Yta Tiling Course Feedback - First Day On The Course

[mikebidd]

Y.T.A trainig bradford

Not sure if its in the right place but thought id write a little about my first day off training, As to be honust they deserve to be talked about lol

So to start off with i was in a really bad mood i got up at 6 am to catch a bus that never arrived. Also my car that was meant to be picked up yesterday didnt go so i was short on cash.

Eventually got there ready to explain that i couldnt afford to do it when i found out they would take paypal! superb so i paid for rest off course.The two blokes that rub it will go out off there way to help if they can.

We sat for about 5 minutes listening to just some common sense advive. Then straight in at the deep end with preparing the surface (you get your own cubcle whch is set out like a kitchen with window cupboards and plug sockets. I have not done one second off even dIY in my life (im a mechanic by trade) so pancked not knowing which bits i needed clean off. Straight away 1 off the many lads they have working there came over and showed me. Next we were taught abot about Adhesives and priming the walls. We were shown how to mix it and which were the best to buy (honust advice not just by the dearest)

We were taught about tools off the trade and given our own tools to use They were superb in explaning things and from what iv gathered so far only believe n hands on learning which is brilliant for me as i have Adhd.
I cant believe how much they have taught me in one day. There was always some one popping in to see how you were going and teach you 1 to 1 different methods off doing it they had to show me more than once lol but even that wasnt a problem.



Im at begginng off week and for some one who has never even lifted a tile i have done this (please no micky taking i know its not perfect by any means and i need alot more practice)

Pics were taken with my phone and are rubbsh ill keep updating as the week goes on if any ones intrested

 

[mikebidd]

Definatly keen mate was willing to walk the 3 mile there tommorow. s yellow pages the best place to find a tiler? im inbetween leeds and bradford

 

[suave]

well done mate

 

[thevinnyofoz]

Good to see you're keen mate, I did the two week course last July, you do learn a lot in two weeks and the lads are pretty good. We all have to learn somewhere and I can say you've done fine picking YTA to train you. Good value for money but could do with being more indepth, but you can only learn so much in 1 / 2 weeks.

Keep up the good work. Buy books, watch all the dvd's and read everything on this site it's priceless.

 

[faithhealer]

Good luck there Mike, stick in

 

[Dan]

Do they teach you to put the spacers in that way round? Most prefer to have them so you can pull them out or twist them should you need to to get back in line. Checkout some of the picture albums in the tilers gallery.

 

[mikethetile]

Definatly keen mate was willing to walk the 3 mile there tommorow. s yellow pages the best place to find a tiler? im inbetween leeds and bradford

this is the best place to find a tiler

 

[united]

Nice post mate, keep us up to date with how the rest of the week goes

 

[mikebidd]

Day2 if your stil intrested. lol

Finished the tiling in our kitchens. Then were taught how to growt Mixing it up etc. Struggled abit to start off wth as i was taking abit too much time over it. Until i was shown a technique by one off the lads that runs it off gettng a "pasty" shaped dolop then pushing it in the gap and sliding it acroos then away. I finished 3 quarters off the ktchen in a quicker time then it had taken me to do the first quarter.

Shocked at how much grout makes a difference In the overall finish. Took a step back and was proud at what i had done.

Next we had to tile round a window. The lad teachng us warned me that my window was nackered and had lumps and bumps and had seen better days. This didnt really bother me until i had cut all the tiles and started putting them uo and they wouldnt line up ot would but sat at an angle. Again the instructor lad came over and one off the lads that ran it. and explained i could chisel it out ot reboard it and showed be how to "double butter" it using a bigger trowl. Worked a treat and i was even prouder lol.
I could have had a perfect wall but im just counting it as expierence as how many houses will work in that will actually have perfect flat walls. Didnt get to grout it but still happy.

Again like yesterday you always have some one there keepng an eye to point you in the right direction if your going wrong. The lads that work there are or have been tilers so they can give you real advice. theres 7 lads on the course with me and theres 3 trainers plus the two lads that own in walking around and showing you how to do it. Admittadly if i ddnt catch sumthing the frst tme i was shown again with out a probllem

Bts that messed up on in the day was. Cutting a top row off tiles (about 6 tiles) putting them up and realisind that the cutter was abit loose (my fault i had been playing about with it i love new tools lol) and the top row lookes like the sydney opera house lol

And the frst quarter off my grouting when t came to cleaning it i hadnt put enought in and it looked abit annerexic.

Tommorow we are shown how to remove tiles ( will be devastated pullng my kitchen down) and cabit more surface prep. Then we move into the bathrooms

Pics are my kitchen finshed except for cleaning bottom tiles

My window before ( know it would have been better to re board it f it was a customers house)

Durng

And after (not cleaned or grouted)

 

[mikethetile]

your doing well for day 2
do you think you will stick it:lol:

didnt they show you how tile a reveal thats out and make it square

 

[mikebidd]

your doing well for day 2
do you think you will stick it:lol:

didnt they show you how tile a reveal thats out and make it square

Ill definatly stick at it mate theres not much stuff im good at but am enjoying learning this.

And Dont understand mate sorry. In non tiling terms (for a thicko lol) and ill answer u