Dal-Tile Corp., a U.S. manufacturer and distributor of ceramic tile and natural stone, has become one of the first tile companies to align its grout joint guidelines for rectified tile with the newly updated standards set by the Tile Council of North America (TCNA). Effective immediately, Dal-Tile recommends 1/8-in. grout joints for all of its rectified tiles, reflecting a change from 1/16 in.

"Tile contractors know what works best in the field and we fully support the TCNA's new guidelines," said Lori Kirk-Rolley, senior marketing director for Dal-Tile Corp. "They've spoken and we've listened—we're proud to be a leader in the industry as one of the first tile manufacturers to join the TCNA in making this the new industry standard."

TCNA recently issued the new grout joint guidelines for all rectified tiles, regardless of manufacturer, to address widespread problems installers were having with lippage and warpage, particularly when installing large-format rectified tiles.