Slippery Rock Gazette

Pavlo Starykov, Star Tile & Stone

The National Tile Contractors Asso-ciation (NTCA), with support from Custom Building Products, is pleased to announce a new Russian language version of its popular Trowel and Error video. This collaborative effort could not have taken place without a significant contribution from NTCA Member Pavlo (Pasha) Starykov of Vancouver, Washington. 

Starykov, a native of Russia and the owner of Star Tile and Stone, volunteered countless hours in translation from English to Russian. This version is designed to be more accessible to other Russian-speaking installers in the U.S. and abroad. 

NTCA now provides the Trowel and Error video in Russian, Spanish, and English. Trowel and Error is a short educational video that depicts the proper way to key in and trowel thin-set mortar for the installation of ceramic tile and natural stone. This video has assisted thousands of installers to help them achieve consistent mortar coverage to bond the tile or stone to the prepared substrate. It was developed by the National Tile Contractors Association in 1999 and quickly gained national and international acceptance. 

Thanks to the generosity of Custom Building Products, the video was recently re-produced and formatted to modern digital platforms. A Spanish version was quickly translated and has seen significant engagement on the NTCA YouTube channel. 

Custom Building Products is an industry leader in flooring preparation products and tile and stone installations systems for residential and commercial projects. Visit their website Custombuildingproducts.com .

NTCA is a leading trade association in the ceramic tile industry with more than 1,500 members, representing thousands of tile and stone installers. Visit www.tile-assn.com.