Advice Please - Is This Tiling Acceptable?

[Lakey]

Painter decorator. Walk your dog if u like . All i do is tile. Theirs ur problem multitrader.jack of all trades king of nothing

I fit bathrooms for a living which makes me a 'multi-trader'.....you can be 'more than' competent at multiple things you know!

 

[dynamictiling]

I fit bathrooms for a living which makes me a 'multi-trader'.....you can be 'more than' competent at multiple things you know!

Lakey, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I believe in being the master in 1 trade. I can do plumbing, joinery and electrical work ( obviously I get my electrician out to check and sign off ANY electrical work I carry out). This all started at the recession as I wasn't working and all my best mates were. They are joiners, sparkys, plumbers and plasterers. I don't touch gas works, not gas registered. But typically speaking I would rather lose money and save face than try and do another trade on a customers house.

I am not trying to say tradesman can't be multi skilled but typically plumbers are good at plumbing, tilers are good at tiling, plasterers are good at plasterering, so on and so forth. My dad is a builder he is multi skilled. Great at tiling, plastering, electrics (NICEIC registered) and plumbing but he is absolutely pish ***** at joinery work. So much so, he never touches joinery work.

The point I am making is everyone has an Achilles heel, something they aren't good at. In my opinion no one can truly be top notch in every aspect of building work.

I also do bathroom renewals. I always get other trades in. Always! Typically I carry a joiner, plumber (gas safe registered), plaster, electrician (NICEIC registered) and a Tiler (myself or one of my guys). In my opinion it is much better to spread yourself over 3 to 4 jobs as appose to 5-6 guys tripping over each other on the 1 job.

 

[One Day]

In my opinion no one can truly be top notch in every aspect of building work.

WRONG!!! I'd say pretty much every builder I've come across is a complete Master at everything he condescends to turn his God-like hand to.

 

[dynamictiling]

I fit bathrooms for a living which makes me a 'multi-trader'.....you can be 'more than' competent at multiple things you know!

Lakey, everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. I believe in being the master in 1 trade. I can do plumbing, joinery and electrical work ( obviously I get my electrician out to check and sign off ANY electrical work I carry out). This all started at the recession as I wasn't working and all my best mates were. They are joiners, sparkys, plumbers and plasterers. I don't touch gas works, not gas registered. But typically speaking I would rather lose money and save face than try and do another trade on a customers house.

I am not trying to say tradesman can't be multi skilled but typically plumbers are good at plumbing, tilers are good at tiling, plasterers are good at plasterering, so on and so forth. My dad is a builder he is multi skilled. Great at tiling, plastering, electrics (NICEIC registered) and plumbing but he is absolutely pish ***** at joinery work. So much so he never touches joinery work.

The point I am making is everyone has a

 

[Italy]

talking to honestly, I 50 years, I saw the first tile I was 10..
right now every day there are new, glues, fillers, primers, tiles of all types, that's 50 years many times I'm in trouble and I just laying tile.
Now, I wonder how one person can do an excellent job making plumber, electrician, carpenter, bricklayer, painter etc.etc.
always be a job + or - good ...... more -
This is my thinking, no offense to anyone

 

[Meddler]

Dynamictiling has hit the nail on the head. The key is knowing what you can do and not tackling jobs you cant do or are “pish *****” at. Unfortunately, many trades either dont know they are doing a ***** job or don’t care.

It’s the details that make a good job stand out. It goes without saying that a good trade works expediently but, for example, a good plumber can not only join lengths of pipe but also arranges them in a neat and methodical manner. Similarly, a good tiler avoids the unsightly corners and will look at this work and “tweak” a gap to ensure it looks right – unlike the examples illustrated this week !.

It is so easy to set up in a trade these days (being successful is a different matter) and many clients are unaware of the standards to expect. If only more customers were aware of reasonable standards and were unwilling to put up with poor workmanship it would help raise standards all round.

