870m2 of mosaic tiling

[jamie B]

I'd have to some how turn my 3m straight edge into a grout float i'd think...

Now some of you may find this weird but who else thinks Mapei Ultracolour plus smells nice? it's got a kinda fruity smell about it as you mix it up, anyone? anyone?

Ha ha ha!..I thought i was the only one!...I find the dark brown smells 'choclatey/toffee ish' n'all!:hurray:

 

[Colour Republic]

woo hoo, Thanks guys, i'm not a freak after all!:hurray:

Note to self: add the Mapei dark brown to weekly shop

 

[Colour Republic]

ok doug if you dont want to wear it i wont make you.

Classic, you asked for that Doug

 

[diamondtiling]

Run away.

Every job bigger then 300 sqm I charge per hour and not per sqm.

Reasons:
- a lot of paperwork
- on big site it takes you only half an hour to get a bucket of water, how many buckets you need in one day?
- distance, between the loading area and construction area, you might be 300 m from your tiles and adhesive
- electricity - on big sites they turn it off sooo often. If you have few guys working for you, you still have to pay them
- money - they push you down a lot - only b/c it's a big job!!!
- money - even if you are lucky one and they agree with 50% paymant upfront, that money still won't cover even the price of material
- if you have few guys working for you, you have to pay them every week
- big jobs goes forever, b/c there is always something not ready

and many, many more


On my first big job - 600sqm of marble - I actually lost 20 000€ and I've finished that job 14 months after I've started.
And I was still lucky enough to get paid all money which we've agreed.

I have worked on many big sites as the main tiling contractor, mainly fitness clubs and distribution centres, I agree about the Electricity sometimes going off however you should have had a generator ready just in case, most sites have them, its part of H&S, if the water goes off then that is called down time and you charge the main contractor accordingly, that is a basic item that should be in your terms and conditions, I think you must have worked on some bad sites for all those items to go wrong. I would have had my hoses connected to the main supply, I do it all the time and I make sure that they do not get turned off without me knowing, if they do its down time and you are on the main contractors time again, and dont use buckets, you take 210 litre drums, sit them on a stack of pallets for the height and fill them up, 5 of them lasts a long time.
As soon as I had a problem that was not my fault and I was being penalised I would be in the site office, its as simple as that, its called a contract that both parties sign, they expect you to keep up to deadlines and you expect them to provide the areas for you to work in.
Take your own site lights and I mean proper overhead lights not strip lights that cast shadows.
Your point about the tiles and adhesive being perhaps 300 mts away, that is not your problem, they provide labradors to fetch and carry, if not you get them and charge accordingley, all of these points are pre-site start dates and should be down on your contract.
Just because Balfour Beatty rings you up and says they want you to do 1500 mts for them does not mean you turn into one of their gofors, your running a business and at the end of the job you should be showing after paying for everything a profit of at least 15%, thats after your weekly wage and materials and living expenses and fuel etc, we are not here so that the building firms can take our profits, well I'm not anyway, Stick to your guns, do a first class job and I guarantee that they will use you again even if you are a pain in the butt and on the expensive side, main contractors do not want to be snagging 2 hours before an opening date and they will pay for the privilage not to do so.
A final warning though, never try to kid them or bluff your way in, they will find out as soon as you get your Plasplugs plastic spreader out of the ready mixed addy (from B&Q)


:smilewinkgrin::smilewinkgrin::smilewinkgrin:

 

[doug boardley]

well said Dom

 

[turnip]

sounds like they're just loooking for a cheap price to beat down there usual or preferred supplier, all cards are held by the main contractor when it comes to payment terms, including getting your money, this is general advise to anyone who might think about these contracts, so make sure you got enough spare cash in the bank to carry out the job in the time specified and not to worry about feeding your family if they hold up the payment, which they will.

whats the daily liquidated and ascertained damages? now, thats another ball park..........

 

[diamondtiling]

sounds like they're just loooking for a cheap price to beat down there usual or preferred supplier, all cards are held by the main contractor when it comes to payment terms, including getting your money, this is general advise to anyone who might think about these contracts, so make sure you got enough spare cash in the bank to carry out the job in the time specified and not to worry about feeding your family if they hold up the payment, which they will.

whats the daily liquidated and ascertained damages? now, thats another ball park..........

Posts like this get my back up, the main contractor does not hold all the cards, If you have anything about you then you have a contract with the company clearly specifying what is expected from both parties, if the job is for Bill Bloggs Acme builders then more fool you for taking it. Tilers that moan about the contractor withholding money usually have a snagging list as long as the chinese wall, I know one occasion when the main contractor was holding back the money but then he was doing it with all the trades (hope you read this Mr. Southport shopfitters), it is these companies that usually have money problems, however we were paid.

Marks and Spencers pay on the 28th of the month regardless, if they receive an invoice on the 25th you get paid 3 days later, Ford retail insist that all contractors are paid by the end of the month barring snagging, anyone who does not comply will not get another contract. LA Fitness run the same policy, they want the same tilers if they can and want them looked after as they do all trades that are up to scratch.
Adonis construction will pay a Chaps payment into your bank account once you are on their approved contractors list and have carried out work for them, that payment is within 4 hours.
Do not be put off by scare mongering, there are many bad contractors out there as there are bad subbies but there are thousands of properly run companies that look after their sub-contractors. I once got a check off a site manager from his personal funds because we were running low on working capital, you cannot get better people than that, having said that I did have to take him out that night and buy all the drinks,, happy days.

The work will come back Lads and lasses, I will be ready for it and go out and find it and get paid for it.

:smilewinkgrin::smilewinkgrin:

 

[turnip]

not trying to scaremonger, just pointing out what you must be prepared for, had it all last year with one particular house-builder, 2 week invoicing turns into 4-weeks, turns into 6 weeks and so on. i had to take drastic action to get my money (alot!) which i did.

some main contractors will use the fact that you are mr small to try it on. (some of them try it on regardless of if you are mr small or mr big) fact of life, be prepared. nothing else, no ill will mean't to the o.p or anyone else who's risking their cash.

 

[diamondtiling]

Good point from turnip, House builders for me me are a no-go because they want bottom dollar prices, Mc Alpines Fusiliers we are not! (although I love the song)

😛rrr:😛rrr:

 

[dptiling]

Fill out the forms....win the job....get paid....buy a lambourghini - I rather like the Gallardo Spyder but I don't do tiling so can't afford one :lol:

you will never get a 2 meter level in that lol