA coordinates submissions and acts as host for the consensus body which reviews the new material and updates the old.

Not surprisingly, the growth of the tile industry and the wave of new products we're seeing has promoted many submissions to TCNA for review at the consensus body meetings. To help maintain the generic nature of the TCA Handbook, guidelines are applied to new submissions. For instance, a product generally must be designed so it can be produced by more than one company. Also, it should be at least three years old and successfully installed to collectively cover millions of square feet. This helps ensure that any installation which follows a detail from the TCA Handbook should be reliable and long lasting.

Even with these tough criteria, the most recent edition of the TCA Handbook accepted 15 new details. One of the most noticeable additions to this year's book are the self levelers - both gypsum and cementitious. There are eight new details using these materials. Also, new to the book are the crack isolation details, the preformed curb, and the cementitious coated foam backer board. Each of these passed review by the consensus body and met the criteria of in-field use. Also, glass and porcelain tiles are defined in the Handbook and several new glass standards have been added to ANSI.

It should also be noted that not all changes in the handbook are the result of new products. Some of the changes and updates come from contractors, installers and other people in the field who contact TCNA when they believe corrections or updates are needed. In addition, when inquiries indicating that clarification may be needed are received by the Tile Council or the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, the consensus body often votes whether to include the correction or to further clarify a detail based on that inquiry. Questions or comments from the public are often saved for future reference for this purpose.

Outside the technical realm, requests for updates or clarification may result from potentially contentious issues in the TCA Handbook. One example is a seemingly small clarification concerning an area of responsibility which was previously undefined: The 2003-04 Handbook suggested to, "...provide up to 3/4-inch thick plywood protection..." over freshly installed tile. The newer edition clarifies this statement to indicate who is responsible for furnishing the needed material. It now reads: "Builder shall provide up to 3/4-inch thick..." Although both ANSI and the Handbook are voluntary standards, clarity in statements such as these, especially when a contract is involved, can avoid disputes.

ANSI standards are subjected to a similar voter review process, but the rules and procedures are mostly dictated and audited by the Standards Institute itself. Submissions can be made for the ANSI standards through the TCNA, just as with the Handbook. The same consensus body presides over both ANSI and the TCA Handbook. For this reason it is important to note that the consensus body is balanced and includes representation from labor, manufacturers, users, and general interest (groups or individuals). At present the ANSI Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) A108 (consensus body) has 50 members, representing all four groups. The rules stipulate that no one group can constitute a majority.

Because ANSI has rules and regulations by which the TCNA must abide, the A108 document is being revised to meet its five-year renewal. Submissions and input from the public and committee members have been reviewed and voted on over the past 18 months or so and the new document is nearly set for publishing.

Significant changes to the ANSI A108 document include three new glass tile installation standards and both an installation and material specification standard for crack isolation membranes. In addition, the first stages in changing the way L/360 is referenced when checking for deflection in the subfloor will be noted in the 2005 edition of A108.The 2005 document will refer to two building codes: The International Residential Code (IRC) for residential applications and to the International Building Code (IBC) for commercial applications when outlining the deflection requirements instead of L/360.

As the industry continues to grow and evolve, the Handbook and standards will always be in need of maintenance. While the TCNA continues to do its job as secretariat, the folks who use these standards, the TCA Handbook, and all of the ceramic tile and related materials, continue to be the "eyes and ears" for the industry. And as secretariat, participation and feedback are among the tools that enable the TCNA to continue to publish reliable documentation.

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
To unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • resilient flooring

    The 7 Types of Resilient Flooring

    The resilient flooring category is comprised of many...
    Resilient Flooring
    By: Resilient Floorcovering Institute
  • QuickDrain USA’s ShowerLine linear drain

    Tips for Curbless Shower Installation Using a Linear Drain

    Consider these four tips when planning for a curbless...
    Installation How-To
    By: Darryl Jones
  • 2024 New Flooring Product Guide

    2024 New Flooring Products Guide

    We explore this year's introductions in area rugs,...
    Floor Coverings
    By: FLOOR Trends & Installation Editors
You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

close

1 COMPLIMENTARY ARTICLE(S) LEFT

Loader

Already a Registered User? Sign in now.

Manage My Account
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Subscription Customer Service

SolidTech R: Sustainable, High-Performance Flooring from Bottle to Floor

SolidTech R: Sustainable, High-Performance Flooring from Bottle to Floor

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

Retailers Share Top Takeaways from Shaw Flooring Network Convention

Shaw Flooring Network Retailers Report Post-Election Sales Surge

Shaw Flooring Network Retailers Report Post-Election Sales Surge

What Shaw Flooring Network Dealers are Banking on for 2025

What Shaw Flooring Network Dealers are Banking on for 2025

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the FLOOR Trends & Installation audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of FLOOR Trends & Installation or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Woodura Herringbone 2.0
    Sponsored byBjelin

    The Herringbone Floor of the Future

Popular Stories

Woodura Herringbone 2.0

The Herringbone Floor of the Future

Three individuals, a man and two women, discussing flooring options while reviewing samples.

Humans in the Loop: Why AI in Your Flooring Business Still Needs You

Textured light brown floor tiles

How to Successfully Achieve Credit Card Widths on Joints and 50% Offset Requirements on Tile Installations


Download the Free Moisture Meters Guide

Events

December 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Growth Challenges in the Flooring Industry

What’s holding you back from growth in 2025?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

2025 BNI Interiors Square Foot Costbook

See More Products

FLOORtalk podcasts - Listen Now

Related Articles

  • Tile & Stone Market Report: Consumers still like the real thing

    See More
  • Ceramic Tile and Stone Issues

    Troubleshooting: Ceramic Tile and Stone Issues

    See More
  • Water: Nature's Best Friend but a Formidable Enemy to Tile Installations

    See More
×

We’re rolling out the red carpet of flooring knowledge!

Stay in the know on the latest flooring retail trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletters
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing

search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
    • Breaking Flooring News
    • eNewsletters
  • PRODUCTS
    • Carpet & Area Rugs
    • Hardwood
    • Installation Products
    • Installation Tools & Equipment
    • Laminate
    • Resilient
    • Specialty
    • Tile & Stone
  • A&D
  • INSTALLATION
  • MARKETS
    • Commercial
    • Residential
  • AWARDS
    • Installation Awards
    • Top Flooring Products
  • EDUCATION
    • Continuing Education
    • Webinars
    • Sponsored Insights
  • BUYER'S GUIDE
  • MEDIA
    • FLOOR Podcast
    • Videos
    • TISE 2025 Videos
    • eBooks
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP