How did it all start for you? And where? (How did you become a tiler?)

[Just Rizzle]

moved to the london area in 1984 when my wife got a transfer to Guildford with her works. needed a mortgage and a job told mortgage advisor i was a self employed tiler but that was in Hartlepool for a small house builder.
the mortgage guy said his neighbour was a builder and needed tilers for a job in Feltham it was on a prison building complex for young offenders. he rang the site agent i went for an interview bluffed a bit and got the job as a tiler/labourer my first big job and it lasted 18mths on that site and taught me tiling to a high slandered as the tolerance was 3mm over 3mtrs and all the floors were in the old school sand and cement we had a target of 35 yards a week at rate of a tenner a yard.
from that job i worked on a shopping centre in wandsworth and a shopping centre concourse on the kings road chelsea.
ive worked over the past35 yrs on some great projects for the rich and famouse in some fabulous houses of footballers, politicians pop stars and the general public.
my favorite job was the one in the photo on my avatar a stately home in north yorks
so whats your story were did it start:?

 

[Italy]

I was born in the wrong place.

 

[Qwerty]

Studied engineering design at University. Left Uni and got a job in public sevices. My father was a property developer and I grew up on sites across the South so when I came to develop a property of my own I gravitated towards tiling. That was 10 years ago now.

 

[Italy]

Studied engineering design at University. Left Uni and got a job in public sevices. My father was a property developer and I grew up on sites across the South so when I came to develop a property of my own I gravitated towards tiling. That was 10 years ago now.

then you're still an apprentice?

 

[Qwerty]

then you're still an apprentice?

We are all apprentices. Every day is a school day

 

[Tiler Durden]

Like most tradesman, I was too thick at school to get a job in an office so this was the only thing for me.

 

[Dan]

I fell into the trade via my ex partners father. He tiled years back.

I've got to say though, the options when I last tiled for a living were far far less than what they are now. I'd definitely need work below somebody way more experienced than me for a year or so before I'd dare give it a go again for somebody else.

Still not got round to my own bathroom. I keep picking away at the old tiles while in the bath so I'm going to have to do it at some point!

Did a stint at topps tiles too. And after tiling, worked for Professional Independent Training Techniques (or PITT) with the ex father in law. Mainly getting the business in from on the line but he'd leave me with classes many a time

I don't miss the cold days wet cutting outside because Mrs Jones wont let you use her garage or something.

Got some good memories too though.

 

[Just Rizzle]

Like most tradesman, I was too thick at school to get a job in an office so this was the only thing for me.

you put yourself down most office workers are too thick to be a tradesman

 

[Flintstone]

My father was a tiler for his whole career, and two of his brothers, who moved to australia in the 70s to tile and I followed in his foot steps.

 

[Spare Tool]

Proper fell into trade by accident, was in printing for nearly 20 years but got made redundant in 06 just after I'd bought a house to do up, got a tiler round to quote on bathroom and kitchen and he wanted £1200, so thought I'd have a go myself, did a short course with Darren at North East tile training and just from going in local tile shop for tiles and gear for it, got talking to lads in there and they kept saying there's no Tilers around here, got some crap business cards done and left them on the counter in the shop and 12 years later Bob's your mother's brother...

 

[Tiler Durden]

I remember getting my first business cards printed, bought them from a machine at the train station
Funny times looking back.

 

[bsc ceramics]

left school in 1980 and got to be an apprentice with a local firm who went bust
6 months later. did 4 months doing nothing really then another firm picked up
my ticket. was on £16.00 per week back then but left for a smaller outfit and money went up
to £10.00 a day (yippee loaded) so much has changed over the years, back then grout was
white on the walls grey on the floor. like others worked on some great jobs and glad now
I stuck at it as now I'm £12.00 a day...

 

[Andy Allen]

I remember going to the job centre at 16 seeing a job for a trainee tiler, went for it as I wanted to learn a trade instead of being in a dead end job......got the job and I'm 53 now still tiling....! (Just)..

