Many times, a jobsite is not well maintained or kept clean which can be an image and possibly a safety issue, but more importantly, when tile is being installed, the substrate must be clean.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) specifications provide several industry standards that are there to help the installer obtain good site conditions.
Many installers have had customers who have seen a tile installation in a magazine or brochure, which is exactly what they want in their homes. Unfortunately, the look they want to achieve may not be possible using the tile that has been selected.
Every time an installer looks at a new job, the condition of the substrate needs to be reviewed thoroughly to determine if the surface to be tiled is adequate.
Many projects today call for ever-increasing tile sizes, many of which are rectangular shapes such as 12" x 24", 18" x 36", 24" x 48" and larger, creating difficulties for the installer when bonding the tile to the substrate.
