Through the Tile Partners for Humanity (TPFH), a new partnership between the ceramic tile industry and Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), industry partners supplied tile flooring for the kitchen/dining, entry, bathrooms and laundry areas of 21 homes in LaGrange and entry areas of 26 homes in Valdosta. Partners also donated labor and trained volunteers to install tile.

The industry is working to provide ceramic tile, installation materials, tile tools, cleaning products, installation labor, and training on tile installation to Habitat projects around the country. TPFH solicits product, labor and financial donations from industry members. HFHI is a nonprofit Christian housing ministry that works to eliminate substandard housing around the world. TPFH has pledged $1,250,000 in products, labor and financial support to HFHI over five years.

TPFH is a joint venture of The Tile Doctor (thetiledoctor.com), a web site designed to educate consumers and industry professionals about the tile industry, and the Ceramic Tile Institute of America (CTIOA), a non-profit association promoting expanded use of ceramic tile through education. CTIOA Director Gray LaFortune and Assistant Director Paul Wilson are spearheading TPFH efforts to train homeowners, volunteers and affiliates to install tile at build sites.

TPFH Founder Curt Rapp, CEO of The Tile Doctor, and Co-founder LaFortune created the partnership to unite the industry with a common vision: improving lives through ceramic tile donations to Habitat homes.

Curt Rapp and Sandy Sedano display the muscles so integral to the process. You go with your bad selves

“Our goal is to one day be able to provide a platform where, as an industry, we can install tile in every Habitat home in the United States. Doing so benefits our industry, betters our local communities and touches the lives of numerous homeowners and volunteers. Ceramic tile products will last the lifetime of the houses, which is in line with Habitat’s mission to build durable homes that will serve homeowners and their families for years to come,” said Rapp.

In January 2003, HFHI Founder and President Millard Fuller told industry members he would like to see tile installed, at a minimum, in the kitchen, bathrooms and entryway of every Habitat home in North America.

Product donations from Aqua Mix, Inc; Crossville Porcelain Stone/USA (Crossville); Daltile Marietta SSC 195 (Daltile); Elite Cement; LATICRETE International, Inc. (LATICRETE); North American Tile Tool Company (NATTCO), and Steve Hall Flooring made the project possible. Companies donating labor included CTIOA; Crossville; Custom Building Products; Design Tile, Inc.; DMI Tile and Marble; Elite Cement; LATICRETE; NATTCO; The Tile Doctor; Tools Direct, and T. Rowe Tile.

In LaGrange, Crossville donated 6,000 square feet of 12x12 tiles and Daltile donated 3,000 square feet of both 8x8 and 12x12 tiles. The combination supplied the 21 houses with the 220-400 square feet needed to cover the designated areas.

Jim Dougherty, Crossville’s vice president of marketing and business development, said the company’s tile is a great fit for Habitat homes. “Our tile is 30 percent stronger than granite, refuses to scratch, stain or fade, and cleans with just hot water. Perfect for the famous Georgia red clay in LaGrange!”

Manager of the Marietta Daltile store, Ian Street, said his company donated tile both to contribute to the community and to clear excess product from his warehouse. “What a great program this is! We are glad to support it with our tile. We know our product will be put to good use in Habitat homes.”

LATICRETE donated Crack and Sound Isolation Membrane, 253 Rapid Gold Multi-Purpose Thin-set, and SpectraLock grout for the LaGrange project. The Rapid thin-set allowed installers to set tile and grout within a couple of hours instead of waiting until the next day. Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Ed Metcalf traveled with 10 technical representatives, regional managers and corporate representatives to assist with installation.

“HFHI has been doing a tremendous job for almost 30 years, and TPFH offers a great service as an umbrella organization for the ceramic tile industry. Our team members contributed two long, hard days and nights of physical labor, but we walked away with a rewarding feeling that our efforts will make a difference in the lives of real families on a daily basis,” he said.

NATTCO and TI Pro, the company’s professional division, supplied 100 buckets of tile tools, including trowels, floats, sponges, knee pads, gloves, spacers, tile nippers, tile cutters, and scrub brushes. The company sent tools, wet saws and paddle mixers to both sites in LaGrange and Valdosta. Vice President of Sales Keith Haney traveled to LaGrange to install tile for two days.

A number of local professionals donated time to install tile, including representatives of companies donating materials. Atlanta-area partners included Frank Galifianakis of Crossville, Chip O’Rear of Custom Building Products, Tim Rowe of T. Rowe Tile, and Don Flynt of Tools Direct, a NATTCO dealer. Scott Marshall, Joe Millwood and B.J. Cooke, all of LaGrange-based Design Tile, tiled three homes in LaGrange. LaFortune, Rapp, his son Sean, and Wilson installed in LaGrange and helped to coordinate the project as a whole. Aqua Mix, Inc., also donated 48 quarts of concentrated tile cleaner to the project.

DMI Tile and Marble of Birmingham, Ala., sent a crew of three installers, including one trainer and two apprentices, to install tile in two homes. Director of Training and Safety Gerald Sloan said that students Victor Alvarado and Jesus Contreras honed their skills while working with volunteers from the Georgia Baptist Builders and Linda Harris, the homeowner in House 12.

In Valdosta, local flooring dealer Steve Hall Flooring supplied 13x13 white tile for the entry areas of the 26 homes. “We care about the community and are always looking for ways to help,” said Hall. “I was thrilled to be asked to donate flooring for the JCWP.”

Elite Cement of Atlanta supplied a fast thin-set and grout to Valdosta, allowing volunteers to set tile and begin grouting within two hours. Owner Bill Olsen said donating to Habitat through TPFH benefits both his company and the industry at large. “My company not only enjoys the goodwill of donating to a worthy cause, but also benefits from enlightening the public to the use of ceramic tile for projects of all budget sizes. This exposure increases the volume of our industry in general, and installation materials in particular.” Elite Sales Representative John Gallman also donated installation labor in Valdosta.

TPFH partners have also supplied tile for houses in Washington, Utah; and Charlotte, N.C. For more information on TPFH or to pledge product or financial contributions, contact Executive Director Ally Fertitta at 770-416-0200 or ally@tpfh.com. Visit the TPFH web site at www.tpfh.com for updates on partners and projects or to participate with us!