Fireplaces

As cooler weather makes an appearance this time of year, many people turn to their fireplaces as a source of comfort. Whether indoors or outdoors fireplaces offer a warmth to both our bodies and our souls. Starting a fire instantly creates an inviting atmoshpere. We feel compelled to gather around a fire. Nothing compares to the peaceful trance enduced by staring into the flames while feeling the warmth blanket your body. Conversations seem to need no words when sitting around a fire.

Fall signals a return to our fireplaces. It also signifies a time for change. Out with the old - make room for the new. This can apply both on a personal level and in our surroundings. One great change in our surroundings is to update a tired, worn or dated look of your fireplace. Tile and stone are great options to give new life to your fireplace.

Options are plenty. The timelessness of a stone fireplace can completely change the feel of a room. Tile can offer a quick & easy way to update a fireplace surround. Accent tiles can be used to give a personal flare or design element. Limestone, travertine, granite, marble, coral, glass and porcelain are some of the many choices available in materials to update your fireplace. Hearths and mantles in either the same or complimenting materials can be used to provide both function

and artistic details.

Regardless of your tastes, we can help you design and install a new tile or stone fireplace. Call us today for an estimate and get yours scheduled in time for your new look to be completed before the holidays.

Chiseled edge travertine & KerdiBoard waterproofed shower

This post is to share a project we recently completed using a chiseled edge travertine with black pebbles in a Schluter Shower Sytems waterproofed shower. We had previously done a Kerdi shower for this customer 3 years ago in the kids bathroom. Now they were looking to update the master bathroom.

When we started demolition we discovered wet, rotten & moldy drywall and framing. The previous shower was installed over greenboard with the shower pan liner installed incorrectly. The liner did not have the required pre-slope and had cement board nailed thru it on the curb. Additionally there was a bench seat made from block with no waterproofing at all. In fact, the bench had negative pitch - meaning water puddled at the bench to wall connetion instead of draining back into the shower. This allowed water to penetrate thru the grout connection and seep into the wall cavity. This moisture provided the necessary food to feed the mold and rot the framing.

Once demolition was complete we installed KerdiBoard on the walls. This product made by Schluter is part of a shower system that once installed will let you shower before any tile is installed without the risk of water damage. This system is comprised of the KerdiBoard for the wall underlayment, a KerdiDrain and Kerdi fabric to cover the floor mud and make the drain connection. Kerdi is also used to seam the wall to floor connections, board to board connections and fastener penetrations. A 2" thick board was used to construct the new seat. A couple of the many benefits the board provides are that it allows us a creativity when forming the seat, in this case a corner radius seat and because it is made from a closed cell foam material it is not affected by water, unlike a wood framed seat. A niche was also built with KerdiBoard to create a water tight recessed shampoo niche with soap shelf.

The homeowners elected to re-use their current tub so we removed only the tub face and splashes before using the KerdiBoard again for a perfectly flat substrate.

The choice of a black pebble stone for the shower floor brought the various darker colors out of the stone. Utilizing the same stone as a decorative band for the tub face, tub splash and at the top of the radius shower seat and back of the niche really tied everything together.

The job came out great and the customers are thrilled with their new shower. Equally as thrilling for us is that they now have a properly functioning shower that will last them a lifetime.

Open letter

Over the last decade, the level of quality for many of our trades has begun to decline. As many companies struggled to keep pace with demand less time was spent on training our workforces on the technical aspects as more time was spent on getting things done quicker. In part this was driven by society’s ever increasing appetite for faster completion times. Other things contributing to this downward spiral were the use of illegal workers and business owners who neglected the business side of operating a company. With today’s current economy, and the increasingly stiff competition – many contractors continue adding to this decline with short term thinking such as cutting corners as a means to get prices low enough to win jobs or uneducated tradesmen who think that getting through a minimal warranty period is sufficient.

This ultimately is bad for the end user and those whose projects are being worked on – architects, general contractors, designers or homeowners.

