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Scott Carothers

Scott Carothers is the Academic Director of the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) headquartered in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee (Nashville area). In 2007, he was hired and tasked with creating the Certified Tile Installer (CTI) program, and in 2012, he was part of the team that created the Advanced Certifications for Tile Installers (ACT) program.

For eighteen years, he has been providing training and education to others in the tile industry. Carothers has been involved in the ceramic tile industry for over 44 years and was the owner of a successful retail store and installation firm prior to coming to CTEF.

Carothers served as President and Chairman of the Board of the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), Chairman of the NTCA Technical Committee, named the NTCA Tile Person of the Year in 2005, and received the NTCA Ring of Honor in 2013. He is a voting member of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the Tile Council of North America (TCNA) Handbook, and NTCA Technical Committees.

Scott has authored over 185 articles in tile industry print magazines including Floor Covering Installer, Tile, TileLetter, and eMagazine/Newsletter publications such as Floor Trends & Installation and TIleLetter along with covering numerous topics on the CTEF Blog, thereby sharing his knowledge and installation experience with his readers. Additionally, he recently retired from being a presenter and trainer for the NTCA Workshop and Regional Training programs and the NTCA Technical Hotline.

He may be contacted at scott@tilecareer.com or 864-222-2131.

Articles

ARTICLES

CTEF Tile Tip: Subfloor Preparation Troubleshooting

Scott Carothers

March 1, 2017

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.

Scott Carothers

January 19, 2017

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.

CTEF Tile Tip: Which Trowel Notch is Best?

Scott Carothers

December 1, 2016

As the economy strengthens, we are seeing increased tile sizes and diverse types of tile flowing into the US market.

Scott Carothers

October 15, 2016

We’ve all seen them—tile installations that at first glance look pretty good, but then there they are: small and unbalanced cuts in the corners.

Scott Carothers

September 1, 2016

Recently during a CTEF Educational Program, an installation manager for a large company complained that installing movement (expansion) joints in any application is a pain in the butt.

CTEF Tile Tip: Just a Little More Tile When Installing in Wet Areas

Scott Carothers

July 15, 2016

Ceramic tile provides a beautiful and decorative surface, and functionally it provides a surface that is not affected by water.

Technical Focus

What are crack isolation membranes and how are they used?

Scott Carothers

July 1, 2016

Crack isolation membranes can many times eliminate the problem of a questionable substrate if they are used correctly.

CTEF Tile Tip: There Should Not Be Any Broken Ceramic Tile

Scott Carothers

May 16, 2016

Thin set and the new large and heavy tile mortars serve several functions within a tile assembly.

Expansion Joints in Ceramic Tile—Who Needs Them?

Scott Carothers

April 1, 2016

Expansion joints, also known as movement joints or movement accommodation joints, are critical to the success and longevity of ceramic and porcelain tile installations.

Scott Carothers

March 1, 2016

The use of thin-set mortars have met the challenge of properly installing ceramic and porcelain tile for years, and still do today.

View All Articles by Scott Carothers

Cal/OSHA Standards Board to Vote May 21 on Engineered Stone Ban Petition

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Fabricator Focus

From profiles to roundtable discussions, Q&As to best business practices, we're turning a focus on topics and challenges impacting fabricators.

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Events

June 25, 2026

North Carolina Stone Summit

You’ve probably heard a lot lately about how to calculate the profit for each job you produce. You likely have production benchmarks based on square footage since it’s the most common production metric in the industry. Come learn how focusing on these metrics can hurt your profitability and what to do about it.

July 16, 2026

Washington Stone Summit

Join us for "Taking Your Organization to the Next Level," a session dedicated to transforming your business practices. Discover strategies for setting clear agendas, encouraging participation, and driving actionable outcomes. Learn how to foster collaboration and communication, ensuring that every meeting enhances productivity and contributes to your business goals.

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