OK time to fess up!

[Pebbs]

A long time ago...did you notice I said LONG TIME AGO, I was managing a job over at Heathrow, the first stage was this fancy drive in check in facility. Well I don't know what happened, but my brain turned to mush on the day I was ordering the tiles in. I ordered in honed finish, so it turned up, and the lads started working on it. Looked lovely, until the architect flew in from America, and threw a hissy fit, because he specified polished. Well by then it was to late the tiles were down, and I was dragged down there to face the wrath of 'Angelo' and his mincing partner who lived in San Francisco (Im sure you get the picture).He flipped his lid, and I had to think on my feet quickly, turned round and told him straight out, I had sent an email saying that because of the BS regulations in public areas, we had reluctantly had to change the finish to honed to meet the slip resistance, and the email had been sent over months ago. That stopped them in their tracks, then told me I had done the right thing, and apologised.

I saw the project manager a couple of months ago, I hadn't seen him for years, and the first thing he said to me... 'Your tiles are still down at Heathrow, you know them honed that should have been polished tiles'. I said 'What can I say? except Safety first!'

Since then I've always double checked the order against the spec, that was the closest call I've had to ripping an entire job up, and starting again.

Lynn

 

[On one]

i had the worst hangover ever one monday morning 15 year ago,went to tile a bathroom with 250x300 tiles, started tiling them with the 250mm going up and down the wall, then after tiling half way round the room got the boarder out that was 300mm long ...

ended up having to off-set the boarder, told the customer it was the latest design feature, and all the top designers were doing it that way!!!!!

Thank God I'm not the only one that's done that!

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

For anyone who didn't see this the first time.http://www.tilersforums.com/tiling-forum/39784-i-just-know-im-going-get-post405051.html

 

[White Room]

I remember that, could have happened to anyone

 

[Ian]

Phil, that is magic! The best thread I've read in ages!


Sent via Tapatalk for iPhone 5

 

[Peter]

:lol:

Some good stories. I've made that many mistakes I couldn't recall just one of them.

Had a couple of times when doing two walls of a bathroom and wondering why they're 40mm out from each other, and then it dawns on me that I've left the borders off one wall.

Worked with a fella who once nipped round a nail.

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Just goes to show, the man/woman who never made a mistake, never made anything. I try not to repeat that type of thing to often.:lol:

 

[Musivarius]

When I first started making mosaics I used the direct method, ie setting them face up. Then I had a commission for a 600mm diameter copy of Roman mosaic showing a female from the waist up with the words 'Britania' across the top of the circle.

Decided I would use the Reverse method, sticking the pieces face down onto sticky plastic which had the pattern underneath then glue the mesh on.

Finished it then glued the mesh onto the back. Thought 'that was easy I'll use that method again. It was only a couple of days later when I was about about to flip it over that my friend looked at it and said, 'You do realise the words will be spelt backwards when you flip it over' Had to just trash the whole thing as the figure was facing the wrong way too. Still only 2,500 tesserae in it :mad2:

 

[cam_low]

Ive forgotten the border on wall going up but realised a few tiles in but my best was setting out one day which involved forgetting about the border completetly.

Luckily it was a thin one so to get the window back to being perfectly framed i added a couple layers of plasterboard to the roof of the window reveal. Can't think I've had any else. Normally ocd with setting out too...

 

[Dan]

For anyone who didn't see this the first time.http://www.tilersforums.com/tiling-forum/39784-i-just-know-im-going-get-post405051.html

I remember that now! haha

Classic one that is. Surprised I forgot I'm sure I was laughing as much then as now. Shows how well your work though mate, just get down and get on with it. Cut around anything in your way.

 

[cornish_crofter]

The last bathroom job I did I had just fitted the basin and was in the process of fitting the new shower screen. Once I'd got one half inside I realised it needed to be the other way up.

Like an idiot I tried turning it around inside the bathroom. Problem is it came into contact with the brand new basin!!!!

It made the tiniest mark, which no amount of effort could shift. I tried everything. It was essentially a very small chip with a silver slither in there.

I phoned up B & Q where the customer got the sink from to see how much a new sink would cost. The gent suggested I tried a repair. I was skeptical at first but I managed to get hold of a repair kit off e bay for £20 and it worked well.

Now, I had actually told the customer and they could clearly see the damage. I took full responsibility for it and was prepared to change the basin at my expense if necessary.

In case anyone here is skeptical about those repair kits, I can assure you they do work!

I challenged the customer to locate the chip. neither husband or wife could.

 

[afright]

Talking about B & Q did a job for this lady whilst tiling her kitchen she explained that they had sent the wrong kitchen and when they delivered the right kitchen the driver refused to take the wrong kitchen back,she did not want the wrong kitchen it was in her shed and she wanted shot of it I said how much do you want for it she said the cost of the tiling, result new cabinets and sink for a days work redid my utility room.

 

[macten]

I was texting a customer about what time I would be there the following morning. At the same time my GF's daughter was texting me to ask what time she had to be back home and on the blag for stopping out longer. Long story short I unknowingly sent the customer a text saying something along the lines 'Are you completely stupid! I have already told you what time'
I then got another text off the customer that I interpreted as a bit rude and brash and for the first couple of days working for her I wasn't the friendliest (neither was she). 3rd day in I was eating my lunch and checking my texts when I clocked what had happened and immediately sorted it out with her and showed her the threads on my phone. After that it was bacon butties and tea every day.

 

[cornish_crofter]

That is briliant. I bet you both had a good laugh about it afterwards.

I have sent a wrong text to someone before but that is brilliant.

 

[macten]

My worst confession and indeed worst day at work was on a bathroom refurb, ripped out the day before and was doing first fix of new pipework. VERY hungover with a dodgy stomach. Was trying to solder a horizontal pipe that had standing water in it with little success. I asked the lady of the house (who was gorgeous by the way) to turn on her kitchen tap. She came up to tell me she had done that just as I was blowing down the pipe with all my might - I then shat myself! :yikes:

It wasn't silent, it sounded like the massive follow through fart that it was. In my desperate attempt to cover it I tried replicating the noise on my next blow. I carefully rose to my feet and explained I needed to get an elbow from the plumbers merchants and descended the stairs like a man with rickets. Spent 20 mins hiding in the back of my van and sorting myself out with an old dust sheet.
Had I got away with it?
In hindsight I could never have got away with it, the smell was both unholy and instantaneous.
I finally regained my composure and went back in to find my battey charger unplugged and a haze pomander in its place.
Oh the shame!