1st paying job!!

[macten]

Excited and scared. Got my first job starting on Thursday - full bathroom refurb and all 4 walls + floor to be tiled.
Got to be done in 10 days!!!!
Customer seems quite laid back though - was asking him about grout joint size and colour, trim etc... He just said that I knew best.
His wife has demanded a bit of a feature to go in the middle of the bath wall.
Customer is supplying the tiles and it's going to look a bit like this, see attachment.

I intend to try and set out so the centre grout line of the paired patterned tiles is in the middle of the bath and see what kind of cuts it leaves. (think they'll except slithers as she is adamant she wants it central).

So wheres best to start tiling here? My thoughts were to fix the paired columns from bath top to ceiling and add the mosaic strips either side. Then work my way across and up either side of the mosaics.

Hope this makes sense and would appreciate your help on this one as I haven't got the luxury of time like I had previously.

Luxury of cash though:yes:

PS - walls aint too hot, gonna be back-buttering city!

 

[MICK the Tiler]

Always start from your feature and work out from there especially if there is mosaics involved that way you simlpy glue up the wall and lay as you go. You'll want the walls as flat as possible when laying mosaics as buttering these is ny on impossible without making a mess. Also ckeck the thickness of the mosaics against the wall tiles, if they are only half the thickness then some backer board will need to be cut into strips and glued in before the mosaics, The mosaics should finish flush or slightly proud but never under.

Hope this helps.

 

[macten]

Cheers Mick.

 

[cam_low]

Good luck macten. remember to take plenty of progress pictures and show us all how it goes.

 

[macten]

No probs Boosha.
Another quick question - How long are grouts + adhesives useable for after opening? Got a bit left over from last job so wondering if I can use that or should I bin it?

Cheers

 

[Fekin]

I would guess you mean powdered adhesives and grouts.

For adhesive then as long as it has not started to go solid in lumps then it will be fine, as for the grout, and I presume your on about powdered too, well I wouldn't use it personally, just buy in some new so that way your going to get a constant colour.

 

[macten]

good point on the grout Fekin - Thanks

 

[joe kelly]

good luck macten:hurray:

 

[monty]

Good luck mate......Monty

 

[DEN]

Good luck macten,i'm sure it won't be as complicated as the other job you did which you posted on here the other week,but at least this time you will get paid mate,well done..

 

[Ric]

yes good luck with that one.... interesting feature.... would be good to see some progress pics. would run a straight edge up the wall and any fill any serious dips with rapid flex especially at the feature. all the best

 

[macten]

I should be in bed, got an early start. Worrying about cutting internal corners on the tile trim. Firstly my brand new trim snips are CRAP! Secondly I haven't got a mini mitre box (have a large one for coving and a junior hacksaw) but this is proving as bad as the snips. (got one on order though)
Also the tiles are 7.5mm thick and the tile trim I have is 7mm (does state max depth is 7.5mm though) Worried how this will look though when you factor in the addy.
Doing my crust in!!!

 

[MICK the Tiler]

Just grind a bit out of the back of the tile so trim fits flush Good Luck!!! with your project.

 

[macten]

^^ ^^
Top top tip
----
1st day of my new career - started bad when I took a chunk out of my van tyre at the fuel pumps :mad2: Lonely business to be in isn't it?

New bath in and some plumbing:

Wall are in a bad state - all over the place and nasty paint - made good where i could (well better). The windows had the worst beading I had ever seen so removed and boarded reveal:

Once the rapid set on the walls had dryed I worked late to get the tanking done:

At hospital 2morrow so back at it at the weekend.

 

[macten]

Got the bathwall tiled today - LOL all day to tile a wall. Seem to be spending all my time cleaning my bucket and mixing addy.
Wall was a real pig, all over the place and the tiles varied by 2mm and I'm using 3mm grout width been a right head-ache.
Full tile from the bath actually works well in this room so setting out was easy.

