Bodged up jobs ...

[DHTiling]

Well we are getting more and more bodged jobs posted here from disgruntled joe public etc etc...


So a question to joe public ... How did you select your tiler etc ? and was it on recommendation or simply pot luck or price..

No posting prices , just a view as to why you chose said trade..



A question to members/tilers... what IYO is the reason behind this influx of bad workmanship..?

 

[Gazzer]

Lets face it " anyone can tile" !!!! :mad2:

 

[DHTiling]

That is the pretense that is filtering through... which just goes to show they are wrong

 

[stephenoneill]

lets face it the customer pays top price for their tiles and then goes and chooses the cheapest tiler they can find because they think we are all at the same level and are just asking for more money ,so they choose the cheapest unfortunatley

 

[mattle40]

Agreed, the mentality is that anybody can tile.
I'm now employed with a couple of plumbers who have been doing their own tiling up to this point
They're a good couple of lads who don't cut corners and everything has to be right for them, exactly the way it should be
But almost everything I do tiling wise is questioned,
Why apd? We just use pva.
Why not tub adhesive
Why cement board, we use 9mm ply
When plaster goes pink you can tile
Why use different size trowels
Why did you set out like that
Can't you push the spacers in the joint and grout today
Why don't you grout internal corners

The truth is, even to the good tradesmen, which these lads genuinely are,
As long as the tiles are somewhat flat with minimal lips it is considered a job well done because tiling isn't important

It's a very sad situation :-/

 

[DHTiling]

lets face it the customer pays top price for their tiles and then goes and chooses the cheapest tiler they can find because they think we are all at the same level and are just asking for more money ,so they choose the cheapest unfortunatley

Do you think that if they could be educated about using proper tradesmen etc , say through local papers or tv adverts, they might listen.?.. I know the TTA do look at ways of doing such things .

 

[mattle40]

I'm not with the TTA.
But do they inspect work carried out by its members like gas safe do?
This is something that could be pushed, it may help make our trade more credible

If old Margaret down the road needs a gas hob installing, She gets a gas safe gas engineer out to fit it for her instead of joe blogs who will do it for £40 cash because the general public knows to do this because of the strict nature of gas safe

TTA would never get to that point I know but that could be one area to look at IMO

 

[Time's Ran Out]

I think the reason we are hearing/seeing more bodged jobs is down to the popularity of this Tilers Forum.
Poor tiling has always been there but now we have an excellent platform for disgruntled customers to air their views.
Being recommended isn't what it was in the good old days of 2008 BEM (before economic meltdown) or indeed 1973 when I started, and now customers should see work before making the choice as price is not the deciding factor.
When I signed up for this forum I actually thought it was for like minded tilers and was soon put in my place when I replied to a thread where a 'tiler' wanted to know how much to charge for 3 days work - tiling 3sq mts of splashback!
Ive since spent the best part of 7000 posts saying hello and trying to help a DIY'er to do his own job to a satisfactory standard. But when it comes to 'Tilers' asking how to tile and how much to charge and how to ruin my trade - well I sometimes upset people with my replies and that to me is the reason so many bodged jobs are appearing - too many people telling too many amateurs how to do our trade.
Just my humble opinion!

 

[DHTiling]

I think in yrs to come the TTA will be at that stage... i would not have became a member if i truly thought they would not make a difference to the trade.

But for now we have to compete with these cowboys..

 

[Peter]

A lot of it i think is down to waiting times. Any tiler worth their salt will be booked up for at least a few weeks. A lot of customers bizarrely only call a tiler when their shower tray goes in, in a panic, wanting it done yesterday. The bodgers are usually able to do it at very short notice at a very 'competitive' price.

It's getting worse, turned down 6 jobs in the last 3 days because nobody is prepared to wait a few weeks on a tiling installation that they'll have to live with for 10 years.

 

[DHTiling]

too many people telling too many amateurs how to do our trade.
Just my humble opinion!

100% agree...

 

[Sean SML Tiling]

This is a brilliant thread guys and totally agree. I have only been tiling 3 years and if I didmt set myself high standards and realise my reputation is my lively hood id be on the dole. Is it possible for the TTA to even do anything about it?

 

[Andy Allen]

I get customers ring me for a quote and the first thing they ask is how much is it going to cost...!! right then I know i'm wasting my time even looking at it......how many times have a I wasted my breath explaining to customer about substrate prep, weight limits, the right way to tile with natural stone , polished porcelain etc, or there bothered about is how cheap the price is, I used to get 90% of quotes, im down to around 50% now, to many people think they can tile, be them builders, plumbers or the 2 week coursers, they price jobs with out a clue what it cost to do it right, at the customers expense...

 

[Sean SML Tiling]

Would you say you still have the same amount of work due to less quotes?

 

[Andy Allen]

Would you say you still have the same amount of work due to less quotes?

to be honest , no, but then again its never going to be as good as it was 5 years ago, I used to get so booked up I could never get anyone to wait, now im quite happy just being 2/3 weeks in front of myself, you can't pick and choose your work like you used to....but that's life as they say..

 

[bugs183]

Good thread fellas.
I think that there are as many bodgers around these days as before, but with the change of the tiles themselves problems occur more often.

