Do tilers give away too much hard earned information?

[Discount Tile Supplies]

I remember many years ago, about 30 odd years ago roughly, we had an Italian company send over some tilers to do some displays in our showroom. 2 guys turned up and erected a large blind/sheet infront of the display before commencing their work. We asked why and they told us that tiling was an art and they were not prepared to show anyone how they fixed the tiles as it was a secret and they did not want people to learn how it was done. How different it is now! Are tilers telling too many people how to DIY? Or is it a being helpful thing us British do?

 

[Muse2k8]

My opinion is that too many people already see tiling as a DIY job but the information, tools and materials available for it especially in the sheds is not adequate for the job. These plastic spatulas and addy grout combos are a disaster. You wouldn't build a house out of packaging polystyrene :s

 

[The D]

Keeping it secret was what killed the terrazzo industry. At one point in time terrazzo could have taken over the world (well the UK anyway) but they did exactly as you said they covered it up and did not show anyone. This meant that there was a lot of work for a hand full of men and thing were good for a few years. Bookings 6 months in advance 8 months 10 months but there is a limit to how long people can wait before they start looking for an alternative (Tiling). The success of terrazzo combined with the greed of people that want to keep it all for themselves and not pass on the skills to anyone spelt the beginning of the end.

 

[Gazzer]

Yes I remember the terrazzo guys well. All very mysterious.

We live in a different age these days though and there are no secrets. If you want to know how to do something then Google it, watch a You Tube clip.....It only shows you how to do it though....You still have to do the work.

i have lost track of how many people come here to the forum and collect all the info they require before going away to do their own bathroom etc , Only for them to return and say how hard it was or even ask for a Tiler as its taking them too long.

As a child I remember my Grandad taking me to a new store...they were called DIY shops. Big K if I recall correctly. I guess this was the big push forward into DIY but all over the world its the same.
As for being the British thing to do, I dont think so.

 

[Olz]

I think it often works to the other way.

People think tilling is easy, they come here asking for advice expecting to be told to go to bandq and grab a tub of addy and grout, a bucket and a sponge, and a £10 plastic tile cutter.

They get advice about proper prep, substrate reinforcement, proper addy and grout and often re evaluate their view and what they can get materials for and it dawns on them that its not as DIY as they thought.

 

[Andy Allen]

i dont have a problem with people D.I.Y there own tiling, most will have a bash once and the old saying 'never again' seems to be popular, even then its normally just basic stuff, when they start looking into the kit/materials needed to fit large format pors or stone it normally puts them off from the start.

what bugs me are the idiots that think tiling is easy after watching a youtube clip, going on a short course, or because they are a trades person in another trade, they all think they can all tile to a high standered, go into someones house and charge them peanuts and do a monkey job, even more reasons why the trade should be regulated, to protect our jobs and the end consumer...

 

[Dan]

I think the key is there "hard earned information" - We've got tilers on here that found it wasn't so hard to learn the information, and I guess the same with DIYers too. But it's hard to put into practice and some people arte that way inclined and find it easy (or just time consuming) and others no matter how much information you give them, they'll just never be able to do it.

I think if somebody is adamant they're doing it themselves, then they will do no matter what. And it's too easy to find the 'information' out these days. Adhesive manufacturers will still give a lot of information away to DIYers. They'll provide technical specification and data sheets for all the required products and that'll include a fair amount of 'information' but they still then have to put it into practice.

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

i know terrazzo guys who are very well off, and still with plenty of work !, i kew the italians did the hiding thing with terrazzo, but not tiling,as i learned my mosaic work from tony minoli his family are still very associated with the tiling industry Minoli for quality ceramic and porcelain wall and floor tiles | Minoli although he has no interest with them now, and yes i think we have blabbed it all now,so there is no going back,there will always be the guys who can talk a good tiling job !! then there are them who are good and that is the difference

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

We still conduct some of our work behind screens. Yes some stone is very easy to restore but some not so. I don't see why I should share that kind of information for free (apart from the easy stuff). Working on one project where some tilers where working and we could polish ours then they where instructed to grind the same as us once tiled and polish it to the same as our standards. Anyway went in the next week and they had sparkling new machines around about £30.000 worth Isaid to the guys you been trained at doing that then "no the rep is coming to show us" So this guy turns up and says do this then this and that blah blah blah and left, taught them nothing about the basic principles of grinding. After a couple of hours the guy comes over and says can you come and have a look me being nice said it would be a pleasure with a grin on my face. Had a look and said you have to start again I said I will give you some clues "you have the wrong diamonds and secondly you have no idea what you are doing" that is all I said next night there gaffer comes in and comes behind our screen I said what are you doing he said I want to see what your using snooping through my diamond box slammed it shut on him. "whats the big secret, it can't be that hard" My reply is "Nothing is hard if you know how" this went on I told him to do one.

 

[Dan]

That's a niche area and professionals should seek their own training for that sort of stuff. But you'd never get a DIYer attempting that.

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

That's a niche area and professionals should seek their own training for that sort of stuff. But you'd never get a DIYer attempting that.

You would be surprised! Seen some horrific stuff angle grinders! And now that they are available to hire from some places (grinding machine) it's definately getting worse. I think customers need to think with any trade work that they carry out as DIY is "If I get this wrong how much is it going to cost me to put right?"

 

[Muse2k8]

Instead of paying 30k for machines why didn't they just pay you guys to do it? :s

 

[MARBLE_TONY]

Did get asked mainly due to politics for who we were contracted by. Ended up doing it anyway they gave up after 2months

 

[Ajax123]

You can pick up the info needed to lay tiles in any good quality DIY manual. You can buy the tools at any good tile shop. There is a massive difference between having the tools and the info and actually beinG able to tile though. There is a good deal of skill in tiling properly which has to be learned through experience and practice.

Anyone can be a tiler......not everyone can lay tiles....

 

[mattle40]

It's like common sense, when you think about it, a lot of our methods and techniques are common sense really
But that's something that can't be taught,
A certain level of aptitude is needed in all trades and to an extent a lot of tradesmen can cross over because of this...
But the thing that's separates tiling is its a finish and to an extent, an art
And that takes patience, pride and a very keen eye for details