My First Ever Job

[DJT75]

Just posted some pictures of my first job I've just completed. A 2 sq metre porch floor 300mmx300mm ceramics. I'd appreciate all feedback, positive or negative & any advice anyone has.

TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums | Tiling Forum - DJT75's Album: First Job

I'm pretty happy with it, there's a couple of tiny mistakes but nothing anyone would particluarly notice unless they knew what they were looking for.

[GirlRacerRed]

I think it looks good especially if it's your first ever job. I see you left the skirting boards on. On my hallway, I took the skirtings off before tiling. Only problem I have now is I begin to realise how un-plumb, flat or level my walls were to start with

Keep at it mate, it takes practice and determination

[jimbob]

Looks good to me mate

Your earlier pics suggest you didn't remove the skirting board, but from the finished pics I can't really see any noticeable grout/silicone joint there so your cuts around the perimeter must be spot on (Either that or you managed to slip the tiles under the existing skirting?)

[jimbob]

I think it looks good especially if it's your first ever job. I see you left the skirting boards on. On my hallway, I took the skirtings off before tiling. Only problem I have now is I begin to realise how un-plumb, flat or level my walls were to start with

Keep at it mate, it takes practice and determination

Got there before me GRR!

[Benny Tiler]

Looks really good

[DJT75]

See, I've just learnt something already - so everyone takes the skirting boards off do they?

To be honest I never really thought about doing that & it may have been more trouble than it was worth?? I just cut right up to the edges, there's no silicone anywhere & only a tiny 1/2mm of grout in one tricky corner cut by the door

ps. Not just my first job, my first ever bit of tiling outside of the course I did a few months ago. It took a while to get back into the swing a bit, the 1st couple of hours were worryingly slow but soon got into the rhythm.

Materials Used:
BAL rapidset
BAL wide joint grout

Machines:
Rudi TR-600S
Bricollina wet cutter
& quite a bit of hand nipping

Karl Dahm Washboy (thanks Dave at TradeTiler for the advice on this, it's a must have tool - It saved me hours & my skin!)

[CJ CERAMICS]

looks good infact i was regrouting a hallway yesterday that a tiler with 20 yrs experience had tiled and it didnt look as good.......but having said that i would also have taken the skirts off to make the cuts easier. keep up the work and remember that time doesnt count but a good finish does..........
chris

[GirlRacerRed]

See, I've just learnt something already - so everyone takes the skirting boards off do they?

To be honest I never really thought about doing that & it may have been more trouble than it was worth?? I just cut right up to the edges, there's no silicone anywhere & only a tiny 1/2mm of grout in one tricky corner cut by the door

ps. Not just my first job, my first ever bit of tiling outside of the course I did a few months ago. It took a while to get back into the swing a bit, the 1st couple of hours were worryingly slow but soon got into the rhythm.

Materials Used:
BAL rapidset
BAL wide joint grout

Machines:
Rudi TR-600S
Bricollina wet cutter
& quite a bit of hand nipping

Karl Dahm Washboy (thanks Dave at TradeTiler for the advice on this, it's a must have tool - It saved me hours & my skin!)

you don't have to take the skirtings off, but to allow a nice tidy finish, a lot of people are. unless you're like my husband and you can't get the skirtings off without either a) taking chunks out of the skirting board or b) taking chunks out of the walls... definitely take them off next time and have a look at the difference it makes to the finish. i find it looks better.

[DJT75]

you don't have to take the skirtings off, but to allow a nice tidy finish, a lot of people are. unless you're like my husband and you can't get the skirtings off without either a) taking chunks out of the skirting board or b) taking chunks out of the walls... definitely take them off next time and have a look at the difference it makes to the finish. i find it looks better.

That sounds like the sort of damaged I'd cause!

Will do, thanks for the advice - it would also save me the enormous amount of time I spent getting my cuts perfect!!

[stevee]

looks the biz mate ,nice job,steve

[GirlRacerRed]

That sounds like the sort of damaged I'd cause!

Will do, thanks for the advice - it would also save me the enormous amount of time I spent getting my cuts perfect!!

next time I do a floor in my house, I'm considering ditching the old skirtings, making good the walls after hubby has wrecked them and putting new boards on after the floor is laid bit of a roundabout way but better than having chisel marks in the skirting boards

[DJT75]

Think I need to do a carpentry course next!

[jay]

nice work leave skirting on and run a perimatre joint in silicone same color as grout

[DJT75]

Thinking about this some more. Isn't taking skirting off a bit of a hassle? Most rooms would also have vertical skirting - door frames, or like this job bottom of the stairs vertical skirting. So not only do you have to take them off, put them back on, you need to not damage them & you need to trim down all the verticals to fit the skirting back underneath them since you've heightened the floor level.

Again, all advice welcome.

thanks

[jimbob]

Many people may think having their floor tiled is a good time to replace skirting board, as old skirting can get a bit grotty.

As for door architraves, it does not take long to trim those if you have the right saw

Like you said earlier, it may take a little time but it saves you spending ages making sure your border cuts are spot on, so all in all may not cost you much more time overall

[DJT75]

Many people may think having their floor tiled is a good time to replace skirting board, as old skirting can get a bit grotty.

As for door architraves, it does not take long to trim those if you have the right saw

Like you said earlier, it may take a little time but it saves you spending ages making sure your border cuts are spot on, so all in all may not cost you much more time overall

In an ideal world I'd like to tile & leave the other stuff to someone else to sort out but I don't suppose that goes down too well with customers. I also wouldn't like to leave messy looking cuts to the edges with no skirting hiding it so I guess it's a must know skill I need to obtain.

thanks

[lcjohno]

looks good mate, quality job!!

[Fekin]

Top notch for a first time job mate, just keep an eye on the spacing \ grout lines and you'll be fine.

[DJT75]

Top notch for a first time job mate, just keep an eye on the spacing \ grout lines and you'll be fine.

Yeah most of them stuck to 5mm but there are a couple just under or just over..

[garretridge]

nice job mate keep up the good work!

[LM Ceramics]

looks really well from the pictures i cant see any mistakes looks spot on well done

[david campbell]

nice work! well done on your first job m8!

[Fred]

Looking good mate, keep it up.

[whitebeam]

If someone has decorated and you ask for the skirting to get ripped off, it may not happen

[CJ]

Looks a very Pro job

[Colour Republic]

So do all you guys replace the skirting after, fill, sand and paint. Or do you just relace them and get them to decorate and if you do do the above do you paint the rest of the woodwork in the room so you don't have brand new white gloss/eggshell against yellowing paint?

Just curious that's all

I always give the customer the option and tell them the pros and cons in doing so.

Oh great first job mate

[Sean fsy]

your a tiler not a joiner, its not your place to start ripping out things that dont involve you. if they want tiles fitted underneath the skirting then that is their job to get it sorted. unless you price for it but just remeber if the walls start falling to bits or plaster starts falling off then its upto you to put it right. its often the case when you think you are doing someone a favour that will often end up being a nightmare job that you wish you had just stuck to what you know best. every one as done it and knows things can escaslate very quickly.

[Colour Republic]

your a tiler not a joiner, its not your place to start ripping out things that dont involve you. if they want tiles fitted underneath the skirting then that is their job to get it sorted. unless you price for it but just remeber if the walls start falling to bits or plaster starts falling off then its upto you to put it right. its often the case when you think you are doing someone a favour that will often end up being a nightmare job that you wish you had just stuck to what you know best. every one as done it and knows things can escaslate very quickly.

I'm actully a builder who tiles, I do full property refurbs, so for me it's not a problem. I got the impression for most full time Pro tilers on here that they didn't really undertake any other trades as they stuck to what they are best at, so parts of this thread suprised me. I'm trying to guage if most pro tilers would consider this part of their job? If they feel it's a basic service they should offer?

[whitebeam]

your a tiler not a joiner, its not your place to start ripping out things that dont involve you. if they want tiles fitted underneath the skirting then that is their job to get it sorted. unless you price for it but just remeber if the walls start falling to bits or plaster starts falling off then its upto you to put it right. its often the case when you think you are doing someone a favour that will often end up being a nightmare job that you wish you had just stuck to what you know best. every one as done it and knows things can escaslate very quickly.

Good point Sean, ripping old skirting off a lime mortor wall can have serious concequences

[Prem Tiler]

Taking off skirting just to hide poor cuts, no thanks I'd rather cut perfect and not waste my time patching walls and re glossing timber. cutting straight and even against a skirting board or anything else is standard procedure.

Obviously if custy requests it then no problem. It will be included on the invoice.