Article Reference Library

Our staff writes articles for the Tile Q&A column in Tile Magazine to help educate the industry on topics relating to how material testing can assist customers in application engineering, marketing their products and other industry topics. Below is a selection of these articles. Click on the article title to open it.

Bathroom Tile and Grout -- A Few Tips on Keeping Them Clean.

Caught in a Niche -- Tips on Installing Accessory Items.

Ceramic Tile in an Exterior Installation -- Questions and answers about exterior ceramic tile installation.

Common Causes of Grout Problems -- Causes of cracked and loose grout and variations in color.

Crack Suppression and Waterproofing in Tile Installations: Do You Need a Membrane? -- Addresses crack isolation and waterproofing membrane issues.

Cracked Tile: Common Causes & Misconceptions -- Common causes for cracked tile in systems over concrete or wood.

Deflection Reflection -- 2007 Handbook Language Simplifies Substrate Load Considerations.

Examination of Tile for Defects -- Questions and answers regarding defective tile.

Frost Resistance Equals Freeze-Thaw Testing -- A Cold Topic with Many Variations.

Glass Tile: Ancient Art Form, Expanding Applications -- What guidelines apply?

Glazed and Confused? -- A look at terminology and technology.

Is It Really Porcelain -- True definition and test criterion from an American perspective.

Jack is Outside the Box -- TCNA provides custom-designed product performance testing to support usage of cutting-edge designs.

Lippage and Warpage -- What you need to know.

New American National Standards for Glass Mosaic Tile Installation -- Three newly-adopted, generic mounted glass mosaic installation methods.

New Tile Manufacturing Standard Reflects Modern Market Trends and Tile Testing -- An overview of the ANSI A137.1 standard, which outlines the performance and dimensional requirements for glazed wall tile, quarry tile, pressed floor tile, porcelain tile, and ceramic mosaic tile.

Pass the Salt Please -- Some Notes on Efflorescence -- Answers common questions and concerns regarding efflorescence.

Porcelain in the Ceramic Tile Industry -- Definitions differ; water absorption 0.5 percent or less is key -- TCNA and CTDA have teamed up to launch the Porcelain Tile Certification Agency (PTCA).

The Quest for Up-To-Date Installation Guidelines -- 15 New Methods in the 2005 Handbook.

'Rectifying' the Misconceptions Associated with Rectified Tile and Narrow Grout Joint Installations -- A closer look into the true meaning of rectified tile.

Reinforcing -- Tips You Can 'Bed' On -- Types of and differences among reinforcing mortar beds.

Seven New Handbook Methods for 2007 -- Seven new methods and all Handbook details have new drawings.

State of the Industry Overview: U.S. Ceramic Tile Market -- Information on U.S. consumption, trends and outlook.

Stone Testing Provides Valuable Information and Technical Solutions -- Addresses ASTM testing and standards.

Testing Answers Material Performance Questions -- Answers to questions regarding testing, Robinson-Type Floor Tests and TCNA expansion.

Tile Testing -- What It Means for You -- About tile testing at TCNA.

Tiling Over Vinyl -- Some Helpful Hints.

Updates to an American Method for Measuring Coefficient of Friction -- Update regarding C1028 Method and BOT-3000.

Warpage, Lippage and Related Challenges

What's Different About Testing Glass Tiles?

Where and Wear -- Addresses how a tile will perform with respect to wear and tear. Useful indicators to guide you when determining how a tile will wear and where it should be installed.