Six professional installers have completed online written tests—which comprise 50% of the certification score—leaving final field testing to take place during the exposition. 

 

A newly introduced program, Thin Porcelain Tile (TPT), will instruct installers on proper handling, installation techniques, cutting and achieving maximum coverage of thin set materials, and how to choose the proper application for the sizes and thicknesses.

 

The recently introduced Grouting Applications Certification will validate the knowledge and skills needed to successfully mix, apply, tool and detail four different types of grouting—narrow joints in ceramic wall tile with unsanded cementitious grout; pressed floor tile with sanded cement grout; thin brick with a sanded cementitious grout, and quarry tile with a matching base grouted with epoxy.

 

Other ACT certifications taking place at Coverings will include large format tile and substrate preparation and membranes. 

“The ACT program focuses on providing the consumer with a pool of talented installers who possess unique installation skills," said Scott Carothers, director of certification and training for Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF). "These skills are now beginning to be included in specifications calling for qualified labor."

The ACT program was created through the combined efforts of CTEF, the International Masonry Institute (IMI), the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (IUBAC), the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), the Tile Contractors' Association of America (TCAA) and the Tile Council of North America (TCNA).

"The intent of the ACT certification program is to provide a level of consumer confidence for tile installation procedures that exceed ANSI standards and TCNA guidelines for floor and wall," added Carothers. "ACT certified installers represent the pinnacle of performance in the tile trade and clearly maintain a level of excellence superior to non-ACT certified installers. Each certification addresses some of the industry’s most challenging installations. ACT is not a training program; rather, it is a structured evaluation platform that measures respective skills, knowledge and overall professionalism of tile installers."

For more information, visit tilecareer.com.