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Tile and Stone Setters

Apply hard tile, stone, and comparable materials to walls, floors, ceilings, countertops, and roof decks.
Related: Floor Layers  Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, & Tile & Marble Setters  Stone Cutters & Carvers, Manufacturing  Stonemasons  Terrazzo Workers & Finishers 
Industries: Construction  Manufacturing 

  • Summary

  • Details

    • Work Activities

    • Prepare cost and labor estimates, based on calculations of time and materials needed for project.
    • Remove and replace cracked or damaged tile.
    • Apply a sealer to make grout stain- and water-resistant.
    • Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge.
    • Align and straighten tile using levels, squares, and straightedges.
    • Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed.
    • Mix and apply mortar or cement to edges and ends of drain tiles to seal halves and joints.
    • Cut and shape tile to fit around obstacles and into odd spaces and corners, using hand and power cutting tools.
    • Mix, apply, and spread plaster, concrete, mortar, cement, mastic, glue or other adhesives to form a bed for the tiles, using brush, trowel and screed.
    • Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural, and floor designs.
    • Remove any old tile, grout and adhesive using chisels and scrapers and clean the surface carefully.
    • Assist customers in selection of tile and grout.
    • Spread mastic or other adhesive base on roof deck to form base for promenade tile, using serrated spreader.
    • Measure and cut metal lath to size for walls and ceilings, using tin snips.
    • Cut, surface, polish, and install marble and granite or install pre-cast terrazzo, granite or marble units.
    • Prepare surfaces for tiling by attaching lath or waterproof paper, or by applying a cement mortar coat to a metal screen.
    • Select and order tile and other items to be installed, such as bathroom accessories, walls, panels, and cabinets, according to specifications.
    • Mix, apply, and spread plaster, concrete, mortar, cement, mastic, glue or other adhesives to form a bed for the tiles, using brush, trowel and screed.
    • Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints.
    • Determine and implement the best layout to achieve a desired pattern.
    • Level concrete and allow to dry.
    • Remove any old tile, grout and adhesive using chisels and scrapers and clean the surface carefully.
    • Cut, surface, polish, and install marble and granite or install pre-cast terrazzo, granite or marble units.
    • Prepare cost and labor estimates, based on calculations of time and materials needed for project.
    • Mix, apply, and spread plaster, concrete, mortar, cement, mastic, glue or other adhesives to form a bed for the tiles, using brush, trowel and screed.
    • Apply mortar to tile back, position the tile, and press or tap with trowel handle to affix tile to base.
    • Mix and apply mortar or cement to edges and ends of drain tiles to seal halves and joints.
    • Measure and cut metal lath to size for walls and ceilings, using tin snips.
    • Prepare surfaces for tiling by attaching lath or waterproof paper, or by applying a cement mortar coat to a metal screen.
    • Build underbeds and install anchor bolts, wires, and brackets.
    • Install and anchor fixtures in designated positions, using hand tools.
    • Select and order tile and other items to be installed, such as bathroom accessories, walls, panels, and cabinets, according to specifications.
    • Cut, surface, polish, and install marble and granite or install pre-cast terrazzo, granite or marble units.
    • Finish and dress the joints and wipe excess grout from between tiles, using damp sponge.
    • Measure and mark surfaces to be tiled, following blueprints.
    • Lay and set mosaic tiles to create decorative wall, mural, and floor designs.
    • Brush glue onto manila paper on which design has been drawn and position tiles, finished side down, onto paper.
    • Cut tile backing to required size, using shears.
    • Apply mortar to tile back, position the tile, and press or tap with trowel handle to affix tile to base.
    • Study blueprints and examine surface to be covered to determine amount of material needed.

    Skills

    • Troubleshooting
      • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
    • Programming
      • Writing computer programs.
    • Management of Material Resources
      • Managing equipment and materials.
    • Technology Design
      • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
    • Speaking
      • Talking to others.
    • Science
      • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
    • Learning Strategies
      • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
    • Monitoring
      • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
    • Negotiation
      • Bringing people together to solve differences.
    • Instructing
      • Teaching people how to do something.
    • Management of Personnel Resources
      • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
    • Repairing
      • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
    • Judgment and Decision Making
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
    • Systems Analysis
      • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
    • Systems Evaluation
      • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
    • Installation
      • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
    • Mathematics
      • Using math to solve problems.
    • Critical Thinking
      • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
    • Social Perceptiveness
      • Understanding people's reactions.
    • Coordination
      • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
    • Complex Problem Solving
      • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
    • Operations Analysis
      • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
    • Reading Comprehension
      • Reading work-related information.
    • Equipment Selection
      • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
    • Writing
      • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
    • Quality Control Analysis
      • Testing how well a product or service works.
    • Equipment Maintenance
      • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
    • Operation and Control
      • Using equipment or systems.
    • Time Management
      • Managing your time and the time of other people.
    • Active Learning
      • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
    • Persuasion
      • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
    • Service Orientation
      • Looking for ways to help people.
    • Management of Financial Resources
      • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
    • Active Listening
      • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
    • Operations Monitoring
      • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.

