Tile Partners for Humanity
Tile Partners for Humanity recently completed its
largest project to date – tiling 34 Habitat
homes in Houston, Texas – thanks to the generous
donations of individual members of the industry.
TPFH is a partnership between the tile industry
and Habitat for Humanity International, a non-profit
organization working to eliminate substandard housing
around the world. TPFH works within the industry
to raise awareness of Habitat and to solicit donations
of tile, installation materials, tile tools, cleaners
and sealers, installation labor, and installation
training for volunteers and homeowners.
This spring, industry members donated materials
and labor to tile 12,000 square feet in 34 homes
built by Houston Habitat for Humanity. The affiliate
built 38 homes as part of the SuperBUILD project,
held in conjunction with Super Bowl XXXVIII, which
took place on February 1, 2004.
The tile work took place weeks after the major events
of the build, when NFL players, Houston-area house
sponsors, volunteers, new homeowners, and Habitat
representatives swarmed two neighborhoods to frame
the homes in January. TPFH partners installed the
tile in March, when they could work without having
to worry about other subcontractors walking through
freshly-tiled rooms.
Houston Habitat Construction Director Mike Owen
said the arrangement worked out wonderfully from
the affiliate’s perspective.
“These partners were just amazing. Not only
did we get beautiful tile for all of our homes, but
we have built relationships with local distributors
and contractors that we hope to be able to call upon
again,” he said. “The best part is that
we were able to teach homeowners and volunteers to
tile, so we have people with that skill who can help
us the next time around. We had a great time working
with these guys!”
This project marked the first time that Houston
Habitat had used tile in its homes, though the affiliate
plans to use tile as much as it can in new projects.
Master Tile, a national tile distributor with primary
distribution out of Texas, donated in excess of 14,000
square feet of tile for the project. LATICRETE International,
Inc., and Texas Cement Products, based in Houston,
each donated 7,000 square feet of installation materials,
including thinset and grout. North American Tile
Tool Company donated 34 buckets of new tile tools,
one for each house, to the project. Aqua Mix donated
grout sealers and tile cleaners for the full project.
TPFH partners donated labor to install tile in all
34 homes and worked with homeowners and Habitat volunteers
to teach them how to install tile. PJK Ceramic Tile & Marble,
based in Houston, donated labor for a total of 9,640
square feet in 24 homes. Charlie Juhl, also in Houston,
donated labor for 1,300 square feet in five homes.
LATICRETE donated labor for 1,040 square feet in
four homes. NATTCO donated labor for 260 square feet
in one house.
Partnering with TPFH isn’t exactly a walk
in the park – as several industry partners
have learned. When TPFH asks for a labor donation,
you can expect to get dirty and go home with aching
muscles and thinset-caked clothes.
And that’s part of what TPFH partners love
about it.
The other part, of course, is working with new homeowners
who, in many cases, have spent the better part of
several months building their houses and dreaming
about living in their new homes. In Houston, homeowners
worked with TPFH partners to set tile and, in some
cases, express interest in learning more about careers
in the tile industry.
New homeowner Tracy Scoby worked with Brian and
Gillian Turner of NATTCO to set tile in his kitchen.
Though he had no previous experience setting tile,
he said it was easier than he had imagined. He also
said he’d love to get into the tile industry,
where he believes he could earn substantially more
money than he does with his current job at McDonalds.
“It would sure mean a lot because I’ve
always wanted to do something with construction,
always wanted to do something with my hands. I could
start now and work through the rest of my life, and
this is a skill I could maybe pass on to my boys.
If I prosper, maybe they could prosper along with
me.”
Scoby also happily reported that his wife Cassandra
was happy with the tile work in their home because, “When
she’s happy then everything just rolls along!”
TPFH pledged to provide a total of $1,250,000 in
materials and labor to Habitat for Humanity projects
over five years, or $250,000 a year. In its first
year, 2003, TPFH partners EXCEEDED that goal by at
least $100,000.
For purposes of the pledge, Habitat values all donations
at retail value according to the communities where
the materials are consumed or where the labor is
utilized. TPFH partners are able to claim a tax deduction
for their donations that is valued at the cost of
materials for donations to Habitat stores and up
to twice that value, under Internal Revenue Code
170e3, for donations to active projects.
TPFH is guided by seven industry organizations
whose representatives sit on its board of directors,
including the Ceramic Tile Distributors Association,
Ceramic Tile Education Foundation, Ceramic Tile
Institute of America, National Tile Contractors
Association, The Tile Doctor, Tile Council of North
America, and Tile Heritage Foundation.
TPFH formed in December 2002 and accepts donations
of tile, installation materials, tile tools, cleaners
and sealers, labor, and installation training for
Habitat projects. TPFH is supported exclusively by
industry donations and accepts donations of financial
support for its operations and communication efforts.
For more information on TPFH or to make a pledge,
please visit www.tpfh.com.
Reprinted with permission of The Real Dealer News
 Andrew Szczepaniak, senior research chemist at LATICRETE,
finishes grouting a bathroom at the end of a long
day.
 A PJK tile setter grouts the Gebremedhin home with
Tex Rite materials.
 Ten-year-old Deondra Owen, a volunteer, grouts the
entry in the Lawrence home.
 Cynthia Bradley is ready to tile her new floor!
 Gillian and Brian Turner of NATTCO show how tired
they are after tiling the Scoby kitchen.
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