Bodged up jobs ...

[Stef]

Do a 2 week tiling course & make £40k a year!!
That's the usual adverts.

I'm not a qualified tiler but I know through seeing other tilers work round here that I'm one of the best tilers in my area.

I still hear tilers talking PVA???

I still hear I've done it this way for 20 odd years & never had a problem & this is coming from time served tilers..

Tiling is an art form & till joe public realise its a real trade & not "oh everyone can tile" then we will keep hearing more & more about bad workmanship..

 

[ian158]

I remember when I passed my driving test....my instructor said...now my friend the learning begins !

 

[ian158]

By the way whats does being a member of the TTA mean...I remember loads of builders joining the Guild of master craftsman...the swarm of dodgy builders joining that was a joke !

 

[Peter]

Took me four years before my boss allowed me to call myself a tiler. Don't know how training centres think you can learn four years worth in six weeks. When you think about it, you spend more hours serving your time at a trade than you do studying for a bachelor's degree.

 

[White Room]

By the way whats does being a member of the TTA mean...I remember loads of builders joining the Guild of master craftsman...the swarm of dodgy builders joining that was a joke !

You pay your money and they give you a badge to confuse the consumer....it means diddly.

 

[edthetiler]

Hi all ive just signed up and read this thread i also find this frustrating!
Just last week i was called to look at a job and give a price by a member of a previous customers family. I gave them a quote for supply and fit for 20m2 of ceramic wall tiles including materials with a REDUCED labour rate as a favour AND trade price on tiles/materials. ( I did her brothers whole house).
She got another quote of a builder/ handyman and his quote came in at just over HALF my price. She told me and i explained her tiles and materials were almost as much as his whole quote, it is impossible to get a half decent job with the correct materials ANYWHERE NEAR that price. Her brother rang her and told her the same thing ( Hes a builder who knows the score, he paid ME to do his!)

Who do you think she chose?

It wasnt me!

 

[gamma38]

Governing bodies are not the be all and end all imo. Sometimes all your doing is paying money to put a badge or sticker on your van or website. It does not make anyone a tradesman and it never will, or can i don't think. The only way a governing body could have a reasonable effect it would have to go down the route of certification like gas safe or nic/eic. I'm not sure that would or could happen with tiling. Like some have said these people have been around forever, it is easier these day's to get your bodged job out there with forums like this or facebook, there is any number of way's. Extreme cases have dominic little arse running down a street after someone. Something has to be done but it's not only the tilers, it's also the public that has to change, check references properly, listen to tradesmen, just because they talk about prep work and products doesn't mean they are trying to rip you off or big up the job. And definetly don't always go for the cheapest qoute.

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

I must say, where anyone gets the idea that a real tiler is produced from a short course? it's no wonder people are getting ripped off by cowboys and chancers. Customers need to do some research, there are still some real good tradesmen out there, you need to find them. This forum is a good source of info on tilers you can read the posts and sort the wheat from the chaff. Tiling is, was, and always be a very skilled trade. Rant over.:mad2:

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Sorry Gamma, post overlap I think we are saying the same thing though.

 

[gamma38]

Sorry Gamma, post overlap I think we are saying the same thing though.

Definetly

 

[Spud]

It is how the public see tradesmen in general which is lamentable to be honest , joe public will happily pay £60 per hour to have their car repaired or pay £40 an hour for a personal trainer , but think they can employ by some miracle an experienced proficient tradesman for next to nothing

 

[High Peak Tiling]

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

I am all with Neale here.

I also think if we the 'real' tradesmen all mainly joined the TTA (if feasible) and the Association was able to inspect us I would be up for that!

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Amen to that Gary, time for some common sense imho.

 

[Spud]

best thing to do is just make sure you have as much detail in you quotes as possible, do a scope of works outlining what you will be doing which materials you will be using and when you are free to do the work
Place in large capitals at the bottom of the page you will match any genuine like for like quote printed on headed paper, this may actually get the customer to properly read the other quotes rather than looking at the bottom line where the price is

 

[Sean SML Tiling]

I thought the TTA inspected your work before they let you join?