Setting the Standards

In these and other areas, architects designing with glass tile should be familiar with all of the relevant standards by the key groups discussed in this course. This is especially important for installing glass tile in wet areas, according to Donato Pompo, CTC, CSI CDT, MBA, an expert consultant and founder of Ceramic Tile and Stone Consultants. “Industry standards are created by industry consensus groups consisting of installers, producers, and industry experts through organizations, such as ANSI (American National Standards Institute), TCNA (Tile Council of North America), ASTM (America Society for Testing and Materials), or ICC (International Code Council),” wrote Pompo in TileLetter.⁶

Among the key challenges noted by Pompo is the lack of continuous moisture or vapor barriers and proper flashing for tile applications to on-grade slabs. He points to the standard ASTM E1643: Standard Practice for Selection, Design, Installation, and Inspection of Water Vapor Retarders Used in Contact with Earth or Granular Fill Under Concrete Slabs, to help guide proper specification and construction—in particular, ensuring the vapor retarder continues up from under the slab to its sides and the sides of footings. For steam rooms and steam showers, specialized construction is generally required, and movement joints should use sealants meeting ASTM C920.

These and many other standards can help guide specifiers and installer teams. However, the most critical references for architects, according to David Fatula and Brian Fitzgerald, two technical experts from a major North American manufacturer, are the following:

• the TCNA Handbook, for overall information;
• ANSI A137.2-2013: American National Standard Specifications for Glass Tile, for minimum product conformance;
• and ANSI A108.16: Installation of Paper-Faced, Back-Mounted, Edge-Mounted, or Clear Film Face-Mounted Glass Mosaic Tile, for best practice in glass tile applications.

Fatula and Fitzgerald, who have contributed to the TCNA Handbook and have chaired or worked on the glass tile committees for ASTM and ANSI standards, contend that these standards are essential for avoiding common specification and installation errors by project teams with even experienced professionals.