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Extended
Warranties for Ceramic Tile Installations
By
Doug Dickinson,
Executive Director, TTMAC
We live in a growing value based society and quality issues are at the
forefront of our purchases. Statistics
show that consumers base their purchase decisions on three main
issues: Price, Quality and Replacement. Is it within the budget, what
quality concessions are to be considered if any, to bring it within
budget and when will it need to be replaced or repaired?
Our industry, whether it is in the commercial or
residential sector is no different.
In the housing market, ceramic tile not so long ago was an
upgrade in most homes. Builders
realized purchasers understood the inherent value that ceramic tile
added to their homes and by making ceramic tile a standard in most
homes, purchasers would have an easier decision to make. Therefore, as
usage increases so too should our responsibility to provide a
comprehensive installation. As
individuals, we would ensure that our own homes were to have all the
provisions in place for a long lasting installation………….
Budget constraints on projects are a fact of life;
however health and safety issues should never be compromised.
Health and Safety are not terms often associated with tub and
shower installations. It
is with increasing regularity that due to the breakdown of gypsum
based products when exposed to moisture that mould rears its dangerous
head. Mould is not a new
phenomenon, but has come to the forefront of the media as a major
health issue. Our schools,
government buildings and various other structures are being vigorously
inspected for its presence. Prolonged
exposure to mould spore has proven to contribute to respiratory health
problems. Costly
renovations are being carried out to remove mould affected areas.
As pointed out to me by a colleague, from a liability
standpoint “mould is gold”. Liability
and litigation also enter the equation.
Failure to properly ensure that all steps are taken to prevent
such mould and other health hazards can result in costly lawsuits.
Similarly the installation of standard drywall backer board
alone in a wet environment is not an acceptable practice. Installations
on bath tub/wall using a thin-set method should be installed according
to Detail 306W-2002 of the TTMAC Specification Guide 9300 Tile
Installation Manual. Many
retrofits could be avoided if the installation were carried out
according to this detail. It
is not in our industry’s best interest nor our client’s to install
contrary to these guidelines. If ‘necessity is the mother of
invention’, the resurgence of vinyl tub and shower inserts are of
our own doing. Although
they do have their place within the market, many hotels and builders
have opted for them due to mould and mildew issues.
Insisting on applying proven installation and maintenance
techniques in tub and shower areas would for the most part eliminate
these concerns.
It would be difficult to find someone who would not
want to have their shower and tub enclosure last until they wanted a
change for esthetic reasons as opposed to structural or health
reasons. Cost of an
installation carried out with the appropriate components and systems
is far less expensive than the remedial work and the inevitable
removal and reinstallation of the correct materials, not to mention
lost worker days as a result of illness due to mould.
Warranty; this becomes an inherent part of the
project because the costly ‘call-back factor’ has been greatly
reduced.
Warranties are a large part of our society.
We insist on warranties on all of our purchases large or small.
By installing tile incorporating a waterproof membrane and or
cementitious backer unit (CBU) as outlined in section 306W-2002 of the
TTMAC Specification Guide 9300 Tile Installation Manual you are
providing a proven system that does not provide an environment
conducive to mould growth, therein lays the warranty.
This warranty not only is provided to the end-user but also to
the tile contractor in that remedial work for system failures has been
greatly reduced.
Warranties are a tool for which you are better able
to market your product and /or service.
Don’t try and reinvent the wheel - perfect it!
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