Once again. thank you all.
1) I have decided that I will probably find it hard to carry on without some sort of training. I've reached a point where I feel that I need this to improve now. The time is probably right to do something about it. I have an offer of working with someone here, which is great. I would to combine this with training of some sort. It looks very easy to lay up tiles etc but in actual fact it isn't. This website is great for the odd question but it's the approach and technique that I think I need to learn. An NVQ accredited course should baseline this for me. For example, you learn to drive via tuition and practise, and hopefully that culminates in you passing your test. However if I wanted to know what a roadsign meant I could either look it up or ask and I would find out that way. It's the same with tiling. I can ask about which trowel to use for mosaics, large format etc, but you can't teach me technique over the internet!
2) Being multi skilled/multi trade is not in itself a major problem for me. I put my hand to block laying, plumbing, some electrical work that I can do legally and a handful of other areas incluing fascia boards etc. I do admit though that sometimes jobs do take longer as I am not specialising in one trade. However down in my neck of the woods a lot of people are in my position. Not because they choose to be but because there isn't always the work out there to be too specialised in one area.
The reason the tiling is fustrating me at the moment is because it is the finished article. It is on show. I've managed to use the right adhesives etc for the job and, although I've not grouted it yet, the job looks pretty good but not perfect. Block laying (I rebuilt a garden wall recently and am soon to render it) is great. You can practise on technique, skill etc to get the blocks straight, but if you mess it up you know that it will be covered by the render. The main proviso is that the bond between the blocks is sufficient, and that they are straight enough to serve the purpose of the wall.
3) One of you reckoned I was a good builder. Thank you for the complement. I'm writing this whilst looking at our kitchen/utility room that I renovated pretty much single handed. Both rooms are in the basement of our house. The utility room was not there before I started. When I say it wasn't there, I mean that I actually excavated it out of the ground, underpinning the house at the same time. It has been passed by the building inspector and there has been no movement in the house whatsoever. Oh, and the whole basement is bone dry despite the wonderful weather we have. In case you're wondering why I did this, it's because I wanted to, it gives us more room and the excavations have actually drastically improved the rest of the house by eliminating damp on the floor above. However there is only so much concrete you can stare at without going mental! :LOL:
Having achieved that and other projects, I do get very fustrated when I can't tile to my satisfaction.
4) If I stay multi trade, I will never be as quick at tiling as I would be if I just did tiling. But I wouldn't want to just do tiling as I enjoy other things like Fascia board replacement (I did 2 of these last year and have at least one pencelled in this year). I like variety - maybe that's just me. Also I ten to do a lot of work for the same people. Late last year I was doing fascia boards and had one days work to do. I knew it was going to rain on one day in the week so I fitted a towel rail for the client instead.
So, I need to look at the prices of local courses, and contact Steve to sort something out. Steve, if you need the odd plumbing job whilst I'm with you, I'll bring that toolbox as well
