Do tilers give away too much hard earned information?

[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

 

[DHTiling]

If there was NO Diy and no forum to help them, maybe Tile shops would suffer even more.. 🙂

 

[gamma38]

I am not a time served tiler, I am a time served HVAC pipefitter Welder, but haven't really done that for years. Too many years on the clock really... I have never understood anyone getting as upset or uptight as some of you guys on here. Don't you guys realize that the very people you are saying are idiots are in turn also giving you extra work. How many of you have had to go in after someone elses bodge job, a few I would think. You can normally charge what you like and within reason take as long as you like due to you being an expert. I have been on some of these short courses and I have to say while it will not make you a time served person in that particular trade it does give you a start. I then worked with other tilers which was when my learning really began, but without the courses I wouldn't have even got a look in. I have also seen a few time served trades people in general, my trade included which are an absolute waste of space. One of the best pipefitters I worked with never did any formal training. Don't be too quick to rubbish everybody for having a go, there is always someone a lot better than you.

 

[Dan]

All fair comments Gamma!

 

[Discount Tile Supplies]

If there was NO Diy and no forum to help them, maybe Tile shops would suffer even more.. 🙂

Tile shops are suffering because every one and their grandmother are selling tiles, not because of lack of DIY. DIY'ers get good advice from most tile shops and excellent tile forum contributors, like you Dave. We can only advise "how to" unlike you guys who do it every day and can tell it how it is.

If we, as a "tile shop", only relied on DIY we would have gone bust a long time ago.

If you could some how sell tile fixing on ebay i bet people would buy it. You have an art that cannot be bought on any street corner at 10% on cost and delivered for free unlike tiles.

Without good tile fixing the whole tile industry would suffer. The more cheaper tiles get the less customers will pay fixers and the more foreign tilers will get in at £60 a day. Come and spend a day in a tile shop and you will understand what mean, not as many people ask for tilers like they used to and thats not good for us independents as we rely a lot on trade sales of adhesive and grouts.

I could go on and on but wont bore u !

With tiles there is always some one willing to sell them cheaper than you because there are 1000's of supplies and exclusivity is a thing of the past.

 

[Gazzer]

With tiles there is always some one willing to sell them cheaper than you because there are 1000's of supplies and exclusivity is a thing of the past.

that sounds odd coming from someone with the name of Discount Tile Supplies !