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IMI Gains Outside Advantage for Porcelain Tile Market

June 15, 2010

Full Tile Code Update

ANNAPOLIS, MD —Tile contractors reached a major turning point this May, with code changes pushed by the International Masonry Institute to make them more competitive with glass and other exterior finishes.

Until now, designers hesitated to specify exterior tile, due to the absence of specific code provisions and the potential for challenges. At the International Code Council’s May hearings in Dallas, the IMI Code Committee convinced the ICC to add new text to International Building Code’s section on acceptable weather covering for building exteriors. [Table 1405.2, Exterior adhered masonry veneers – porcelain tile.]

The change removes any ambiguity about tile’s proper place as an exterior finish. It will take effect as areas adopt the 2012 I-Code, which will be available April 2011.

The new text limits any porcelain tile face dimension to three square feet total, and less than nine pounds per square foot. Anything bigger has to be mechanically anchored, which will bring more reliable exterior tile installations by qualified contractors.

“We applaud IMI's work on this issue,” said John Trendell, President of Tile Contractors' Association of America (www.tcaainc.org). “It is certainly important for architects and owners to understand the materials they have chosen for an exterior installation. With the right materials and the high quality installation practices offered by our companies, architects and owners can be assured of the best possible installation.”

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IMI is a joint labor-management cooperative program of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) and the contractors who employ its members, providing craft training and technical assistance to the design and building communities. IMI is a U.S. Green Building Council member and education provider.