 

[Dougs Third Go]

filling in my time from leaving school to joining RAF as an airframe electrical technician, got a job labouring on a building site and got a girlfriend, was totally engrossed at how skillful the plasterers/tilers (same 2 guys) went about their work, so asked if I could spend more time labouring on them, time came to leave to go into RAF, still "in love" with girlfriend so I pulled outta RAF..aaaarggghhhhh!!! and worked with those two guys for a couple more years, in meantime girlfriend and I parted and she went to Oxford and became a barrister...I shoulda gone in RAF..but, I love my job and I have a lovely family and get out with my dogs whenever I please in glorious countryside, a lot to be grateful for

 

[Just Rizzle]

I was born in the wrong place.

just discovered one of your ancesters jobs in boxford hertfortshire an old roman mosaic lol

 

[Italy]

just discovered one of your ancesters jobs in boxford hertfortshire an old roman mosaic lol

yes, I remember that job....
I'm thinking now .....
if I was born 50 meters further to the right
I was a golfer

 

[J Sid]

yes, I remember that job....
I'm thinking now .....
if I was born 50 meters further to the right
I was a golfer

I was that golfer and then started this tiling thing

 

[finlay]

Served my time with a plastering and tiling firm then started a plastering firm for 20 years employing 20 plasterers .Always liked tiling better so when my son left school shut the plastering firm down and started a tiling company ,now both my sons are in the firm ,nothing could be better teaching them the trade and now being able to look at the jobs they turn out week in week out .Also get on with them both great. I have a grandson of 5 who already wants to be a tiler

 

[Dumbo]

It started with my own shower, then my girlfriend ( now known as misses Jerry )had a leaky flat roof and her tiles fell off the wall , then she moved and did a load of tiling in that house , then we brought a pair of cottages to renovate, more tiling , sold them then I needed some work so asked the guy who we got the tiles off did he have any work , he did , so worked i for him for a little while then went out on my own , and thats where I'm at now .

 

[Steve6690]

Been considering it for a few years now but couldn't really justify leaving the job I'm finally about to leave. I can retire early now so I did a course with Darren at UK Pro Tiling Training earlier this year then two Schluter training courses. I have a few jobs building up (unpaid for friends) and hope to start this full time in the new year. Eventual plan is to move back to Germany once brexit is sorted.

 

[Al@Lifetiles]

Got a degree in Fine Art which sadly wouldn't pay my bills. Started work in a Tile Studio, making painting and glazing ceramic tiles. Decided i would like to fit them as well as make them so did a short course at The Master Tiling School in Essex. Met a great bunch and worked for their fitting team doing projects throughout London before gaining the knowledge and confidence to go it alone. That was nearly 15 years ago but still hoping to get back to being an Artist one day!

 

[macten]

I was a Toxicologist for 17 years, last 5 years of that I'd been shifted into middle management and it wasn't Science anymore. Just dealing with ***** from staff (school leavers still acting like kids) and getting crap from above from people who didn't have a clue. Already decided it wasn't for me anymore. Wanted to be my own boss at something and not have to deal with petty politics, taking a financial hit didn't bother me as I was that fed up.
Had a big 12 month study I'd just set up for Cancer Research UK so wanted to get that running smoothly with enough people trained up before I left. Was looking at plastering courses - always loved watching good plasterers work and thought if I could be as good as them then it would be so satisfying. Then one weekend I get called into work. Turn up to find one of the lads I'd trained up to be the lead technician in the CR UK study dead in the canteen. To see him laid out on the canteen floor with forensic plastic bags, bag tied over his head and hands was devastating, he wasn't just a colleague but a friend too.
My plans to leave had to be put on hold due to the ***** storm that followed. Post Mortem confirmed his body contained fatal levels of the powerful opiate Fentanyl Citrate that we had been working with. Not accidental contact caused by incorrect PPE but actually deliberately taking it. I personally think he'd been helping himself to it for weeks, developing a tolerance and then finally ODing on it.
More delay as HSE descended upon the Labs, my bosses running around like headless chickens, inquest looming and I was left to deal with the lot of it.
Once that was all over I was gone, gone, gone.