So You Tile, What Else Do You Do And Why?

[White Room]

Trained as a decorator in the early 70's, then tried bit of tiling and plastering in the mid 70's and various other bits before I went into the Army.

Then took plastering more serious for a number of decades with printed concrete thrown for good measure, then tiling showed it's head again and continued with that, still plaster occasionally but the two work well together for prep work.

I'd like to be called a tiler amongst other names🙂

 

[Mr Tiler]

Had at leadt 30 diff jobs over the years and im only 27 lol, this is the longest ive ever had a solid income. When i was 18 i gave up a mechanics colleage course worst thing i ever done and that was to go and work in poundland! The things ppl do with no guidence eh

 

[Tiles_N]

Left scool and wasted 18 months doing a sports course , half way through learnt tiling part time with my old man and his fitters , decided there were more beer tokens to earn than in a leisure centre..... that was 18 years ago....... dam ....18 years!

 

[White Room]

Had at leadt 30 diff jobs over the years and im only 27 lol, this is the longest ive ever had a solid income. When i was 18 i gave up a mechanics colleage course worst thing i ever done and that was to go and work in poundland! The things ppl do with no guidence eh

Started doing a plumbing and heating apprentiship just after leaving school but give it up, probably one of the worst things I done.

 

[Mr Tiler]

Started doing a plumbing and heating apprentiship just after leaving school but give it up, probably one of the worst things I done.

suppose we all end up doin what we was supposed to mate, cant see myself changing my trade now unless i go into fitting up too

 

[Old Mod]

before I went into the Army.

Army!!!!

I did not know that!!

Expand please! Haha (if u don't mind!) 😉

 

[bcd-87]

Hahah.. Bri.. This is why I love the forum

I'm at tiler I cover all aspects of tiling start to finish and all the BS in between.. Looking at my plastering course for January 2016

 

[padtheplumber]

After doing A-levels in economics & english lit I wandered aimlessly through a few factory jobs (just for beer money), then fell into a YT office job with a Rover garage. 6 years on and I'd moved up to office manager in another branch, finished my work by half 10 every morning then sat around shuffling papers till home time - real soul destroying stuff!
My old man then offered me 12 months guaranteed work if got qualified as a plumber (he was self employed - just him & a labourer), a chance I jumped at - 2 years later I was qualified and on the tools. I was 26 at the time.

That was 15 years ago, 7 years ago my dad wanted to back off a bit so I took up the reigns, put the business in my name and pushed towards the bathroom fitting side of the trade, including tiling which I love. My brother works for me, my dad still does all our gas work, and I've got a good team of sparky, plasterer, kitchen fitter etc that I use as needed.

Up until May this year, when I had a nasty eye injury (thats for another thread 🙁!!), I've been doing all my own plumbing, plasterboarding, build stud walls / doorways, boxing, tiling.

Currently I'm subbing out the tiling (which hurts cause I enjoy that more than the plumbing!) but hope to get back to that soon.

If I had to do it all again I'd have started as a tiler, or maybe a chippie, plumbing is ok, but I love the job satisfaction of finishing a nice bathroom, no-one ever looks at a new ball valve and says wow........🙄

 

[White Room]

Army!!!!

I did not know that!!

Expand please! Haha (if u don't mind!) 😉

Done the first firemans strike in 77 then over to Belfast for a year and a half and worked on Navy minesweeper searching ships coming into Belfast docks for a short period then Kenya for a bit.

Was a Royal Anglian 3rd Battalion (the Pompadours) was disbanded in 92 due to the governments infinite wisdom.

 

[AliGage]

Oh my! Is this part if the "new" forum. Are we bonding and getting to know one another now?

I hated school. Was one if the disruptive kids/class clown because I found it boring. Scrapped through GCSES and decided adhoc to join the Army as I left school.
Trained to be a telecommunications technician and spent just shy of 6 years in the Royal Signals. Left two months after 9/11 after my final tour in Bosnia.
About the same time my father got made redundant and setup on his own first electrics and then moving into kitchens and bathrooms.
So after leaving the Army I worked and learnt all aspects of kitchens and bathrooms from my dad, and tiling from a his mate who he employeed.
In 2007 I done a week course in tiling thinking the certificate might help me in someway.
My dad semi retired in 2008 and I went out on my own doing kitchen and Bathrooms. In 2012 done my EWPA to get my NVQ, and since then focused on mainly tiling.
Doing a few bathroom, wetroom and kitchens on the way. 2 or 3 of each a year maybe.

Tiling allows me to control my OCD and anxiety issues. Privileged to do something I absolutely love to do everyday and be paid for it