Editorial Team & Methodology

Who writes these guides

TilePro's editorial team writes and reviews every guide using waste, coverage, and cost tables generated by the same calculator engine the site is built on. We update content when product behavior changes or when reader questions repeatedly surface a missing detail.

We don't publish guides about products we haven't modeled. If a tile size, pattern, or material doesn't exist in the calculator, we don't have a defensible basis for writing about it — and we wait until we do.

Where the numbers come from

• Waste percentages— derived from the same pattern engine that powers the calculator's live preview. The site's own simulator generates the 7-18% waste tables you see in the guides.
• Coverage rates (thinset, grout, adhesive) — manufacturer spec sheets cross-checked across at least two of Versabond, Mapei, and Custom. We cite the brand when figures diverge.
• Costs— material pricing from current Home Depot, Lowe's, and Floor & Decor listings; labor rates from regional contractor surveys. We refresh price bands on the dates listed in each guide's “Last reviewed” line.
• Standards — ANSI A108/A118 for installation methods, TCNA Handbook for membrane and substrate guidance, ASTM C1028 / DCOF AcuTest for slip resistance.

Review cadence

Every guide carries a published, a last modified, and a last reviewed date in its structured data. We re-review guides on a rolling 12-month cycle, and re-review immediately when:

• The underlying calculator behavior changes (new pattern, new material, new waste model).
• Reader questions in support email or search-console queries surface a missing detail more than three times.
• A relevant standard or building code is updated.

When a review changes the prose substantively, we bump dateModified. When the review confirms the guide is still accurate, only lastReviewed moves.

Corrections

Found an error, a stale price, or a method that doesn't match current best practice? File an issue on the GitHub repository and we'll review within the week. We publicly note substantive corrections in the guide's commit history.