What makes a good tile job? You need the right tile, good backing, a secure bond, and a good layout. Take shortcuts on any of these, and you'll have problems with the tile installation. I've found that many problems can be traced to the customer or contractor who selected the tile because "they liked the color." But picking tile based on its color is like choosing a boyfriend or girlfriend because of hair color. You can get in a lot of trouble if you don't stop to think about the rest of the package. Ceramic tile is made from a mixture of clay and other materials. The clay is formed and fired at high temperatures and