Do you remember when ....

[Time's Ran Out]

... You had to break the ice off the drum to get to your tiles, you used sawdust to polish the floors and you got 10shillings a yard for fixing tiles with sand/cement!

By those were the days!!.
Who else used to push their bike up the cobbled streets and eat Hovis jammies.

 

[Qwerty]

I'm still just a youngster at 36 years young John!. Although raised on site with my chippie dad and used to watch the labourers do similar things!

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Your just a couple of years older than my boy! He's been tiling 15 years now and he thought it was hard working 11 hour shifts in the South Of France . Lunch on the jetty, evening jaunts to Cannes, fridge full of beer and pizzas at 15 euros!
Like most that will reply it will be difficult to realise what it was like and why this trade has become more DIY, it's progress that it's become easier and more cost effective, but that in itself has brought new skills working with thin bed adhesives and bigger harder tiles.

 

[mz30]

I remember talk of barrels ,and the sawdust I still use to this day.

 

[Andy Allen]

I remember cutting tiles with a pencil scribe and using a rod saw for L shaped cuts or just nibbling them out with your nips no wet cutters or grinders.....tile would always brake on the last little bit. ..:mad2:

 

[Brian the Tile]

No nippers back then allen is it not pincers and your three foot measure,tungdten tipped chisel and pin hammer for the floor tiles ,bloody hell eh lol

 

[Brian the Tile]

Tungsten tipped chisel sorry

 

[Brian the Tile]

What about white cement for grout with a bit of fairy liquid in it ,and my pillock of a boss wouldn't let me use warm water to wash off neither, said it effected the cement oh the pain

 

[Brian the Tile]

Aye sawdust and shavings for getting the grout of the floors ,oh my word,but it worked didn't it

 

[Brian the Tile]

And dont forget to make your staff for marking out before you start,we used to be on the job for eightish and start tiling about 10 : 30 ha ha

 

[Brian the Tile]

And also make sure theres plenty of water the water level,

 

[Brian the Tile]

Then we upgraded to glass cutters to mark the tiles

 

[kevin.young]

Remember bitumen jointing I always ended up with the old burn blister!! Great days though!!

 

[Colour Republic]

... You had to break the ice off the drum to get to your tiles, you used sawdust to polish the floors and you got 10shillings a yard for fixing tiles with sand/cement!

By those were the days!!.
Who else used to push their bike up the cobbled streets and eat Hovis jammies.

errrr in a word no.

I know what it's like ripping it all out though. Sand and cement fixing on the walls... you sadistic barstewards!

 

[Brian the Tile]

errrr in a word no.

I know what it's like ripping it all out though. Sand and cement fixing on the walls... you sadistic barstewards!

Like watsit to a blanket lol