Up until 15 years ago(ish) tiles were still quite small, there was little porcelain, and there was little stone about. Small ceramic tiles are easy to fix and will generally stick with any old adhesive, so the bodgers got away with it. No stone or porcelain meant easy cutting and no sealing problems.
The trade has advanced a huge amount from when i started 20+ years ago. The tiles are large and porcelain, so correct substrate prep is essential (try telling that a builder/customer at the end of the job!). The size means that bedding of the adhesive is super important, dot n dabbing is an easy way to get these big fellas flat, but it's totally wrong. The tiles themselves are harder to cut so any bodging is obvious, stone now is very popular and we all know what can go wrong there.

Trouble is you can buy these tiles from any where, and not be given any advise on fixing, some customers just want the 'look' but not the prepwork which costs money, and the tiler (bodger) may not know what he's doing or is just throwing them down as quick as possible to earn his dosh.

I'd would like to see regulation, but people will stay say 'i can tile' and do it themselves or get mate in to do it.

 

[DHTiling]

Would be good to hear from the public members who we know read the forums... what is your take on this..?

 

[area tiling]

As much as I like to help decent people with questions or give advice we are probably shooting ourselves in the foot with helping these Diyers ! You wouldn't see an electrician or to many plumbers saying go out and buy this product or that product, and do it this way or that way is best! I know we all get work from botch jobs , but its only going to get worse if we as tradesmen keep giving or advice s away for free! Just my opinion !

 

[mcarthurtiling]

Ive been to jobs that arent the best and the tiler has been in the game for years, there are guys in all trades who have got all the qualifications and still arent very good imo its down to who depends more from themselves on every single job not just ones they can be bothered on.

 

[ian158]

Agreed, the mentality is that anybody can tile.
I'm now employed with a couple of plumbers who have been doing their own tiling up to this point
They're a good couple of lads who don't cut corners and everything has to be right for them, exactly the way it should be
But almost everything I do tiling wise is questioned,
Why apd? We just use pva.
Why not tub adhesive
Why cement board, we use 9mm ply
When plaster goes pink you can tile
Why use different size trowels
Why did you set out like that
Can't you push the spacers in the joint and grout today
Why don't you grout internal corners

The truth is, even to the good tradesmen, which these lads genuinely are,
As long as the tiles are somewhat flat with minimal lips it is considered a job well done because tiling isn't important

It's a very sad situation :-/

I used to do all of the above...until i learnt from suppliers and a lot from here...so i thank you for that..my profession is not a tiler..in fact i dont have a profession...but I am very capable with what I do..improving at every turn..as yet no complaints......but I have the upmost respect for what you do..and very envious of what work i see you are able to turn out...very envious. I would also say this...that most if not all my customers like the fact that I can multi task (dodgy word ?)...in that they have one person doing the whole lot..which is why i get 75% of my work..the other 25% just dont like me lol !

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Ian - I'am in the 25% :smilewinkgrin:

There's nothing wrong in multi tasking if you don't go out of the building regulations and touch gas and electrics!
Tiling isn't regulated so 'anyone can do it' but to what standard?
As a finishing trade you'd think that people would want a decent job done, but unfortunately the passion isn't always there. How often do you hear - I hate grouting - by a tiler!
The passion is finishing every job to your own high expectations and if you have that philosophy then you'll do a good job.

 

[ian158]

Ian - I'am in the 25% :smilewinkgrin:

There's nothing wrong in multi tasking if you don't go out of the building regulations and touch gas and electrics!
Tiling isn't regulated so 'anyone can do it' but to what standard?
As a finishing trade you'd think that people would want a decent job done, but unfortunately the passion isn't always there. How often do you hear - I hate grouting - by a tiler!
The passion is finishing every job to your own high expectations and if you have that philosophy then you'll do a good job.

totally agree..electrics and gas i avoid, unless i run pipe work in dry and final connections and testing before and after are one by GASsafe plumber...but very rare I even touch gas being bath rooms and kitchens..grouting I like..as the final result is much quicker than the tiling itself...but I am limited to what I can do in the tiling trade..because i want to be...and it will stay that way, as some jobs require so much more effort and those are the ones I say no too...leave that to the clever chaps...

 

[Mr T]

Mate at least your out there earning... If your satisfied youve done the job to high standard and your customer is happy then thats all that needs to be done... I would advise letting customers know your not actually fully trained in these trades tho because if something goes bad your screwed lmao...

 

[ian158]

So I tell them i'm not a fully trained tiler...as if !...I tell them exactly what materials I use and why..as per all your recommendations...they read my appraisals from other customers..see my work on my website and that makes there mind up.....and that way if they get a cheaper quote/s because the other is not using the correct board, adhesive etc etc, they will know why its cheaper...as i've said i've no complaints yet...and even did a job for a builder who's regular guy has retired and he's giving me all his work from now on..when I m back in UK..so no cant complain i'm working and will have work when I return in June..But if I get to busy I have all ready decided to get quotes from "Professional tilers" and go from there..1. to see if its quicker..and if I can keep client from waiting too long. so keeps your eyes peeled in the Peterborough area

 

[Mr T]

Do you have any insurance?.. And was suggesting you tell customers the truth because if something goes badly wrong and your took to court your done for... But I suppose at the same time if you go around telling the customers your not qualified they will try to take you for a mug I.e bot pating for a job as your "not qualified' lol