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John Bridge's visit to the Tile Council of America and the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation
In February of 2002 I traveled to Clemson, South Carolina at the behest of Dave Gobis, Executive Director of the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation. The purpose of the trip was to attend a 3-day seminar hosted by Schluter Systems, makers of Ditra, Kerdi and other tile-related products. Schluter is a German company with its North American headquarters in Upstate New York.
Before I go any further, I must tell you that I am something of a hard-head when it comes to adopting new products, techniques and equipment. I was one of the last people in the world to acquire a pager, a computer and a cell phone; and I have yet to learn how to operate any of them with anything other than a rudimentary degree of expertise. In a world of personal copiers, laser printers and manifold business forms, I still use carbon paper. Hey, it works.
Dave Gobis and others had been trying to "rehabilitate" me into the tile industry for some time, and Dave himself had been after me to visit the tile school for at least a year when the Schluter opportunity presented itself. Schluter puts on the show several times a year, and they pay all expenses while participants are there. If I was ever to begin my rehabilitation, this would be the time.
I'm a "mud man" in the tile trade. Some of the methods I employ are very similar to methods used by craftsmen back in the Stone Age. To say that it's difficult to get me to change my ways is an understatement. I left for the session with the idea that it would be interesting but that I probably wouldn't return with anything really useful.
I was pleasantly surprised. For one thing I've never met a more genial group of people. I was put at ease from the first time I met them. I found each of them knowledgeable and technically proficient. And what really surprised me was that a number of the group had not only spent years in the tile trade but that they had been "mud men." We spoke the same language.
I settled in to learn, and learn I did. I won't get into the details here, but I've decided there are indeed other ways of doing things that under certain conditions are every bit as good as the ancient methods I've employed. It's not that mud work has been superceded, not by any means. To me it's more a question of taking what I knew and building upon it. And yes, in some circumstances, modern products and techniques may indeed be superior to the old ways. Schluter is on the cutting edge when it comes to pioneering these new processes.
I took pictures while I was at the seminar. I'm sorry to say that many of them were not good enough to keep. Scattered below are the pics that made the cut. I'll explain them as we go along.
(L-R) Dave "da Man" Gobis, John Bridge,
Larry Horton (Schluter-Virginia), Sylvain Racine (Schluter- Montreal)
Marc Jimenez (David Allen Co., S.C.), Peter Nielsen (Tech Mgr., Schluter North
America)
Teddy Driggs (Teddy's Tile, N.C.), Howard Haithcock (David Allen Co.), Andy
Acker (Schluter, Kansas City)
Jay Austria (Tile Center, Maryland), Dave Kasun (Aladin Surfaces, Maryland)
The photo above was taken by Missy La Vair, who is the National Accounts Manager for Schluter. If I had a picture of Missy, it didn't turn out, and that's a shame because she was without doubt the prettiest Schluter representative on the scene. Maybe some other person who was there can send me picture of her.
Flash! Hold it! Ms. Kim Rielly at Schluter Public Relations was good enough to send me a picture of Missy. Here she is in her work uniform.
Missy La Vair, fixin' to install some Ditra.
Noah Chitty, Laboratory Manager for the TCA, showing
the large tile press used in making hard-bodied tiles.
One of the kilns is in the foreground.
The lab results from a collaboration between Clemson University and the Tile Council, who both use it. Noah explains that Clemson is one of the few schools in America that offers a program in ceramic engineering. Noah is a Clemson graduate.
This is the machine that tests the "break
strength"
of various ceramic tiles. Sylvain Racine in background.
Peter Nielsen, Technical Manager for Schluter.
Peter is the team leader.
Larry Horton (Schluter rep) testing the "break
strength" of a
kneeling apparatus at the tile school.
Andy Acker (Schluter, Kansas City) floats mortar bed while
Larry leans on shovel. Larry mixed the mud.
At one time, Andy Acker was a tile contractor (mud man) in California's Oakland Bay Area. It turns out that Peter Nielsen worked for Andy. Both Peter and Andy know their stuff when it comes to mud.
Andy installing Ditra matting over a mortar bed.
Earl Maicus (Schluter) installing tiles over Ditra.
Larry and Sylvain mixing deck mud at the Tile School.
Yes, believe it. John Bridge installing Ditra.
A parting shot. On the first morning we arrived at the tile school I was chauffeuring Jay Austria and Dave Kasun. "Hey," they exclaimed, "you must be somebody."
Thanks, Dave, for making me feel like I really am "somebody." I'll pay you back one of these days.
A very special thanks to Schluter Systems and the Schluter team in South Carolina. Thanks for changing my way of thinking, and thanks for putting up with me. I hope to see you all again.
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