Recommendation New Tilers Support - 2 - Page 7 - TilersForums.co.uk | Tile Forums

poynton phil · 08-05-2008

got to get a new blade for my rui dw 200 n, as the one supplied dont cut porcelain, as well as being bent. just wondering which would be best a marcrist 850, or a rubi??? could really do with a quick response on this as i need it asasp thanks a million if you can help.

Brindle · 08-05-2008

Don't know myself, but saw this in relation to the cutter.....The diamond wheel that is supplied with this machine is suitable for general ceramics. If you are cutting porcelain, granite marble and travertine etc then the Marcrist CK850 diamond wheel is highly recomended

r&k · 14-05-2008

i had a kitchen which was 4m2 wall tiles (ceramic) and 13m2 (porcelin) it took me 6 days as was my first job. there were a few cuts but not too many.

am i very slow??

doit4u · 17-05-2008

I sympathise with the old problem of time/cost. I have been at it for a couple of years initially part-time and now full time but I still don't seem to get it right some of the time. I shy away from giving a fixed price and will only give estimates and tell the cutomer the hourly rate then if you hit problems and explain them I find most people are OK.

I do decorating and other small DIY type jobs as well as tiling and I found with fixed prices the customer will often add in extra bits "could you just do this while your here" and then seem surprised when the bill comes to more than the quote.

I also struggled with pricing for a while and as I live in a rural area thought the fairest way to charge was time on the job plus mileage as I was asked to travel up to 20+ miles to a job, but quite a few people commented that others didn't charge for travelling. You have got to cover the costs/ time somehow so I finally decided with advise from Business Eye {Welsh business advisory service} to increase my hourly rate a bit and not charge travelling within a 10 mile radius. I f people want me after that I explain the extra costs and then its up to them. I never say I won't go the distance but receently suggested to a potential customer that it might be cheaper to look for someone more loacal as they were 35 miles away.

Chris

slimhoare · 29-05-2008

i wanna tile my kitchen. I am installing 24x12 porcellan tile. everybody talks about 5/8 plywood as a minimum subfloor. my question is: I have 3/4" waferboard and on top of that i have 1/4 plywood, on top of the plywood i have linoleum flooring. Is it possible to tile over the current waferboard/plywood if i screw the current floor better and using ditra after removing the old linoleum stuff?????

**Dave** · 29-05-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by slimhoare

i wanna tile my kitchen. I am installing 24x12 porcellan tile. everybody talks about 5/8 plywood as a minimum subfloor. my question is: I have 3/4" waferboard and on top of that i have 1/4 plywood, on top of the plywood i have linoleum flooring. Is it possible to tile over the current waferboard/plywood if i screw the current floor better and using ditra after removing the old linoleum stuff?????

You will need to check what your deflection in the subfloor is like first
...Ditra is not designed to strengthen a timber floor.......

slimhoare · 30-05-2008

Thanks Dave, My floor is pretty solid. There isn't any movement that I have noticed. My house is only 4 years old. They used the typical manufactured floor joists spaced 16" apart. If the floor is solid/no deflection, do some people tile over it using ditra? I've only helped my Dad tile his floor. His was a new house being built with the 5/8 tongue and groove ply. he still put ditra down. I'm just wondering what people do in my case. Let me know if you have any other helpful tips. take care

**Dave** · 30-05-2008

What tile are you installing.....the ditra will cope with lateral movement ( expansion of the timber floor) no problem.....
Now i believe with your terminolgy ( lol ) that your are usa based.....
so you have different standards with ditra to the uk.......

You will need to stick the ditra down with modified adhesive and then tile on top with standard set...but i do belive you can get Ditra set in the usa...if location is wrong then i will tell you the uk way...

As for the subfloor then you need to make sure it is well screwed down and no movement......always follow the adhesive manufactures guidelines of subfloor preperation for tiling ( i.e. priming )........

Paul72 · 11-06-2008

I've just put my first quote in to the customer and hope to get the job, have just got my cards sorted and am just about to start advertising ect.
I'm starting part time as i'm still working in my 9 to 5 mon to fri job while i get going.
My question is how did you chaps make the transition form one job to tiling? and what do you do if you get a big job and only have weekends to do it? how did you cope?
I start to flap a bit when i think of it! any advice or help how you got going would be great. Thankyou all.

sstilingservice · 11-06-2008

Hi paul I just bit the bullet and quit my job to work for myself. Bit mad I know but sometimes these things have to be done!! Just had a busy couple of weeks and starting to build up a bit of advanced booking but wondered where people surgest the best place to advertise. I'm in the thomson local and on various websites on line and local paper.

Brindle · 12-06-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul72

I've just put my first quote in to the customer and hope to get the job, have just got my cards sorted and am just about to start advertising ect.
I'm starting part time as i'm still working in my 9 to 5 mon to fri job while i get going.
My question is how did you chaps make the transition form one job to tiling? and what do you do if you get a big job and only have weekends to do it? how did you cope?
I start to flap a bit when i think of it! any advice or help how you got going would be great. Thankyou all.

I asked my employers to consider reducing my hours, which they did, down to 30, which gave me Thurs/ Fri/ Sat/ Sun each week to tile if necessary. then I reduced again down to 18 hours which at the moment is working out ok. I know what you mean about jobs though, most jobs take two days or more I find

Good luck
Bob

Mac · 12-06-2008

Hi Paul I just up and quit one day went and did a course the next and bought a van the next. Crazy i know but if you dont have the fallback of a 9 to 5 then i find your more driven to find business. If you want to book me you have to wait approx 6 weeks, single mindedness works.
I find the best place to find business is the small independant tile shops, do the old trick of bringing the coffee and gettig to know the retailer. If he recomends you as first choice then you will never be short of work.