MAPEI is lending its facilities and personnel, as well as donating product in support of tile installers seeking certification in their field. The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) provides the certification.

Scott Carothers, CTEF’s executive director, explained the importance of installer certification and its benefits to the consumer:

“Too often, consumers choose an installer or contractor based on price alone, which results in lost work for qualified installers and installation failures. CTEF launched the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program to provide a means for good, knowledgeable installers to verify their skills and promote themselves to potential clients and employers. Certification enables professional installers to provide industry-recognized proof of their abilities and secure more work.

He went on to say, “The program was developed in response to the lack of a mechanism for consumers to know the level of proficiency of prospective installers. By encouraging consumers to use only the best-qualified installers, the program will help to raise the quality of installations in the U.S. Making strides toward this goal is important to maintaining the status of ceramic tile as the material of choice and continued industry growth.

Carothers added that, “The Certified Tile Installer (CTI) certification involves a multiple-choice exam and a hands-on test. Both are based on current industry standards and best practices for producing a sound installation that exhibits good workmanship. The tests, therefore, require that both the observable and non-observable characteristics of a finished installation are executed properly.”

“Education and professionalism are the cornerstones of building a good reputation in our industry,” said Mike Micalizzi, MAPEI Corp.’s technical services manager. “In the current economy, contractors have time for their installers to get additional training and certification. We feel that Certified Tile Installers will benefit our industry by providing customers with reliable, sustainable tile and stone installations.”

As recently as June, MAPEI hosted one of the CTI certification programs at its Deerfield Beach, FL, headquarters. The technical services department built demo modules for the installers to exhibit their hand skills during the workmanship portion of the testing. “We were glad to host the program at our MAPEI Technical Institute. It is good to have an independent organization to certify installers who know how to do the job right!” Micalizzi said. “This is a step in the right direction that has been a long time coming. It is essential that we validate good, conscientious professional people.”

For more information on the CTI program itself, visit the CTEF’s website at www.tilecareer.com.