This wall was bad so I used a thick bed solid bed trowel - will have to do this for window wall too. The other walls aren't too bad.
Could I use a thin bed solid bed trowel for these? (the tiles are 248x331)

Thanks for any advice guys

Edited to add a BIG THANKYOU to TilerBurden for recommending the PLS180 - what a huge help it's proved to be so far, great bit of kit!

 

[macten]

Went with thin bed solid bed for the flat wall and that worked nicely (would have been nice to get some confirmation from the pros on here though :evil2🙂
I seem to normally do 1 wall a day but the flat wall, no mosaics and no brickbond meant it went up really quick:

Spent rest of day prepping the new toilet and basin (enclosed cabinet jobbies) and T-ing off the hot and cold from the combi boiler in the loft and connecting to the pipes that I had chased in the bath wall:

 

[Burnsy]

Looks like it is going to be another nice looking job mate. What did you fix the plaster board with - drywall adhesive or rapid-set? In terms of trowells, just go with whatever is best for that situation.

 

[macten]

Hi Premier.
Usually use drywall addy but had half a tub of coving adhesive knocking about so used that.
Got till Sat to finish this - I am getting faster (more so with the plumbing side), just hate having this tight deadline. Seem to learn more with the pressure though.
Thin bed was sooo much faster to tile with.

 

[floydyboy]

doing a nice job there mate

 

[macten]

Got the part wall by the door done today:

Made a start on the nasty window wall:

The joy of a self-levelling laser:

Gotta get the old toilet out tommorow and redo the the pipework for new one, then I can finish this wall (not going to tile it all as a fair bit will be hidden by the cabinets for the sanitary ware. Once the toilets out the customers will be without a loo till Friday (hopefully the floor will be done by then)
Can see myself running over on this. Just too much still to do!! :mad2:

 

[Ric]

nice job and good pics too m8

 

[MICK the Tiler]

Looking really good Macten:yes: great pics of the job also. Don't despair speed will come when you learn how to cheat.

 

[macten]

Cheers Mick. Wish you would PM me your speedy tiler list as I am impatient and want your worldly advice now!!
Had to tell the couple that there's no way it'll be finished for Friday night. Even if I did they wouldn't be able to walk on it!!
Feel I've let them down but they are being really good about it and they don't want me to rush the last bit so the friends that were coming over at the weekend aren't, and they are staying at theirs, so I have till Sunday night now.
Got the toilet out and plyed the rest of the floor. Still haven't finished all the window wall as the boxing in to the right of it tapers in by 8cm!!
Started to get it packed out now though.
Plan is to finish the walls tommorrow and get the floor down on Friday. Then have weekend to grout, put new sanitary ware in and Silicon etc..

 

[bal]

would get right trim to be safe cut tiles can be slightly thicker in the middle and show unwanted parts of tile, surely you could pass a diy store and get a mitre block on way to job

 

[macten]

Got a mini mitre block now cheers. I've offered up the trim and it looks like it will be OK

 

[macten]

Finished walls and got floor down today. Got to clean up and grout tomorrow.
Leaves me with fitting new sanitary ware and siliconing on Sunday.
I know speed comes with time etc... but I just can't believe it's possible to get a b'room like this tiled in 3 days - I know it is possible, from what I've read here, but I really can't understand how. Would love to work with a speedy time served pro for a weekend!

 

[funkykoval]

M8 I have just finished walls in my first bathroom and I must say your pics look so much more professional. Great job. Well done

 

[macten]

Well, didn't make the deadline and will have to do the final finishing off tomorrow evening.
Floor down yesterday, final row of wall tiles and everything grouted:

Got the shower and screen in this morning:

Towel rad:

Started to assemble the sink and loo cabinets and finished off the tiling down the boxing in:

Just got to assemble the toilet, basin (got to cut the worktop and cabinet for that) put in bath panel and kickerboards then I can Silicon and I am done!
Been working an 85+ hr week, all I want is a rest but I start back on my tiling course tomorrow!!

 

[macten]

 

[monty]

Excellent again mate...

 

[MICK the Tiler]

Don't forget you are doing alot more work than just tiling all those extras will take longer than three days if it is to be tiled as well.

Fantastic job.................You will remain busy dishing up work like that