Hi everyone,

I need to write this as i'm seeking a bit of a confidence boost, and also just to check that i was correct in my actions!!

I was asked last Friday night to tile a light commercial use shower and 4 x 4-tile splashbacks in a works office building. The builder is a friend and i was grateful for the work as this would be my first shower, so was looking forward to doing it. He was being pressured by a project manager to get the tiling done on a budget of £320 to include labour and materials(yes, tiles as well). This however also include a 2sqm kitchen splashback which i wasn't going to do. I was supposed to be doing the job today, tomorrow and Friday.

When i arrived at the offices this morning after travelling a round trip of 35 miles to collect materials; all of which the project manager questioned the need for; i was shown the shower area. I noticed the plaster and it felt damp. I asked the builder how long ago were they finished and he said 1 week.

Now this is where i lost the job, i explained that you can't tile onto new plaster for at least 4 weeks so the plaster can dry and build its bond strength; or you risk tiles and plaster coming away. The builder was fine about this and said come back in 4 weeks, however, the project manager said,"i've built hundreds of houses and that's rubbish, it can be done in a week".

They are buying the materials off me and that's it, i'm fuming!! They didn't even want the walls primed or tanked which i also said was necessary to start with!!

Please give me some feedback on this, should i just keep quiet to make an easy buck? I've always thought i want to be known for doing things well and properly, but looks like i'm going to lose jobs doing that!!

Do you guys stick to best practice?

Rich

i have just posted a thread of a similar vein to this rich, you did the right thing as if it fails you are liable for the repair costs. although there is a difference of opinion as too the drying times.
chris

reputations are built on quality work

go down their route and you will be one of the masses for the rest of your days and dispensable

its hard to start with and even harder when your scratching for work but it really is the only way forward

Rich,

Always trust your gut instinct, and always ensure correct / best practice. Believe me, they will deny all knowledge of shortcuts when it fails.

They were never going to agree with your thoughts and recommendations so you did the right thing walking.

Good luck for the future.

Was it skim onto plasterboard or a float and set plaster

You can do without 'friends', like that.

Why do these people think they always know !
time to start a tile repair company i think,

Never worry about walking away from a job...... reputation and quality of work are king!

Originally Posted by mikethetile

reputations are built on quality work

go down their route and you will be one of the masses for the rest of your days and dispensable

its hard to start with and even harder when your scratching for work but it really is the only way forward

statement of the month

Originally Posted by whitebeam

Was it skim onto plasterboard or a float and set plaster

As whitbeam says, was it skimmed or float and set?

Skimmed walls will very rarely need 4 weeks to dry out where as float and set could (sometimes even more)

Depending on how the walls were plastered would determine wether you or the project manager were right.

But if the walls were still damp then no, it shouldn't be tiled.

Don't do anything you are not comfortable about and if you are unsure then check it out before commiting yourself.

Good luck

richie you did nothing wrong and your confidence is intact as far as good practice tiling, all above posts are correct, dont let so called friends and know it all,s tell you how to do your job.. hold your head up mate and say no thanks .

you win some yous lose some.................hey who cares!
you should have added cash on the price and done with green screed,if he says no then "sod " him

you did the right thing Rich, it takes years to build up a good reputation but only one bad job to destroy it overnight

walk away your names worth more

Originally Posted by doug boardley

you did the right thing Rich, it takes years to build up a good reputation but only one bad job to destroy it overnight

Thanks Doug, exactly what i was thinking, i want to build a good rep and not be known for cutting corners,
cheers.

Rich

Originally Posted by whitebeam

Was it skim onto plasterboard or a float and set plaster

Hi Whitebeam,

It was a block wall with plaster on. Is that float and set?

Originally Posted by Colour Republic

As whitbeam says, was it skimmed or float and set?

Skimmed walls will very rarely need 4 weeks to dry out where as float and set could (sometimes even more)

Depending on how the walls were plastered would determine wether you or the project manager were right.



But if the walls were still damp then no, it shouldn't be tiled.

Don't do anything you are not comfortable about and if you are unsure then check it out before commiting yourself.

Good luck

Hi Colour,

It was a plastered block wall, even the builder said the plaster still felt damp.

Originally Posted by david campbell

you win some yous lose some.................hey who cares!
you should have added cash on the price and done with green screed,if he says no then "sod " him

Hi David,

forgive my ignorance, could you tell me what green screed is please?

Originally Posted by richiep

Hi David,

forgive my ignorance, could you tell me what green screed is please?

Green Screed is an adhesive that you can use on screeds that are not fully dry.

Originally Posted by richiep

Hi Colour,

It was a plastered block wall, even the builder said the plaster still felt damp.

It used to be about 4-6 weeks for a float and set to dry out, thats why dry linning is used for fast track work......

You was right