For obvious reasons, homeowners remodeling their bathrooms, renovating their kitchens, upgrading other areas of the home, or doing new construction projects will want to hire skilled tile installers. There are many factors that contribute to the quality and reliability of the services a team of tile installers provide. One such factor is continuing education.
Staying involved with the tile industry as a whole helps keep the installers who work in your home aware of the latest technologies and installation methods. Our team knows who to call when questions or concerns arise. This can directly benefit you as our client.
Recently, some of the team at Copher Tile and Stone attended a very important industry gathering called The Hybrid and Advanced Installation Event (THASIE 2024) at DeSoto Sales in Fresno, California. Here are just a few of the ways their attendance at THASIE could benefit you as an existing/prospective client.
Suppose you…
…were having a new tile shower installed and after the walls and shower floor were prepared for tile you decided that you would like to add a bench. At THASIE, we saw a demonstration of how to use a special drain to accomplish this impromptu shower upgrade.
…want to create a dramatic focal point in your living room with marble-look gauged porcelain tile panels around your fireplace and the surrounding walls. We saw a tool company demonstrate how to use their specialized thin panel tools to install such panels. We have not yet expanded our services to include panels, but we also have not yet had a client ask us to perform this service. Meanwhile, we are committed to continuing education and training so that when the day comes, we are prepared.
…only have one bathroom and you need a new curbless tile shower installed. We saw a demonstration of a shower pan designed to drop into the subfloor, as well as a sealant system that quickly cures when the product comes into contact with water. These time-saving products and techniques could allow you to regain the use of your bathroom shower sooner.
…want your kitchen tile to extend uninterrupted into your covered porch area. In the past, we have attended trade shows where we saw tiles that varied in thicknesses for interior and exterior environments but did not vary in appearance. Our concern was making sure that we could properly waterproof the substrate for an installation like this. At THASIE we saw a demonstration of an exterior grade waterproofing system for tile that would enable us to confidently complete such a project.
…are concerned about entrusting your project to properly educated and trained craftspeople who earn a living wage and are being fairly compensated for their time and efforts. Adam Copher attended a business-focused class to pinpoint various ways a business can lose money. Sometimes, the owners of poorly managed businesses will compensate by hiring cheap, unskilled workers. Copher is very careful about hiring and takes the well-being and future of employees, as well as your satisfaction, very seriously. This class helped him to identify any potential financial pitfalls.
…have hired a designer and you want to make sure that your tile installer knows how to work with a designer to achieve the best possible outcome. Copher attended a class for this, as well. He spent time asking questions and gaining insight into the ways a designer views home projects.
…want to welcome tradespeople into your home who have a good vibe with you and with each other.
Copher explained how an event like THASIE helps everyone to stay on the same page:
” thought that THASIE was good for us. We’ve spent some time talking about different products and brainstorming. I think it’s good that as a team we are all talking and thinking about problem solving and using some of these materials. I like getting employees involved, because they’re going to be the ones that are probably going to be installing it, not me. It’s cool to see them already kind of thinking about it and asking me, ‘Hey, why don’t we try this product?’ and then getting feedback from them. I enjoy working with the team in that way.
Adam Copher, Owner of Copher Tile & Stone
We appreciate you taking the time to geek out with us every now and then about behind-the-scene activities. Copher Tile & Stone takes pride in staying on the cutting edge of products and best practices in our field. We believe that this will ultimately translate into better quality workmanship for our clients. We hope that as you understand more about what we do when we are not on a project site your trust in us will increase. Our goal is to be transparent so that when it is time to select a contractor for your next tile project, you can feel very confident choosing Copher Tile & Stone.
by Alice Dean
Copher Tile & Stone proudly stays up to date on tile installation with ongoing education with Mapei Technical Institute, Ardex Academy, the National Tile Contractors Association, Laticrete, and Schluter. Copher is a Certified Tile Installer (#1644).
