There’s often a thought that deficiencies in the concrete substrate can be ignored without consequence, since no one will ever know once the concrete is covered by a membrane, mortar and tile. No one will know until tiles start to delaminate or crack, and grout starts to crumble. Regardless of the quality of the tile, as well as the setting materials and methods, it’s really the quality of the methods and materials used to address the substrate’s deficiencies that dictate the functional and aesthetic longevity of a tile floor..
Howard has over 30 years’ experience with tile, stone and concrete flooring design, installation and remediation. His responsibilities include specification writing and review, technical services and continuing education. Howard’s article, For the Want of a Horseshoe Nail – Identifying causes of Tile Failure was The Construction Specifier magazine’s 2017 article of the year. Howard has also had articles published in Landscape Contractor National magazine and the Journal of Architectural Coatings. He has also been a presenter at World of Concrete (WOC). His expertise includes CSI Division 03, 04, 07, 09 products and processes. He works with the contractor, distributor, designer, specifier and owner – through all project phases. He understands the complexities and capabilities of a building product’s attributes to meet the architect’s requirements and the owner’s vision.