I'm a little disappointed with some of the comments on a thread in this section of the forum, it would seem that some people are quite happy to slate another person’s standard of work without even seeing it on even speaking to them in person.

A member of the public has come onto this forum to seek advice, some have offered helpful advice by pointing out to the poster on what to look out for and what to ask to ensure a good job, but others seem quite happy to mock and jeer at the very thought of a DIY'er doing some tiling and seem convinced that it will all go horribly wrong and to be honest that shocks and saddens me.

Dave I know you locked the other thread and i'm sorry for re-opening it but I really had to get that off my chest

Rant over

I understand your comments...

These type of posts happen and seen as i haven't been around much tonight they seem to have got carried away...

Post has been moved as well...thanks to you and a pm i got bringing this to our attention...

A meessage to all....PLease refrain from giving prices in the public forums....if you do not have access to the arms for pricing then ask for access to Me or Dan...


thanks..

i think a lot of tiers are getting quite upset that potential customers are coming on to the forum and looking for advice,rather than pay for a pro to do the job! don't get me wrong,it gets on my nerves too when standing in my local tile shop and overhear customers who are "going to give it a bash themselves" but at the end of the day i would rather give them good advice than let let them ruin there bathroom/kitchen,and i've also had a few referrals just from giving advic and them asking for cards!

It's the word "DIY" that brings all kinds reaction to a job, I new a guy who I used to work for on special concrete repairs and he used to work for Sika on special materials, he knew his stuff. After leaving the large companys he eventually started doing some decorating and general repairs for the domestic market and had a good run of work but did admit to me that he had a bathroom to tile at a standard rate but it took him 8 days to do it, thus costing more if a "professional" had done the job, he was fussy but you have to find a balance on speed and quality

Is this regarding the thread northcoombes posted earlier,have i missed something.?

I know where you're both coming from, Many of my customer suggest that they will undertake some of the works to save themselves some money, I always give free advice where I can I would say that 80% of my customers then have an idea of what is involved and realise that maybe it would be better for a professional to do it and the other 20% are shocked that something that they perceive to be very simple could possibly be so involved but decide that with my advice they will give it a go. Of that 20% half of them give up after a few hours or days and I end up doing it anyway, but that said some people do complete the jobs and to a good standard to boot.

You don't need to know everything there is to know about tiling just to lay some... how many of you service your own car? How many of you do your own end of year tax returns? And if you do, would you offer to do it for a friend?

I rest my case

As for customers in trade shops, it does drive me insane... I suppose tile shops are slightly different because they cater to the public but I have lost count of time spent in trade electrical suppliers waiting whilst a member of the public spends 20 mins trying to buy something as simple as a LV downlighter. Please guys these places charge the prices they do because they are not there to explain the thousands of different options available to you in layman's terms. Please seek out you nearest curry's or B&Q

Originally Posted by BDS

Is this regarding the thread northcoombes posted earlier,have i missed something.?

it wasn't directed at any one person in particular but a general mood that engulfed the thread

Originally Posted by Colour Republic

it wasn't directed at any one person in particular but a general mood that engulfed the thread

Take that it that thread is gone now? Only saw the first couple of replies so do not know the outcome. But really was a complete waste of my time replying to that original thread.

I think my main concern with DIYing is that I get an image of a kettle of PVA and B&Q tubbed adhesive

a lot of diyers do it themselves simply because they cant afford a pro to do it.ive done it a lot of times with decorators etc ,,just done it myself as we couldnt afford it,obviously the finish isnt as good but needs must sometimes

i did a firstfix for a customer who was tiling the bathroom himself so went back to the job after a week to second fix and he was still tiling, fair enough i thought so when invited to take a look at his progress was shocked to see he had drawn every tile on the wall and numbered them when we eventually got to do the second fix and finnish the job he had done a good job tho'

Originally Posted by Tubsy

i did a firstfix for a customer who was tiling the bathroom himself so went back to the job after a week to second fix and he was still tiling, fair enough i thought so when invited to take a look at his progress was shocked to see he had drawn every tile on the wall and numbered them when we eventually got to do the second fix and finnish the job he had done a good job tho'

gosh .............tiling by numbers

if that catches on were finished

i dont really know what the problem was with that thread, i think the point people were trying to make was that you could get a pro in for that dayrate and have the job completed to the correct spec and standard in less days , therefore saving client money

or was i reading it wrong

Originally Posted by mikethetile

gosh .............tiling by numbers

if that catches on were finished

i dont really know what the problem was with that thread, i think the point people were trying to make was that you could get a pro in for that dayrate and have the job completed to the correct spec and standard in less days , therefore saving client money

or was i reading it wrong

That was one of the points that was made and a very valid one at that but some posts were making some unfounded comments about DIY'ers it seems as those posts have now been removed I guess the matter is closed now really

i obviously hadnt read those posts that were removed

i didnt stick my twopence worth in as i couldnt see that achieving anything

mind you that doesnt usually stop me

as you rightly say

subject is closed so no point going on about it

I was one of the first few to post on the subject and was even thanked by the poster so i`ve got a clear conscience,as i said it wasn`t a simple abc job in my oppinion and thats what i put, it wasn`t the fact the guy didn`t have or want to pay good money for a pro cos his DIYER friend wanted £120 a day so i know who i`d go for no disrespect to anyone in anyway shape or form.and yeah seen as that was closed maybe this one should as well.

I'm with the free advice for DIYers.

I think there is only one chap I've given free advice to who hasn't offered me work.

To my mind, being asked to give free advice is actually a really good opportunity to sell yourself. It works for me.

Giving free advice on here may not sell me as an individual but it does represent my trade. I would hope that my conduct on here towards an individual may generate respect for the tiling/trades community as a whole and would therefore increase the chances of someone else getting a job. Similarly, there have been good people who have supported what I do and I'm sure I've been asked to quote as a direct result of advice given on an internet forum somewhere.

Originally Posted by cornish_crofter

I'm with the free advice for DIYers.

I think there is only one chap I've given free advice to who hasn't offered me work.

To my mind, being asked to give free advice is actually a really good opportunity to sell yourself. It works for me.

1. Giving free advice on here may not sell me as an individual but it does represent my trade. I would hope that my conduct on here towards an individual may generate respect for the tiling/trades community as a whole and would therefore increase the chances of someone else getting a job. Similarly, there have been good people who have supported what I do and I'm sure I've been asked to quote as a direct result of advice given on an internet forum somewhere.

1. Hugo,you're an engineer, not a building tradesman, I,personally, could, given permission,a green field, no financial restraints, build a grand designs home with my own bare (honed and very calloused hands!) hands

Originally Posted by doug boardley

[*]Hugo,you're an engineer, not a building tradesman, I,personally, could, given permission,a green field, no financial restraints, build a grand designs home with my own bare (honed and very calloused hands!) hands [/list]

having read my post, it seems to come through as a bir disrespectful Hugo, this wasn't intended

Originally Posted by doug boardley

[* I,personally, could, given permission,a green field, no financial restraints, build a grand designs home with my own bare (honed and very calloused hands!) hands [/list]

this is an interesting and probably contentious point

i feel the same way, having spent my entire life in building (my father was in building and used me as cheap labour) i could if given the oppurtunity design and build my home with my own bare hands

my in laws were over for dinner today having just come back from a break away staying in a converted blacksmiths

the inevitable question came up ..............why dont you do that ,you would make a lovely job of it


er ................a little matter of money..............maybe

but it doesnt stop the pipe dream of what i would build given the oppurtunity