A beautifully crafted and long-lasting stall shower can take a significant amount of time to plan, bid, and fabricate, but it can be ruined quickly if the tile installer doesn’t watch other trades working in the same space.
Without some degree of surface preparation, it’s highly unlikely that a concrete slab or wood-framed subfloor will be flat enough to meet the requirements for large-format tile. A quick check with a straightedge often shows that a small area or perhaps the entire surface dips and undulates outside of industry standards.
The job is 18x18 in. ceramic tile over a new concrete floor that has been curing for several months. The problem is that the slab has developed a significant crack, which begins at a ninety-degree outside corner in the room and continues across the entire width of the proposed floor.
We sat down with a handful of industry professionals to discuss Gauged Porcelain Tiles (GPT) and Gauged Porcelain Tile Panels (GPTP), how they’re handled and installed, and the best ways to approach any issues while utilizing the materials.
Like most innovations and inventions, rigid cement backer boards were born out of necessity. Historically, builders would use drywall or wood to support tile installations because these two materials proved to work well at first, but they inevitably failed over time.
Many consumers and some tile installers mistakenly believe that dimensional (natural) stone tiles are basically the same as ceramic and porcelain tiles.
