Moaning a lot recently...

[stusgsx]

I seem to be getting so many poorly prepared rooms recently that I'm expected to cover up with tiles and I explain that it's not good enough and no one listens! The customers just don't seem to care they just want it done. Feels like I'm forever moaning but it really hacks me off when I want to do a good job but am given a bathroom full of rough bonding and a kitchen with half the wall missing!
What do you lot do when you turn up on site and really are not happy with the job? My first reaction is to tell them I'm not prepared to tile and ile come back when it's done but then if I have no other jobs that I can pull forward then I'm stuffed. The job I'm on this week has been terrible and has stressed me out to the max! Have just fixed the last tile thank god!

 

[Dan]

Most of this would be done in the quote process for me. So I'd explain what needs to be done to do it right, provide a price, and they can take it or leave it.

The more jobs you take on that are bodge it and dodge it ones, the more ones like that you'll get.

You want Mrs Jones who's spent money on her bathroom to tell Mrs Smith about how well you did it.

Not Mrs Jones say how cheap you were and get Mrs Smith expect it to be cheap.... and not right.

It's a sign of the times though mate a lot of people are just bodging their homes as they're skint. So advertise to a different class of people and you'll get some nice jobs come in.

 

[macten]

I can count on one hand the number of jobs I've had that I can just turn up and prime, set out and start fixing.
I expect it with domestics (and yes it makes you moan).

Last one I had was a bathroom with wall paper on - customer agreed to strip it to save them money.
Turned up to start and they'd stripped the wall paper off but left the lining paper on :mad2:

 

[stusgsx]

When I quote jobs I do say what needs to be done etc but for example if they are getting the plasterer in he will tell them it's fine to tile onto bonding do that is what I turn up to.
My job this week is for a builder and it is the worst I have ever done for him but telling him was like talking to a brick wall.

I do get some nice jobs but these jobs just really stress me out.

 

[mz30]

Its a catch .22 scenario really ,do you want to be known as a tiler who gets the job done or a tiler that moans about everything?

My apprentice moans at the smallest problem and talks himself up when everything is fine and he's putting on metres,i always say to him moaning does not get the job your being payed for done.

However i understand what your saying about builders not listening and plasterers saying bonding is fine to tile on,thats not just you thats every tiler,as i have stated in previous threads we are basically a finishing trade and have to put up with other trades crap before us.

What i tend to do now on domestics is tell the client the walls need to be boarded or bonded and skimmed and explain the drying times with the latter(they tend to go for the boarding).

I also try and visit the job the day before to make sure all is sound,that way they have a chance to rectify any problems i see.

 

[On one]

A job I went to look at last night,very small ensuite shower that the builder had laid a concrete floor and the walls were browned and skimmed.So I told him it would at least a month before it would be dry enough. Luckily enough he understood and didn't want to rush it.

 

[kilty55]

hi stusg,i found that taking on the prep myself i overcame a lot of these issues,learniogn how to dot and dab walls and also baing able to plaster small rooms also helped out not only with costs but also not putting up with poor prep

 

[John Benton]

Same here Jamie, If you prepare it then you've only got yourself to blame if it goes wrong. Last 2 en-suites I have done I have prepared all the walls, albeit they were small rooms. But I took my time, made sure the walls were plumb and flat and it made my life so easy tiling it.

I know you can potentially start to be labelled as a Jack of all trades, but I only take on the jobs that I can manage myself. If the job is bigger I get the relevant trades in that I work with. Don't do electrics and don't do plumbing, and if the ceiling needs boarding and skimming I get the plasterer in. Never do anything I'm not confident in leaving a less than perfect job for a customer

 

[On one]

Talking about moaning....todays rip out of an 1990s bathroom.... Timber studwork that wasn't plum and nailed with 2inch round head nails, Plasterboard d&d with finish plaster onto gloss paint, Plasterboard fixed with nails that were too short to get a proper fixing,The floor was tiled onto a 6mm ply overboard,Tiling was onto 1930s lime plaster ie knackered........
Didn't take too long to demo tho!

 

[stusgsx]

Yes I must admit prepping yourself is great but it's not always possible. Really looking forward to my next bathroom refurb where I can re board and start fresh

 

[Andy Allen]

its hard enough just getting them to clear the room sometimes.

how many times have you turned up to tile a kitchen floor to find all the white goods still in place, when they said the room would be clear, or kitchen stuff all over the work top when your tiling the walls, and yes ive had the wall paper still on when they said they would remove it to save money.

i too try to get the full refit, as you end up doing it anyway...

 

[macten]

I've had it where not only are the white goods still in place but dishwasher and washing machine have just started a 3 hour run.
Some people!

 

[stusgsx]

I was tiling a kitchen floor the other week when I had to pop out for 20mins to get one more bag of addy. When I came back it smelt of bacon and a lot of spacers were knocked over so someone had gone in there and made a sneaky lunch!
Can't believe some people.

On another note I feel a bit better now than when I started this rant! On another job now where it's all new walls and the customer is great

 

[Andy Allen]

had one walk over the tiles when they hadn't gone off, i was in the van having lunch, came back in to find the tiles all over the place and the customer blaming the cat..:mad2: ..... cat must weigh about 15 stone then..!!!!!

 

[macten]

Just quoted a crazy woman's bathroom. She'd obviously been drinking all day!
She had internal stench pipe boxed in that she wanted rid of so the bath she wants would fit.
Said I could manage it if I fit a Durgo valve and she practically
jumped on me kissing my cheeks!

May have to go back when she's sober so I can get a better understanding of what she wants, she spent most of
the time telling me how she likes to bathe with her other half! :no::shocked: