help with 5 tile random pattern price

[Matthew77]

Hi Guys

Looking for some advice on pricing 16m2 of Indian slate, porcelain floor tiles in a random pattern, floor should be pretty flat as its just had a new screed. Room is a basic rectangle shape with a small cupboard & 2 doorways.

I've never really done a largish floor like this in a random pattern so what would you guys suggest for a meter rate? I was thinking of £35 pm2?

Thanks

 

[Dan]

Checkout the complications of doing a random pattern by viewing the blogs here: Expert advice, mostly with a smile. I think it's about the third or second video down the page he talks about how 'random' isn't actually random in some sense. You almost have to repeat a 'random' pattern many times to ensure you're using the same mix of tiles and don't end up with a couple of boxes of one colour when you've ran out of all the others, which ends up in a trip back the shop or a single coloured corner or something daft like that.

How many tile sizes or colours are there? And has the shop sorted out the right combination of colour or shape out in relation to a pattern they supply? Otherwise, that's your job to sort out and the extra time could do with being considered in the price.

 

[DHTiling]

Hi Matt.. Also never assume a new screed is flat enough to tile..

How long has the screed been laid..?

 

[Matthew77]

It's a 5 tile random pattern, tiles and pattern are supplied by shop, I think the tiles size range from 180 to 450's. Will check out the link, thanks

Price quoted for will be to fix tiles onto a flat surface, any work to make floor flat will be charged on day rate.

 

[Matthew77]

Hi Matt.. Also never assume a new screed is flat enough to tile..

How long has the screed been laid..?

Screed was laid last week.

 

[White Room]

Don't they have a pattern on the boxs for the tiles

 

[Daz]

As per Whitebeam, there is usually a pattern on the box or supplied by the tile supplier. If not I would do a web search for tile patterns but remember that you will need the actual tile sizes so that you can match up a pattern that will work.

If the screed has only been down a week, you have plenty of time to decide on a pattern 'cos you need to let it dry at approx 1mm per day. The alternatives are to fix a decoupling membrane or use a green screed adhesive, both of which are more costly options.

 

[Matthew77]

I have been given the tile pattern but as i've never done a pattern like this before & have no idea how much longer it will take to lay once set out?

I was hoping for some advice on a price per meter to be laid on a flat floor would £35 a meter seem like a competitive price for south coast area?

The pattern is very similar to this one but with 5 tiles:http://www.theslatecompany.net/Flooring%20pics/Random%20pics/new-Raja.jpg

 

[david campbell]

i would be looking at about £40m2 you will also need time to seal the slate,probably £35m2 without the pattern

 

[Matthew77]

i would be looking at about £40m2 you will also need time to seal the slate,probably £35m2 without the pattern

Thanks Dave, as stated in my first post it is for Indian slate porcelain tiles, so not real slate.

 

[Daz]

I would have thought you are in the right ballpark. However, I priced a 3 tile porcelain pattern, a few months ago at £30 per sqm and the customer asked me how come I am so expensive as he had received a quote for £20 per sqm. Once I'd finished laughing at him, I told him it will be £60 per sqm to put the work right after the other idiot had finished :lol:. Didn't hear from him again.

Go with a price that you are happy to do the work for and don't stress if you don't get it. You don't want to be stuck on a job that doesn't pay what you feel you are worth and then lose work that pays properly because you are not available.

Good luck.

 

[Matthew77]

I would have thought you are in the right ballpark. However, I priced a 3 tile porcelain pattern, a few months ago at £30 per sqm and the customer asked me how come I am so expensive as he had received a quote for £20 per sqm. Once I'd finished laughing at him, I told him it will be £60 per sqm to put the work right after the other idiot had finished :lol:. Didn't hear from him again.
Go with a price that you are happy to do the work for and don't stress if you don't get it. You don't want to be stuck on a job that doesn't pay what you feel you are worth and then lose work that pays properly because you are not available.
Good luck.

Thanks.
There are some jobs that when you go and look at you think this will look really nice when finished, it's a nice big kitchen, easy access, plenty of room to set up the cutter, the tiles look nice & they want me to lay insulation board, underfloor heating cable and self level & the floor.
Most of the jobs I goto are small cramped kitchens and bathrooms in flats so I'm quite keen to get this one. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't way out on price. Thanks for the advice captain

 

[Perry]

sounds about right inc materials ?

 

[DHTiling]

So are you going to advise the floor needs to dry for the correct timescale or use a vapour equalisation membrane like Dural ci..?

 

[Matthew77]

So are you going to advise the floor needs to dry for the correct timescale or use a vapour equalisation membrane like Dural ci..?

Hi Dave

I have advised the customer that the floor needs to be dry before work is started, I have suggested 3 weeks after the screed has been down they put a piece of plastic down on the floor over night to see if any moisture is still coming out of the floor as they were told by the screeders that the floor would be dry in 2 weeks!

I'm always told conflicting times about tiling onto newly laid screeds. The usual is 3 weeks or 1 day per 1mm of screed. With 70mm of screed thats 70 days of drying which is a long way off from 3 weeks so can some one please explain which of these theory's is right (I'm guessing its the 1day per mm one) I know there are alot of variable's in temperature & water content of screed that obviously make a diffewrence but if somebody could explain in a bit more detail?

Also when I asked in the tile shop where I buy my adhesive about drying times they said 3 weeks would be fine, they then phoned technical advice of the adhesive maker & they said to give it 4 weeks to dry, he assured me that was right as they wouldn't give him wrong advice as they guarantee all their products, so is it 3-4weeks or 3months???

sorry for the delay in a reply, was on holiday with no internet