My industry, tile & stone installation, continues to struggle with stopping this downward spiral and reversing the trend. However there is a light at the end of the tunnel. One such initiative and most likely the best thing to happen to the serious tile contractor in recent times has been the certification of installers and companies by the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation. With the support of industry manufacturers, the National Tile Contractors Association, NTCA, as well as Tile Council of North America, TCNA and American National Standards Institute, ANSI, – the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, CTEF, began a certification process in early 2008. This was in response to the lack of a mechanism for the consumer regarding the level of proficiency of their prospective installer. To date, close to 200 companies nationwide have passed this certification and the numbers continue to grow. Ironically, in the state of Florida, 2nd in the US in consumption of tile, we currently have less than 10 companies that have successfully passed this certification. John Trent Tile & Stone is one of only two companies in northern Florida to have passed this certification. To be clear, this is not a rubber stamp certification. These tests require that both the observable and the non-observable characteristics of an installation are executed properly. The test begins with a 2 day hands on installation that is systematically demolished upon completion allowing administrators to check for correct installation techniques and applications. Proper use of a vapor barrier, correct underlayment fasteners and patterns, proper adhesive coverage, correct use of soft joints and layout are among items checked. Following the hands on portion is a written test to help evaluate an installer’s knowledge and understanding of the TCNA manual and ANSI specifications regarding tile installations. Topics include industry associations and standards, safety, concrete and wood substrate considerations, crack isolation membranes, backer boards, bonding materials, movement joints, flexible sealants as well as workmanship standards and best practices. Successful completion helps to elevate an installer or company above his competition by showing potential customers he is willing to prove his knowledge and skill in the only national certification effort available. You can further read about this certification at tilecareer.com.

This brings me to the meat of the reason for this letter. I would like to ask you to start demanding that only certified installers be used on your projects. Tile installation is not rocket science, but there is a right way and a wrong way. With today’s increasingly expensive and challenging materials you owe it to your customers to provide or recommend only certified installers be used on their projects. A tile project installed correctly should last a lifetime – not just beyond a minimal warranty period.

Please contact us further to receive more information regarding how you can help give your customers the best chance at a successful tile installation.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,
John Trent
Ceramic Tile Education Foundation – Certified Tile Installer

John Trent Tile & Stone
1678 S 8th St G-7
Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
johntrenttile.com


The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed ~ Henry Ford

New Certification - Ceramic Tile Installer

Education is an important part of who we are here at John Trent Construction. Started in 2008, the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation started the Ceramic Tile Installer Certification as a way for consumers to verify the skills and knowledge of a potential installer. At the end of 2009 there were 162 companies in the United States who had taken and passed this certification. In the state of Florida there were only 9 companies who had successfull completed certification. In December John Trent Construction became the 10th company and the only company in North Florida. We are proud to be a part of this program and think it further verifies our committment to ensuring our customers recieve the best return for their investment. By certifying our installers we provide peace for our customers in knowing their installer has the skills necessary to complete their project with technics proven and accepted by the industry.

As the New Year has gotten under way we are excited to have committed to continuing education here at John Trent Construction. Next week we have 9 installers headed to Clemson, SC for Schluter Innovations Workshop. Topics to be covered will include transition and edge protection profiles, prefabricated corner and movement joints, waterproofing, uncoupling and drainage membranes, floor drain systems, modular screed systems and assemblies for balconies and terraces. Products include Kerdi, Ditra, Troba and an introduction to KerdiBoard - Schluter's latest product set for release in spring this year. This product promises to further enhance our ability to offer a completely waterproof shower in a more efficient manner. Stay tuned for more information on this exciting new product.

Our new website is up and running! Many thanks to Nathan at Nassau Web Designs. He has provided us with a fantastic site and was patient with me on getting him the information he needed to do so.

Inaugural Newsletter

Welcome to the Tile Ledger - John Trent Construction's newsletter for customers & employees. The Tile Ledger is a tool for sharing JTC stories and communicating with you directly on some of the important issues facing the tile industry.

The topics will be wide ranging, customer focused and we hope of interest to everyone in the construction industry. We plan on regular in depth features on issues such as current projects, changes in service levels and service charges, new projects, problematic installations, industry standards and new initiatives geared to making us more efficient and cost effective.

We hope that The Tile Ledger will serve to inform, while promoting active dialogue between JTC and its customers.

