TCAA Tile Talk Monthly

August 2024

LOS ANGELES TILE WORKSHOP

HANDS DOWN A HANDS-ON SUCCESS!

by: John Trendell, TCAA Ex-Officio

TCAA was delighted to be part of a tile workshop put on by IMI, BAC Local 4 Southern California, and hosted by Custom Building Products. Over 40 architects, contractors, and labor representatives gathered to experience and learn about some of the latest materials and installation practices in the ceramic tile industry.

Jim Tuttle, architectural representative for Custom, explained the newly released pre-mixed grout, ANSI standards, and the new second generation of premixed polyurethane grouts. To truly understand how the materials have improved, we all went into the Custom lab and did our own grouting!

Marc Blackledge, a 20-year layer and Local 4 apprenticeship coordinator, explained the Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers (ACT) program and how the skills tested represent the pinnacle of performance in the tile trade. Marc also brought 3 of the testing mockups to our program so that the architects could better understand the nuances of the installation processes.

Custom was a fabulous host and the dialogue and experiences between all the partners that create the beautiful buildings we live, work, and play in was invaluable. 

Flooring Industry “Aims for the Ceiling” at the Inaugural Sustainability Summit in Washington, DC

by: Kevin Trevisan, Vice President at Roman Mosaic & Tile Company, Inc. & TCAA Board of Directors Treasurer

The inaugural Sustainability Summit was recently held on July 17^th and 18^th in Washington, DC, bringing together architects, designers, manufacturers, and flooring contractors to advance green building practices in the flooring industry. Over two days, industry experts spoke of the need for “radical collaboration” among stakeholders to ensure that design, function, and beauty should combine with high standards for sustainability in construction.

A major theme of the event was the idea that if building codes and standards are the floor, architects and designers should aim for the ceiling with sustainability practices.  When it comes to carbon accounting, it is not only important to reduce the amount of carbon used to produce a flooring material (embodied carbon), but it is also necessary to account for the service life of the floor, and depreciate the carbon value over the service life of the flooring type used. This is where the tile industry shines.

The average building lease for a company used to be twenty years, now it is five to seven years. Durable clothing has been replaced with fast fashion. Single-use plastic has become an irresistible convenience for many. Tile contractors may have seen this trend play out with the use of luxury vinyl in areas that have traditionally been tile floors. The building owner may save initial building costs by substituting for tile, but what is cheaper is usually not better. While tile has a higher amount of embodied carbon than some alternative flooring materials, a tile floor will perform at a higher level over a much longer period of time, and can incur significantly lower maintenance costs. A material that stands the test of time will not be so quick to be dumped in a landfill only to be replaced by a newly manufactured flooring product. 

In addition to life cycle costs, material health is another area where tile flooring shines.  Tile is considered middle of the road when it comes to embodied carbon, but near the top when it comes to material health. Tile, once fired, does not have the harmful emissions that occur with other flooring types. Tile is hard and impervious, which makes it resistant to dust, pollution, and other irritants that are known to cause health problems. Tile does not contain PVC, which is a growing concern to human health and disposal.  At the end of its life cycle, tile is inert and will not pollute a landfill. These reasons all make tile an excellent choice for building a healthy sustainable building.

How can tile contractors become part of the solution to sustainable building? 

1. We must first learn about the sustainability issues that are important to our industry so that we are equipped with the knowledge to deliver the message about the right way to design sustainably.

2. We can then work with designers, architects, general contractors, and building owners to educate them about the importance of product selection and life cycle costs. 

3. We can collaborate with manufacturers to ensure that the sustainability characteristics of their products are readily available and clearly explained. 

4. We can get involved in our local and national trade associations to help spread the message. 

A closing thought of the summit was “If you want to go fast, go alone.  If you want to go far, go together”.  It will take a group effort among architects, designers, manufacturers, and flooring contractors to be leaders in the push toward more sustainable building practices. If you are interested in getting involved in the Flooring Sustainability Summit, the event will be held again next year on July 16^th and 17^th in Washington, DC.