Specialty Installations
About 15 percent of the exam: specialty tile, stone slab and countertop installation, and accessories. The study guide covers glass, gauged porcelain panels, heated floors, pools, commercial kitchens, stone, engineered-stone silica rules and trim.
Specialty tile
Glass tile needs the maker's mortar (never mastic) and soft joints at changes of plane; gauged porcelain panels need a substrate flat to 1/8 inch in 10 feet; heated-floor membranes stop about 1/4 inch short of walls.
Stone and countertops
Specify stone by ASTM standard, from a single quarry, rejecting cracked units. Cutting or polishing engineered stone above 0.1% silica is a high-exposure trigger task under Cal/OSHA.
Accessories and transitions
Built-in accessories match the wall tile; corners take bullnose and cove; changes in level over 1/2 inch need a ramp.
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