NTCA Workshops and Regional Training for August
NTCA offers 20 free August workshops in seven states
NTCA is traveling far and wide in August to bring training and education to your neighborhood in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Washington, Oklahoma, Texas and Illinois A robust roster of 20 standards-based workshops will be offered free at local host locations like D&B Tile, Floor and Decor, Southeastern Tile Connection, Daltile, and The Tile Shop.
These workshops are free afternoon or evening events, open to tile installers and contractors, as well as sales personnel and the A&D community – anyone who wants to learn more about standards-based installation practices. They feature networking time, a catered meal, a chance to win useful and valuable prizes, and of course, priceless training from industry pros.
Each NTCA workshop is presented by NTCA Technical Trainers who have been installing tile themselves for many years or who still maintain their tile installation business. Workshops – made possible through the support of generous sponsors who believe in elevating the industry through education — feature one of the following topics:
- Ins and Outs of Layout for Contractors
- Tile Matters – Best Practices for the Pros
- Failures – Could It Be Me?
- Tile Technology – Adhesives, Trowels, Lippage
Upcoming workshops are planned for:
- August 2 – D&B Tile, Miami, FL
- August 3 – D&B Tile, Sunrise, FL
- August 4 – D&B Tile, Delray Beach, FL
- August 9 – Southeastern Tile Connection, Wilmington, NC
- August 10 – Southeastern Tile Connection, Durham, NC
- August 11 – Floor & Decor, Concord, NC
- August 16 — Floor & Decor, Everett, WA
- August 16 – Floor & Decor, Tulsa, OK
- August 17 – Daltile, Seattle, WA
- August 17 – Floor & Decor, Oklahoma City, OK
- August 18 – Floor & Decor, Tacoma, WA
- August 18 – Floor & Decor, North Richland Hills, TX
- August 23 – Floor & Decor, Ft. Myers, FL
- August 23 – Floor & Decor, Lombard, IL
- August 24 – Floor & Decor, Aurora, IL
- August 24 – Floor & Decor, Lutz, FL
- August 25 – Floor & Decor, Fern, FL
- August 25 – The Tile Shop, Mt. Prospect, IL
- August 30 – Daltile, Portland, OR
- August 31 – Daltile, Salem, OR
There’s no reason to miss out on important training that will help you streamline your business, up your game, and learn best practices that make you a fierce competitor. For full information on each event, click here to visit the Events Calendar under Training & Education on the NTCA website, where you can register.
NTCA holds 2 GPTP Regional Training Programs in August; debuts new Thick-Bed Installation Program
If you are in Illinois or Michigan, get ready to learn about gauged porcelain tile panel installations in August from the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA). And the tile curious in Ohio have the opportunity to attend a brand new regional training module – Thick-Bed Installations — later in the month in Columbus.
On Wednesday, August 10, tile contractors will have the opportunity attend the GPTP/Slabs training at Atlas Concorde, 1307 N. Belsay Rd., Burton, MI, sponsored by Genessee Tile. Trainers Robb Roderick and Chad Jones will present the program. For more information, contact Jordan Griffis at jordan.griffis@gctile.com or 616.648.4446. Register here.
On Wednesday, August 17, GPTP/Slabs Training come to Elk Grove Village, IL, sponsored and hosted by Daltile at 1601 Pratt Blvd. NTCA Trainers Matt Welner and Chad Jones will present the program. For more information, contact Shawn Williams at shawn.williams@daltile.com or phone 847.593.9008. To register, click here.
On Friday, August 26, NTCA will debut a brand new regional training program – Thick-Bed Installations – at America’s Floor Source in Columbus, OH at 3374 Millennium Court. Instruction will be given in both classroom and hands-on environments, and attendees will learn how to use and apply ANSI A108 installation standards and TCNA Handbook methods. NTCA Training Director Mark Heinlein, along with trainers Randy Fleming and Chad Jones, will present the program. For more information, contact Sarah Schnulo at sarah.schnulo@americasfloorsource.com or phone 614.323.7252. To register, click here.
These all-day trainings begin at 7:30 a.m.
What to expect
The GPTP/Slabs Training gives the grounding to install porcelain panels with confidence and accuracy. This free training will teach you the new tile industry standards and methods for installing GPTP. You’ll also learn how GPTP is made, where it can be used and the special tools, setting materials and techniques required to install it. This program will emphasize:
- Introduction to tile industry standards
- Use of ANSI A108.19 to install Gauged Porcelain Tile and Panels
- Use of specialty tools and setting materials to install GPTP
- Working with a team to install GPTP
The primary learning objective of the free Thick-Bed Installation program is to become familiar with the flexibility of dry-pack mortar beds to resolve a wide range of installation challenges and to achieve tile industry standard substrate requirements. Focus will be on thick-bed installations for floors and shower pans, using a variety of drain types and membranes, with additional instruction on wall installations. Areas to be covered include:
- Practical application of ANSI standards for thick-bed installations
- How to locate and apply TCNA Handbook methods for thick-bed installations
- Analysis of wall and floor substructures / substrates for flatness
- Substrate preparation requirements for floors and walls
- Material components, recipes, ratios for site-mixed dry-pack mortar mixes
- Types and uses of pre-mixed / bagged dry-pack mortar mixes
- Bonded and un-bonded thick-bed systems
- Movement joints in a thick-bed system
- Reinforcing materials in a thick-bed system
- Tools and techniques used to construct thick-bed installations
- Wet area drain systems / slope to drain / sloped fill / sub-surface and surface applied membranes
- Screed methods and techniques
This program will emphasize:
- Applicable tile industry standards and methods
- Compliance with manufacturer instructions
- Substrate analysis, preparation, installation
- Use of tools for thick-bed installations
- Efficient work-flow planning and teamwork
- Jobsite safety and health practices
September preview
If your August schedule is full, plan for one of the four all-day regional trainings NTCA will conduct in September:
- September 2 at Crossville, Woburn, MA, sponsored by Belknap White Group — GPTP
- September 9 at Floor & Decor in Bohemia, NY — Substrate Prep/LFT
- September 22 at Daltile, Boston, MA – GPTP
- September 28 at Floor & Decor, Chicago, IL – Substrate Prep/LFT
- Click here to learn more.
Demand for this free training is high. Be sure to register early. To ensure the best training experience possible, registration is limited. If the class is full, your registration will be added to our waiting list and you will be contacted if a seat opens.
