Dot Dab

[graham31]

What's the answer? Regulation? One thing I think would help us all would be some sort of simplified fixing guide which we could leave with customers - helping to distinguish between professional methods and techniques and those used by tilers wearing spurs! Maybe someone like BAL could produce this, Gaz???

This excellent idea may stop people coming in and undercutting massively if they get quizzed by the client and know they have to do the job right which takes time. :furious3:

 

[pjtiler]

A call came into technical today and was answered by my tech colleague. It was a solicitor who was working on behalf of a fixer who was being taken to court for a spot fix failure. The answer was a catagorical NO sorry. He phoned tech, hoping to find a glimmer of a chance of anything in defence of his client, he was told that there was nothing at all in it's favour as is not a recognised fixing method, not only is it not endorsed by BAL the market leader, but also the solicitor was told to speak to The Tile Assisiation, where he would be told exactly the same. No one within the industry will defend this method......Gaz

theres a lot i could say about that gaz
but i cant be arsed sufic to say your tech dep changes there spec,s from year to year

 

[MICK the Tiler]

Ok

Having only been tiling for 18 months now and being taught that you must get 100% coverage all of the time or the whole lot could fall back off the wall I have been sensing for quite a while that this is not the case espacially with the more experienced guy's.

I can understand it has to be the case on floos but not on walls.

I think to get an astatically perfect job, totally flat then dot dab is your best option however this would need to be done within the peramiters of performance of the materials you are using bearing in mind that adhesive manufacturers will allway's go a bit OTT on what coverage should be maintained.
I am so sorry I am having these dirty thoughts I just cant stop thinking about it.

Who feels the same:yes:

NOT AGAIN!!! ARRRRRRRRR!!! :mad2:

Rake your walls and rake the tile, go up a notch in your trowell. Do whatever it takes to get the buggers on the wall, But Don't D&D as Gaz has said no one will touch you. You are on your own if you choose this method. Practice goods sound skills and DON"T get into bad habits as they are hard to break.

And as far as regulation goes good idea but how does one police it. You will always have cowboys who D&D and you will have to compete with them till hell freezes over. Cowboys come and Cowboys go, but if you would like to be a tiler for longer than 5 minutes use tried and true methods of tile fixing and work will find YOU.

 

[woodie]

never cot and dab at least 90% coverage on walls and if your floor's uneven then spread on the tile as well as the floor

 

[Olz]

Uhh Ohh, did someone mention D&D

 

[Saltire69]

The only Problem with a data sheet/correct fixing method is the customers themselves. Did a quote a few weeks ago for a referal and told him to take tiles off the walls. Said i couldn't do the job for about 6 weeks. He didn't want to wait and then picked 400x250 tiles. Saw him in the tile shop (when the other fixer was tiling his bathroom )getting some more materials. 2 part flexy for floor. Told him he didn't need that(he really didn't),asked about the wall tiles, Just tiling on top of them, you were the only 1 who told me to remove them. Sorry long winded but hope u understand.
Now my point is that i had been refered to him by one of his friends and the tile shop, but he still didn't listen to my advice. :mad2: It would help some though,not all like that.

 

[dean39]

Been a very good thread this and it would be good to use when quoting........should have a poll.................

 

[charlie1]

The only problem I can see when using this data sheet for quoting in a normal domestic situation is that the vast majority of customers would not know what you where talking about. Customers really only care about how good the job looks, the customer expects that we as tilers know what we are doing in terms of application of the tiles and never ask how we are going to be fixing them.

Put it this way I doubt if Mr and Mrs smith when looking through yellow pages to find a tiler are thinking “ get this guy round for a quote and mind ask, Price , when can he do it and ohh eye.......does he dot dab the tiles”. I've never ever had a customer ask me this and I would never ever alert a customer that these are the practices of some other tilers, it would just instantly create a bad feeling and the customer could possibly interpret this as scare mongering.

I know I said earlier in this post that I would use this when quoting however only as a reference if the subject of spot fixing was brought up by the customer.

 

[MICK the Tiler]

You are right in what you say charlie, People don't ask (Maybe they should) You also have to realize that tiling is 90% reputation and 10% everything else. It takes time and experience to become reputable in the industry and you cannot fast track as more and more of you clients come to see that you do the right thing and see this in your work your name will get around. Forget about trying to compete with the cowboys because you can't and who'd want anyway (Not me). I've had the same clients on my books for 15 years and they all still ring me up and ask for a tiling job done. They also know to ring 3 months in advance also because they know I'm always busy, and to always be busy is no fluke. Your reputation is the key to becoming a quality tradesman.

 

[The D]

Don’t know about BAL but Weber has a 200-page tiling solutions book if you send of for it they give it to you for free or you can look it up on there web site.