 

[Andy Allen]

I actually quoted one of the bad tiling threads on the forum and left my plumbers number with the customer. ...He could of had a tiler with 34 years experience and a plumber with 40 years experience instead he's ended up with an unsatisfactory job..
I would say 99% of bad tiling is done by crossover trades.
Some trades need to realise when there out of there depth, just doing an average d.I.y job, just isn't exceptable to a paying customer.
And customers need to do more research, choose the right trade for the right job.......and don't put up with tiling that's not to a high standered ...

 

[javeiro]

This is what the floor tile grout looks like after 2 days. Rubs off on my finger. What's gone on here ??????

 

[Andy Allen]

Are the tiles fixed to a wood substrate?

 

[javeiro]

Are the tiles fixed to a wood substrate?

I believe so yes. When will the grout dry properly ? Is it usual to have bits coming away like that ?

 

[Andy Allen]

I imagine a flexible grout was not used .........are the tiles loose.?

 

[dynamictiling]

I would say the tiles are loss, causing excessive movement and ultimately the grout is failing.

Try 'chapping' the tile with your knuckles or a rubber hammer. If the tiles move or make a ping noise they haven't been fitted right. A few things can cause this- tiles not installed properly, plywood not fixed to the floor properly or wrong adhesive used.

Grout cracking like that after two days is bad news. Sorry

 

[javeiro]

I would say the tiles are loss, causing excessive movement and ultimately the grout is failing.

Try 'chapping' the tile with your knuckles or a rubber hammer. If the tiles move or make a ping noise they haven't been fitted right. A few things can cause this- tiles not installed properly, plywood not fixed to the floor properly or wrong adhesive used.

Grout cracking like that after two days is bad news. Sorry

I would say the tiles are loss, causing excessive movement and ultimately the grout is failing.

Try 'chapping' the tile with your knuckles or a rubber hammer. If the tiles move or make a ping noise they haven't been fitted right. A few things can cause this- tiles not installed properly, plywood not fixed to the floor properly or wrong adhesive used.

Grout cracking like that after two days is bad news. Sorry

yes they do move slightly. He told me a flexible adhesive was used on the tiles

 

[dynamictiling]

Judging by the pictures the tiles haven't been installed correctly. The only way to stop the grout cracking is remove and replace the tiles that are loose. You could mix gt1 admix through the grout and reapply the grout but you will have problems with it in the future.

 

[javeiro]

Thanks for the replies. The floor is sloped slightly but he put the tiles on anyway. One has cracked. I have just hoovered the floor and the grout has been cured out of the gaps with little effort. See photo. He is coming tommorow. What do I tell this incompetent buffoon. ?

 

[One Day]

Pull a loose tile up and let's see a photo of the back of the tile and the floor where it was lifted from? Pretty sure I can guess what you'll find. If you simply let him regroup it tomorrow, then it'll be a total waste of time.

 

[javeiro]

Pull a loose tile up and let's see a photo of the back of the tile and the floor where it was lifted from? Pretty sure I can guess what you'll find. If you simply let him regroup it tomorrow, then it'll be a total waste of time.

Your wish is my command. Here are some photos of under the tile. The water is because I wet the floor to clean it.

 

[Meddler]

I didn’t realise that this new self levelling material (for those difficult tiling jobs !!) had reached the market yet. Your guy is using the latest technology.

 

[On one]

Just like the lyrics in the Orange Juice song Rip it up and start again

 

[javeiro]

Why were they so easy to rip up? Shouldn't that adhesive (concrete) have set? Or it it usually normal to be able to rip up a tile?

 

[On one]

The adhesive has set,it just hasn't bonded to your floor substrate......whatever that may be

 

[javeiro]

The adhesive has set,it just hasn't bonded to your floor substrate......whatever that may be

Thanks for the reply. I believe it is wood. Appreciate all the replies I'm learning more and more about this profession.

 

[Dhtiling]

That tile is from Turkey....that's your problem...well at least for poor joints, that stuff is never square, but as said already, sorry for your troubles but this job needs to be redone by a professional tiler. It doesn't meet coverage standards, even here in America, and we are new to this relatively speaking, so probably doesn't meet yours either.

 

[Dhtiling]

Also appears to be some paper between the mortar and floor? The brownish material?

 

[Andy Allen]

Looks like hard board.....nothing surprises me anymore. .