    Abilities

    • Control Precision
      • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
    • Response Orientation
      • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
    • Manual Dexterity
      • Holding or moving items with your hands.
    • Written Comprehension
      • Reading and understanding what is written.
    • Trunk Strength
      • Using your lower back and stomach.
    • Oral Expression
      • Communicating by speaking.
    • Problem Sensitivity
      • Noticing when problems happen.
    • Number Facility
      • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
    • Visualization
      • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
    • Speed of Closure
      • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
    • Wrist-Finger Speed
      • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
    • Flexibility of Closure
      • Seeing hidden patterns.
    • Speed of Limb Movement
      • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
    • Fluency of Ideas
      • Coming up with lots of ideas.
    • Perceptual Speed
      • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
    • Memorization
      • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
    • Static Strength
      • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
    • Spatial Orientation
      • Knowing where things are around you.
    • Depth Perception
      • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
    • Visual Color Discrimination
      • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
    • Night Vision
      • Seeing at night or under low light.
    • Near Vision
      • Seeing details up close.
    • Extent Flexibility
      • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Far Vision
      • Seeing details that are far away.
    • Gross Body Equilibrium
      • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
    • Hearing Sensitivity
      • Telling the difference between sounds.
    • Reaction Time
      • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
    • Dynamic Strength
      • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
    • Selective Attention
      • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
    • Speech Recognition
      • Recognizing spoken words.
    • Gross Body Coordination
      • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
    • Glare Sensitivity
      • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
    • Category Flexibility
      • Grouping things in different ways.
    • Deductive Reasoning
      • Using rules to solve problems.
    • Multilimb Coordination
      • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
    • Finger Dexterity
      • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
    • Arm-Hand Steadiness
      • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
    • Rate Control
      • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
    • Peripheral Vision
      • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
    • Written Expression
      • Communicating by writing.
    • Explosive Strength
      • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
    • Inductive Reasoning
      • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
    • Originality
      • Creating new and original ideas.
    • Mathematical Reasoning
      • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
    • Time Sharing
      • Doing two or more things at the same time.
    • Sound Localization
      • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
    • Oral Comprehension
      • Listening and understanding what people say.
    • Information Ordering
      • Ordering or arranging things.
    • Dynamic Flexibility
      • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
    • Stamina
      • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
    • Speech Clarity
      • Speaking clearly.
    • Auditory Attention
      • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.

    Knowledge

    • Biology
      • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
    • Production and Processing
      • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
    • Physics
      • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
    • Chemistry
      • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
    • Food Production
      • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
    • Design
      • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
    • Geography
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
    • History and Archeology
      • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
    • Law and Government
      • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
    • Telecommunications
      • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
    • Customer and Personal Service
      • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
    • Personnel and Human Resources
      • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
    • Mathematics
      • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
    • Therapy and Counseling
      • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
    • Administration and Management
      • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
    • Building and Construction
      • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
    • Administrative
      • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
    • Psychology
      • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
    • Foreign Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
    • Fine Arts
      • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
    • Philosophy and Theology
      • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
    • Public Safety and Security
      • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
    • Communications and Media
      • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
    • Computers and Electronics
      • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
    • Sales and Marketing
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
    • Engineering and Technology
      • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
    • Economics and Accounting
      • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
    • Medicine and Dentistry
      • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
    • Education and Training
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
    • English Language
      • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
    • Transportation
      • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
    • Mechanical
      • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
    • Sociology and Anthropology
      • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.

    Education

    Education
    No formal educational credential
    Work Experience
    No work experience
    Training
    More than 1 year on-the-job training
    Education and Training Opportunities

    Pay

    Washington Annual Salary
    62210/yr
    Washington Hourly Wage
    29.91/hr

    Washington Employment Trends

    Currently Employed
    2,300
    Yearly Projected Openings
    220

    Personality

    Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:
    • Attention to Detail
    • Dependability

    Tools

    • Abrasive stones
    • Acoustic ear muffs or defenders
    • Adjustable widemouth pliers
    • Air compressors
    • Air exhausters
    • Angle grinder
    • Articulating boom lift
    • Bench vises
    • Blow torch
    • Caulking guns
    • Chalk lines
    • Claw hammer
    • Cold chisels
    • Concrete spreaders
    • Demolition hammers
    • Dust collectors
    • Ear plugs
    • Eyewashers or eye wash stations
    • Facial shields
    • Floats
    • Floor polishers
    • Floor scrapers
    • Floor scrubbers
    • Gas generators
    • Glue guns
    • Goggles
    • Hacksaw
    • Hammers
    • Hard hats
    • Ladders
    • Level sensors or transmitters
    • Levels
    • Lifelines or lifeline equipment
    • Mallets
    • Masks or accessories
    • Notebook computers
    • Personal computers
    • Plaster or mortar mixers
    • Plumb bobs
    • Pneumatic hammer
    • Power buffers
    • Power chippers
    • Power drills
    • Power grinders
    • Power routers
    • Power saws
    • Power screwguns
    • Protective gloves
    • Pry bars
    • Putty knives
    • Razor knives
    • Respirators
    • Safety glasses
    • Safety harnesses or belts
    • Scaffolding
    • Scarifiers
    • Scissor lift or lift table
    • Screwdrivers
    • Second cut file
    • Socket sets
    • Spatulas
    • Squares
    • Staple guns
    • Straight edges
    • Suction cups
    • Tape measures
    • Tile cutter
    • Tinners snips
    • Trowels
    • Utility knives
    • Wet or dry combination vacuum cleaners
    • Winches

    Technology

    • Computer aided design CAD software
    • Customer relationship management CRM software
    • Data base user interface and query software
    • Electronic mail software
    • Office suite software
    • Operating system software
    • Presentation software
    • Project management software
    • Spreadsheet software
    • Word processing software

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

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