WASHINGTON, D.C.—Last month tile installers got together to help low-income people get a new home as part of Tile Partners for Humanity’s week-long tile blitz to help Habitat for Humanity’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project (JRCWP).
Throughout the week numerous tile professionals from across the country came to Ivy City, a largely industrial neighborhood in the central portion of the nation’s capital, to install more than approximately 3,000 square feet of donated tile in the kitchen, washroom, bathroom and front foyer of eight homes.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) certified the homes as “silver” under its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green rating system. This marked first LEED-certified Habitat for Humanity residential project in the D.C. area.
“After all the hard work that has already gone into this project, we’re excited to have the opportunity to make our contribution by providing these families with a high quality and durable product that will withstand all the memories that will take place in the home for years to come,” said Curt Rapp, who founded the nonprofit Tile Partners in 2002 as an alliance between the tile industry and Habitat for Humanity International. He added that a tile installation project of this magnitude would normally take weeks, if not months, to accomplish. “Thanks to the dedicated tile professionals supporting this effort, it was done within days.”
Rapp credited the people and companies behind the effort, saying the project was spearheaded in support of Tile Partners by Laticrete—in particular, Steve Rampino of the technical services department, who “provided a leadership role in coordinating the scheduling of the installation for the week.”
While Laticrete donated all the installation materials, Florida Tile supplied both the floor and wall tile. Backerboard for the floors and walls was supplied by Fin Pan, and grout sealer was donated by Miralce Sealants.
Also, the National Tile Contractors Association sup- ported the effort along with two of its members in the area: The David Allen Co. of Bristow, Va., and Collins Tile and Stone of Aldie, Va.
“Without the support of donors and sponsors like Tile Partners for Humanity, the important work we are doing to serve lower income families would not be possible,” concluded Kent Adcock, president of Habitat for Humanity’s D.C. chapter.
For more information on Tile Partners for Humanity, call 678.366.1815.