1st bit of site work

[macten]

Hi guys,

Just finished an ensuite on a new build. This place was huge and the owners are very tile happy. Got the job when the original tiler got the hump with the site boss and chucked a bucket of grout water over him

Here's a few piccies:

[macten]

[sWe]

Looks good mate More fun than your brother's place?

[macten]

Much more fun mate!
Give me this kind of work anytime.
All mats supplied and using tubbed addy made such a nice change.
Still took me a week though

This place was huge: wetroom and ensuite downstairs. bathroom and ensuite upstairs and loads of floor tiling downstairs. I really tryed to get some tips from the pro tilers there cos they were working so fast.
From looking at their work the key to speed was:
1 Don't waste time setting out
2 Don't waste time with a rubbing block on cut edges
3 Don't worry about having cut edges next to field tiles
4 If having a border, let the doorway interupt it so when it's 1cm out you won't notice it as much
5 Don't waste time getting trim cut to exactly the right length and you can save another 20 mins by not getting the tiles to sit flush with trim
6 Let someone else polish the grout haze off, at least it hides the grout job for a bit
7 Chipped tiles are fine to put on the wall if you can't be bothered to go get a new box
etc..etc..
Thing is these guys are making the same money (well more 'cos they're getting twice as many tiles down as me) so who's the real mug?

[MICK the Tiler]

Anyone would think you did this tile thing for a living Macten

Looks great from where I'm Sitt'n thanks for sharing.

Grout water over a builders head?........................I'll have to give that a go one day.

[macten]

HaHa - this was followed with the line:
"Am I still gonna get paid?"

[devonmark]

that is site work for you....sum it up in one word...rough !!!

it is exactly the same with plastering...

that is the reason I won't do it, I'd be skint because I'd take too long, no shame in being slower and producing quality work..

Mark.

oh well, cup of tea over, back to work..

[sWe]

Much more fun mate!
Give me this kind of work anytime.
All mats supplied and using tubbed addy made such a nice change.
Still took me a week though

This place was huge: wetroom and ensuite downstairs. bathroom and ensuite upstairs and loads of floor tiling downstairs. I really tryed to get some tips from the pro tilers there cos they were working so fast.
From looking at their work the key to speed was:
1 Don't waste time setting out
2 Don't waste time with a rubbing block on cut edges
3 Don't worry about having cut edges next to field tiles
4 If having a border, let the doorway interupt it so when it's 1cm out you won't notice it as much
5 Don't waste time getting trim cut to exactly the right length and you can save another 20 mins by not getting the tiles to sit flush with trim
6 Let someone else polish the grout haze off, at least it hides the grout job for a bit
7 Chipped tiles are fine to put on the wall if you can't be bothered to go get a new box
etc..etc..
Thing is these guys are making the same money (well more 'cos they're getting twice as many tiles down as me) so who's the real mug?

Met a tiler at a site job who got really competative speed wise when there were other tilers around. He literally RAN fetching stuff, and more or less threw the tiles onto the walls. He did 50sqm in the time I did 25sqm. I didn't have to tear everything down at the end of the day, he did

[MICK the Tiler]

Much more fun mate!
Give me this kind of work anytime.
All mats supplied and using tubbed addy made such a nice change.
Still took me a week though

This place was huge: wetroom and ensuite downstairs. bathroom and ensuite upstairs and loads of floor tiling downstairs. I really tryed to get some tips from the pro tilers there cos they were working so fast.
From looking at their work the key to speed was:
1 Don't waste time setting out
2 Don't waste time with a rubbing block on cut edges
3 Don't worry about having cut edges next to field tiles
4 If having a border, let the doorway interupt it so when it's 1cm out you won't notice it as much
5 Don't waste time getting trim cut to exactly the right length and you can save another 20 mins by not getting the tiles to sit flush with trim
6 Let someone else polish the grout haze off, at least it hides the grout job for a bit
7 Chipped tiles are fine to put on the wall if you can't be bothered to go get a new box
etc..etc..
Thing is these guys are making the same money (well more 'cos they're getting twice as many tiles down as me) so who's the real mug?

Speed is obviously important to these tilers, But don't forget the rule reputaion is more important to everyone else. You will have work when these guys are scratching there ARSES!!!!!

[macten]

Don't worry guys - I'll always go for quality over quantity all day everyday.
Just know that there are tilers out there like yourselves who can achieve the same quality as me with the same pace as the dodgy tilers.
I know I haven't been in the game very long and I can only get faster but found it really dissapointing to have the opportunity to watch these 'pro' tilers at work and learn nothing from them.
I feel I am going to be a busy fool through no fault of my own.

[sWe]

...but found it really dissapointing to have the opportunity to watch these 'pro' tilers at work and learn nothing from them.

When I did my apprenticeship, I felt the same thing after a just a few weeks.
More than 90% of what I know about tiling and tiling related things, I've found out on my own, one way or the other. Alot of the things my "teacher" taught me, I've later discovered to be, if not ineffective and limited, then downright wrong.
I started thinking "is he trying to screw me over or something?", but I soon realized he really didn't know what he was doing, or what he was talking about.

The vast majority of tilers I've met, have been the "quantity over quality" type. To actually find a tiler in real life, who can show you tricks and give you useful tips and information, is a rare thing. It's the school of hard knocks for most. 'Twas for me atleast.

Practise, read up on things you're unsure about, test ideas in private, and take your time. It's the only good way to learn the trade properly if no one who can show you the way is around.

[Turkish]

nice job mate! That shaver socket worked out well with the cuts!

Turkish

[macten]

I'm the first to admit a fluke but that shaver socket was intentional goddamnit!!
I guess that's a prime example of why I take so long - not many people would bother to take the time to set out the wall for that nice cut and I'm sure only another tiler like yourself would notice and appreciate it.
Just wondering if I'm being too anal about detail or that I am just naturally a slow tiler.

Mick - keep them speedy tiler tips coming, love that thread!

[monty]

Excellent mate...

[pjc]

i am afraid most of those tips are bad ones you can still be fast and be even more anal than you lol: Pete

[Turkish]

I`m a slow worker too Macten. Plastered someones utility room recently and it was a room of 3m x 1.5m with a window and 2 doors. All four walls to do including going round some tricky pipework. Took me 1.5 days which i think is slow but at the end of the day i was happy with the end result but more importantly so was the customer who has now asked me to quote him for tiling his bathroom!

Turkish

[Saltire69]

nice 1 m8.

[LM Ceramics]

im doing a site at the moment in warrington which ive nealry finished since i started tiling ive worked on many sites for different housebuilders and i know rough work when i see it we never even spaced tiles on houses just butt jointed because we where told to and plus we were on 10m2 now im self employed i like working on private (domestics) when you work in domestic houses then you can unleash your potential and show how good a tiler you are when i work on private jobs i take a least 20-30 mins setting out centre evey wall depending on cuts centre the window cill again depending on cuts i like to leave a job think that looks the dog b*llocks and im happy with it and aswell the customer is after all i meant to provide a professional tiling service.

with the site job im on its alot to do with speed i was never a quick tiler and when i tried to be quick the end product wasnt up to my standard however now im on this site my speed has progressed and i can tile a 50 m2 bathroom it 3 days even with small 6x6 white tiles end of the day i have a time limit on each bathroom i always do a good job and the building firm are really pleased with the results and have offered me more work but i ll admit its a diiferent ball game on site work on site isnt all nessceraly rough but you tend to make it as easier as possible for you if you know what i mean