The tile handbook is consensus guidance, not an ANSI standard
A 5 April 2017 Tile Council release describes the handbook for ceramic, glass, and stone tile installation as a compilation of guidelines used in specifying and installing tile. The chairman's explanation in that release is that the book carries industry consensus but is not a standard and is not set up like one, so the committee can use non-mandatory language when it needs to.
What the 2017 edition added
The release names new sections on tile layout and on system modularity, further explanation of substrate flatness, a section on equivalent-gauge steel studs, more on wall-wash lighting, visual inspection of tilework, and design considerations when specifying tile. It also notes revisions to the EJ171 movement-joint guidelines and a new method for an exterior deck or balcony over unoccupied space.
Equivalent-gauge studs
The release says newer steel studs, called equivalent gauge or EQ studs, are thinner, and the new handbook language is there to show the important considerations when those studs are used under tile. It says the specific design criteria would likely be settled later in ANSI. The release does not print those criteria.
Source
Fetched 2026-10-11 from Tile Council 2017 handbook release. The sentences above follow that page. They are not a contractor promise.
Related notes
- Tile notes index
- ISO 17721 measures antibacterial activity on ceramic tile
- A Tile Council bulletin calls ceramic tile free of formaldehyde and PVC
- Photo gallery
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