The newsletter is being created with you in mind. We would like your feedback and suggestions on what stories and issues you would like to see covered.

We look forward to hearing your views at views@johntrentconstruction.com

I am pleased to offer this editorial in this inaugural edition of The Tile Ledger. I'd like to begin by emphasizing how central our customers are to the way we do business. This is something I personally address with veteran employees as well as new new hires. Over the last 2 years
we have evolved into more than just a tile installation company. We have drawn the attention to focusing on customer service as a core value in our mission statement. Our industry is one that has suffered with a flood of new installers who lacked the proper training and skills to install the ever changing size, shapes and materials we are beginning to see. It seems that everyone with a notch trowel and a wet saw became an instant competitor in a world they knew little about or cared to learn about. Some of the problems this created were customers who became frustrated
with tile failures and maintenance issues. These customers began to look elsewhere for product selections as their previous installers had given them a black eye with regard to tile. As this issue grew competing on price became a determining factor for many as it was assumed that the lifespan of the installation was short -" Why pay top dollar today if we are going to have to pay again in 3, 5 or 10 years?" became the thought of a consumer searching for tile installation. Exacerbating this problem was the boom in th construction industry in which it became almost a given that any project completed today would most likely be sold in 6 -12 months to new owners that would likely change things again before flipping the property for the quick buck. With this type of activity it became easy for installations to be done with sub par quality as the likelyhood of the property changing hands before a failure had reared its ugly head could surface was almost a given. As the bubble has burst and some of the repercussions of choosing an installer based soley on price are starting to come into light people are beginning to change mindsets. Getting it done correctly is once again starting to replace "Just get it done" mentality.

As painful as this has been for the construction industry as a whole I believe it will also be beneficial in regards to leveling the playing field. No longer is there the abundance of work that allowed shady installers to prosper at the expense of customers who sometimes stood in line just to get a body on the job. This has forced a lot of realignment for the betterment of those concerned with doing a job correctly. People are seeing the reasons for the big price differences were because things were being left out - whether it was customer service, prep work, quality materials, insurances, taxes or an installer who adhered to industry guidelines.

Things evolve so fast in todays construction environment it is imperative that installers stay abreast of these changes or risk failures that further erode our customer base. The materials and way we install tile has changed so much over the last couple of years that without a commitment to staying educated within the industry an installer is doomed.

In years past, tile installation was mainly a skill based occupation. Today we see that skill has taken a side seat to knowledge within the industry. Staying abreast of changes in materials, their limitations and expectations and communicating with customers is leading the way for the tile installers of tomorrow. Skill will always be a part of this equation and will shine when combined with the knowledge required to ensure a lasting installation.

What's more, customers - no matter their size, mix of projects or range of products - must deal with the downturn in the economy, shrinking demand, rising costs and an industry in the throes of transformation. Managing our costs and trimming the necessary excess are just as important
as our commitment to training. Developing initiatives to further enhance value to our customers has become a renewed focus here at JTC.

One such initiative is a refocusing on project management and is discussed in this issue of The Tile Ledger. Also featured is a look at current and upcoming projects. We have many other exciting things to share with our future issues of The Tile Ledger and hope you will stay tuned.

Beyond these initiatives, diligent scrutiny of costs will continue to be a part of the way we do business as we pursue avenues such as field measurements, scheduling, training and safety in an effort to keep costs in line. It is this type of focus that has enabled us to enter our 3rd year in business with an increasing satisfied customer base. Numerous other initiatives to reduce costs consistent with safety are underway and we will update our customers regularly thru The Tile Ledger and other communications.

I'd like to conclude by acknowledging the vital contribution of our dedicated employees, on whom we both depend to deliver a finished product we can stand behind. Their attention to detail and commitment to ensuring installations are done correctly are applauded and appreciated. Our business maybe knowledge driven in today's world but people deliver the services and people meet or exceed customer expectations and our safety obligations. It is these very people we will be turning to as we manage through a year that promises to be challenging for everyone in the construction industry. I am confident that JTC is up to the challenge and I look forward to working with employees, customers and vendors in the year ahead.