As tiles continue to be used more in new installations they present challenges for floor covering dealers who are not that experienced with them or who may not fully understand the product and how to install it. We have had several questions lately on the edges of tiles chipping and this is being interpreted as a potential defect in the product. Most often this is not the case as there are several reasons this can occur. Our research on finding an answer to chipping edges on tiles lead us to our associate and tile expert, Dave Gobis for the answer. Dave is a life long tile man and also a consultant and instructor for the National Tile Contractors Association, Ceramic Tile Institute ofAmericaand Tile Council of North America.
Dave states that the edge of tile is not designed to be impact resistant except for quarry tile. The problem is most often caused by low grout lines or soft, poorly mixed grout. If the edge of the tile is exposed it can be hit with a vacuum cleaner, the foot of a chair, an item dropped on the floor or any other blunt force that happens to catch the edge of the tile. The more traffic the space gets the more chance there is for damage to occur. Most often the perception is that there is a problem with the tile, regardless of whether it’s a ceramic tile, porcelain, glass, etc., when in fact it’s likely the cause is related to installation or not understanding the product, its weaknesses and how it should and must be installed to prevent damage from occurring. According to the ANSI Standard A108.10-1999 Installation of Grout in Tile Work 5.3.4 “All grout joints shall be uniformly finished.” The tile and substrate must also be level.
It’s interesting how adamant you dealers get when you believe the flooring is the cause of the problem and that, just because you have not experienced this type problem like, that it must be the fault of the tile or whatever flooring material may be involved. I often hear, “I’m not going to sell this stuff if this is what it does or I’m throwing all the samples away.” This is very often a “cutting off your nose to spite your face” attitude. Just because you think the flooring material is the problem you’ll deny yourselves the opportunity to make money by dropping it from your offerings. We’re talking about a product, tile, which is a very lucrative item to sell and it requires a very high skill level to install. I remember when I got into the industry in 1971, the company I started with sold ceramic tile and they had two guys from the old country that installed it, they were true artists. They made more than any other installers and their work reflected the level of their skills. Tile should be installed by these types of individuals and no one should be complaining about how much it costs. This article is the result of installers who have cost the dealer money, reputation and lost sleep. The manufacturer who supplied the product is likewise damaged because they’ve lost an account, profit and reputation as well. The first thing everyone wants to blame is the flooring material. Granted there’s a lot of stuff that makes it to the market that shouldn’t but not installing it properly or knowing how to install it and sell it causes more problems.
To install ceramic tile without problems all the grout joints must be uniformly finished so as not to expose the edges to anything that can damage the tile – common sense. If the edge of the tile is high and exposed it is the weak point on the tile and chances are very high that something is going to hit it and chip it. This is actually pretty simple to figure out. Know your products, make sure your installers are the best, pay them what they’re worth to keep you out of trouble and eliminate your claims. As Wayne Dyer says; “Every problem you have you experience in your mind. The solution to the problem is in the same place.”
Author: Lewis G. Migliore
LGM and Associates – The Floorcovering Experts