Anyone
who has installed a few square miles of tile can no doubt teach others some
lighting lessons about ceramic tile. Those with less experience typically give
little if any consideration to the critical effects of lighting on ceramic
tile.
When properly selected, installed, and maintained, ceramic tiles are one of the most durable of all materials used to finish pools and spas. Certain types of natural stone tiles may be used in these areas, but the stones must have the same properties exhibited by vitreous or impervious ceramic tiles. They must also be strong enough to withstand the normal brushing, chemicals, and maintenance necessary for a pool or spa environment.
When I first entered the ceramic tile industry over twenty years ago, I did so with a small pamphlet of basic information I needed to know before I assisted my
first customer. Looking back, I would venture to guess that most of my
customers were more educated about how to install ceramic tile in their home
than I was. The training I received was really not that bad. However, the
company couldn’t afford for me to attend lengthy training programs. It was
Learn On The Job 101.
One area of ceramic tile installation that has been receiving increasing attention from both manufactures of setting materials and end users is that of crack isolation and waterproofing membrane systems.
Deflection is a problem that many installers face, yet few understand it or know how to measure it correctly. Charlie Martin, underlayment sales manager for the Halex Corporation explains what deflection is and how to check it.
The largest selling resilient flooring product in terms of square footage is Vinyl Composition Tile or VCT. It's inexpensive to buy and easy to install but like any other flooring product there are ways to do it well and ways to cut corners so the installation will not be as good as it could be. I see a lot of VCT installations in my travels, from schools to supermarkets to big department stores.
The reason seams peak is because they are seamed with seam tape and then stretched. If you want to eliminate peaking, either glue down all carpet or sew all the seams.
Adhesive concerns surface in all types of situations. Often, we believe that the only role an adhesive plays is to hold down a piece of material. But frequently, extenuating circumstances arise to create problems.