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!