Doug Dickinson Warranties

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.

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