Social Housing Refurb

[alexpryor]

Hi everyone, I've got a temporary job tiling kitchen splash backs with 150x150 ceramics three rows high to social housing refurb.
First can I ask what is the labour price for this type of work. There is approx 7 lin metres to each kitchen.
Next, what is the chance of the tiling failing when tiling onto patches that are made good with bonding and not skimmed. Also I am told to tile onto painted lining paper on the odd wall.
All I get from the site manager is don’t worry it’s ok. Do you think I am working for a bunch of cowboys.
I am not a full time tiler, but took this job because my plastering job got put back a couple of weeks.
Thanks

[Sir Ramic]

We dont discuss pricing in the open forums.
Yes they will fail at some point !
Yes the firm sound like cowboys IMO

[Martyn Leeds]

social housing tiling is an 'experience' that will definately help you decide right & wrong in future tiling that you'll do!

[tfs]

Thats the way these building maintenance firms work. I have worked for a glasgow based firm and they were the exact same. This is the way these guys work in social housing unfortunatly. Holes(millions) filled with bonding and the surface was covered in old adhesive to in some cases. They just want it done fast and you will be expected to do a few of these each day. Ready mixed adhesive (cheapest they can get) probs granfix or nicobond etc.

Generaly you should expect an hourly rate rather than price work in this type of job.

It is worth mentioning, I had quit this work after only 5 days! Some guys would probably quit after one though lol

[nybor62]

im with sir ramic , they say there not bothered but i can assure you when its not right they wont back you up, tell them your not happy with the prep work and get somet in writing

[kevin67]

tiling onto painted paper will fail, they will fall off after time

[devonmark]

the wrong way is most definitely the right way when doing these type of jobs

[enduro]

Did two days of social housing tiling a few years ago...When i realised they were better off than me and they were not working i stopped!!! Enough said.

[SR Tiling]

Iv done this type of work before and found myself expected to tile onto multifinish plaster on bathroom walls that had been plastered the evening before (so about 14 hours!!!)

[simonb43]

I'd rather not work than do work like that. Its a total pain in the REMOVED, they expect a perfect finish and the pay is REMOVED poor. Leave it alone mate !

[aph257]

pinch one of their horses and gallop away.

[terry the tiler]

ive done a bit for councils over the years and they just want the job done wotever it takes . as once there handed back over and the council passes them its nothing to do with the company that tiled them. you will find most of the houses that have been tiled are held together with the grout NOT the adhesive .

[alexpryor]

Thanks for all the info. Using ready mixed adhesive. No primer. I dont no what I hate the most. Working in a house full of dole wasters watching Sky TV and puffing on fags all day or trying to tile on badly patched walls. Latest one is I must "sit a tile on the worktop" and not "spacer for sealant then tile". Am I correct in assuming you must never sit a tile on worktops.

[whitebeam]

Tend to leave a 2mm gap

[mikethetile]

this is the standard expected with social housing

when you look at the prices paid its no surprise and really thats wher the problem lies

one operative is expected to complete all tiling in a property, so thats overbath, overwhb and kitchen splashback in less than two hours and that includes grouting and polish off

I did 4 a day , every property had boxes of tiles and a new tub and a small tub of ready mixed grout dropped off. all rubbish to be cleared at end of day

the tiles were 4p each, warped and poorly calibrated

at the end of every week I had a van stuffed with part used tubs and half boxrs of tiles, I dumped them at the foot of the drive and let people help themselves but I still ended up getting a skip

[EH TILING]

Ive been offered a job on the books tiling social housing for a big nationwide company(I wont mention the company name) but after reading this thread sounds like a complete nightmare!!
Has anybody got any positves or am I best off staying well away from it??

[Sir Ramic]

Regular money is a reason. As long as you can take your brain out before you start work, its fine.
Seriously its an option worth thinking about ( not taking your brain out...bad idea)

[widler]

just to say i did about 1000 houses and flats in and around lancashire. at 1st everything was fine,we replastered bathrooms/kitchens then tiled with half decent tiles,then as the jobs went on,they got steadly worse,no plastering just tile over the original plaster with 6"x6" british made junk tiles,none the same size,terrible.
i had to stick it out,i was always a month behind with money,and i had 3 lads tiling as well 2 or 3 days a week,as well as my private work,so it mounted up.

the work we churned out was always commented on as real good especially in the time we had,by the lads on site and council clerk of works.
when we finished one phase ready to go on the next i had had enough and left,got paid up no probs.
we had a good crack,the lads we worked with were great,most good tradesmen,the money was good as well,but as someone said,it is disheartning working for jeremy kyle wannabes and asylem seekers who just sit there sponging and smoking weed while you graft in dirty bathrooms/kitchens.
certinly opened my posh eyes

[tfs]

Im not targetting any individual here but perhaps we should leave out the harsh comments about social housing tennants.

I agree that in this type of work you do come across alot of undesirables but not all of the tennants are like that. I have worked in social housing contracts and to be honest many of these peeps deserve a better level of service from the landlords and contractors. Some of these people take pride in their homes and many are hard working people also.

[widler]

Im not targetting any individual here but perhaps we should leave out the harsh comments about social housing tennants.

I agree that in this type of work you do come across alot of undesirables but not all of the tennants are like that. I have worked in social housing contracts and to be honest many of these peeps deserve a better level of service from the landlords and contractors. Some of these people take pride in their homes and many are hard working people also.

totally agree,i feel sorry for the good people who live with some of them,unfortunatly,the ones we did,90% were not nice people,not nice at all,and they are getting worse.
i grew up on and around council estates,still go up and around them now to see some of my old mates,have a few beers in my old haunts,
and around them,so many changes,and not for the good. it a sad state of affairs

i apologise sincerly if i upset you or anyone with my comments,unfortunatly,all true,i could tell you some storys

[EH TILING]

Thought id give it a go with the social housing work, going out next week to start on the kitchens/Bathrooms. Did a couple of toilets and and a couple of kitchens at the companies offices this week, seems ok although adhesive/grout is from travis perkins and trims are too big for the tiles.
Im sure there will be some interesting people living in the upcoming properties- I will let you know.

[andy8758]

Good luck with social housing work. I originally learnt my tiling skills from brother-in-law who worked for local council housing services. He taught me how to tile above a bath in under an hour - and that included removing the old tiles and (erm) prepping the substrata - lol!