Do your own tiling work?

[armyash]

So when doing any work for someone, fitting a new bathroom for example and the customer wants the tiling done do any of you do this too or do you let the customer get someone separate in? I'm just wondering if it's worth doing a short tiling course so I can take advantage of this if I get the chance.

Thanks

 

[southcoastboile]

ive always wanted to learn tiling, think its one of those things that looks easyer than it is.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

i do my own tiling when doing bathrooms etc. i would say it's worth doing a short course to add another string to your bow ash

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

my old man does the tiling in the business,he is very good at it,he is welcome to it though i hate tiling messy,horrible work,and i detest porcelain tiles mega hard to drill even with the right bits think i will stick to being a gas engineer and plumber stuff tiling

 

[Barry98]

its worth doing , most customers want as few tradesmen in there house as possible so less waiting in between tradesmen getting there . we do the lot plastering,tiling,plumbing and sooon electrics when i do part p in march

 

[Destroyer2813]

I do all my own as well solves and logistical problems like you running over into when hes due to start or vice versa, either do a short course or get a tiler in and watch him to pick it up till your confident in your abilites.

Depending on what the requirments just doing a couple of small splash backs will get your confidence up

 

[Destroyer2813]

Bit off topic but how did you job at the weekend go Ash

 

[Phil]

I do my own tiling and plastering as well, trouble is I then get asked to to standalone tiling or plastering work later on.

I plastered a couple of rooms out earlier this month, very hard work though on your own.

 

[armyash]

That settles it then, I'll be on the lookout now to do a suitable course. Anything I do I want to do to a good standard so will have to choose carefully don't want to throw my money away. Thanks guys.

bod, I was thinking about doing part p also but I think that's something that can wait until I have been going in the trade for 2-3 years. I can't justify the expense especially if there's an annual fee for reassessments - is that correct? I just wont get enough use out of it to be doing it now. I will look at it again when I am a confident (and competent) plumber. I don't want to become jack of all master of none lol

 

[armyash]

Bit off topic but how did you job at the weekend go Ash

Thanks for that tiling advice Destroyer.

The job at the weekend went well, I did the fire service under supervision along with the cooker cert. I needed prompting on a few things but it's hopefully the start of a long learning curve. I actually remembered more than I thought I would so feeling positive about things. Out again this coming Saturday to take an old boiler out and finish the install on the new one. Not exactly sure what i'll be doing yet but it's more time getting hands on. If I'm out on a weekend doing all this then I'm not getting a day off but it's worth it as I won't get this experience any other way, it will pay off in the long term. I enjoy plumbing too which helps.

 

[jtsplumbing]

Never do any tileing, apart from the odd splash back , First thing people notice when going in bathroom is the tiling , good quality tiling job can make a £200.00 suite look expensive , the same as a bad tiling job can make a £1000.00 suite look crap, use a good tiler all the time,

 

[armyash]

After I have done a course, before I let myself loose on a customers house i'm going to strip the tiling in our bathroom and redo it, see if i'm up to scratch!

 

[SimonG]

Do all me own. Ever since the early days after I first fixed a bathroom and come back after the tiler and he'd bent my pipes into the wall and tiled over. I asked the customer if he had any extra tiles and then put the hammer through. I like the mix, but............I detest grouting with a passion.

 

[dancinplumba]

I hate grouting too, gives me nitemares

 

[tamz]

I do it too. It's not hard to do but i find it bores the t's off me. It is slightly better if you have a gofor.
Same as Simon, did it for many years and started for the same reasons.
If you mark it out right that is half the battle.

 

[Destroyer2813]

May be worth joining the tiling forum as well to find out the products they use

 

[Destroyer2813]

Do all me own. Ever since the early days after I first fixed a bathroom and come back after the tiler and he'd bent my pipes into the wall and tiled over. I asked the customer if he had any extra tiles and then put the hammer through. I like the mix, but............I detest grouting with a passion.

Can never really on them to leave things in the right place

 

[Hybrid]

I'd invest in part p before tiling, you can pick up tiling on your own over time and it's cheaper to sub out the tiling than the electrics.
It's surprising the ways plumbing and electrics over lap especially when you get into the gas side of things more. A grounding in electrics helps with diagnostics, installs and controls etc.
The two trades are going to overlap even more in the future.

 

[armyash]

May be worth joining the tiling forum as well to find out the products they use

I have already been picking their brains tonight about what course would be good but thought getting plumbers views would be good too. Glad I did as it seems like something worthwhile. I'll be back in the tiling forum too when it comes time to get some kit and equipment.

Been gathering so much info the last couple of weeks my brain feels like it's going to explode! ha ha

 

[PlumbBobBob]

ash have a look at tile trader they're sponsors on the tiling forum very good range of kit.

 

[SimonG]

As tamz says it's all in the setting out. Once you're prepped and set out away you go. Speed comes with time. It is though another set of tools to buy.

I do the odd 'all tiling' job and it does get a bit tedious. It's also harder when you don't like the tiles, well that's what I find.

 

[armyash]

I'd invest in part p before tiling, you can pick up tiling on your own over time and it's cheaper to sub out the tiling than the electrics.
It's surprising the ways plumbing and electrics over lap especially when you get into the gas side of things more. A grounding in electrics helps with diagnostics, installs and controls etc.
The two trades are going to overlap even more in the future.

arghh! too much to think about! Is part p a good idea when I'm only just starting out though? I may not be working on my own for a year or 2 realistically so probably best to wait until then. Thanks for the advice though, it will be the first thing I do before I start out doing my own jobs.

 

[Phil]

You can spot poor diy tiling as soon as you walk in the bathroom, they normally start with a full tile in the corner of the bath and then when they get near the other side they realise it will leave a 30mm gap so they either grout it (yes 30mm!) or widen the grout lines to compensate.

I've seen some truly dreadful tiling, its amazing they can take money for it.

 

[Simon F]

done more tiling than plumbing, over 20 years, useful as said to be in control of the whole job.

 

[Halesowen1]

I do my own sometimes, if there is enough money on the job I get a subby in, if not I do it, it is a mind numbingly boring job, anybody can throw the full tiles up its them cuts that drive me saft. I was told of a good old tiler thats all about the starting points on each wall, always start in the middle of the wall or feature(window) then you have even cuts in the corners.