Hi....a Quick check in to everyone to say many thanks again for the huge support. I think for this post it may have been that I found it hard to bring across the look of the room and as such I couldn't quite tie what was bein given as advice into what was actually capable.
Either way, I'm keen on furthering my tiling training. I'd like to get a bit more advanced, either that or redo my training in an attempt to cement in my brain what I was taught. Since doing my training in the UK in November 2008 I think the time it took me to find work (first job landed feb 09) kinda made things a bit hazy and in the end I had to reply on my handbook as well as common sense.
I am learning daily though which is great. I just wish we had the kind of
standards in South Africa as you lot have in the UK. In comparison to every tiler I come across and know, I'm actually more qualified than any tiler you will meet here. Tilers in South Africa just aren't trained, they're tradesmen that have learnt over years and don't have the framework I do from my training. Technically I'm a very capable character, I know the theory well but somehow the application of the theory leaves my cortex somewhat frazzled. Ha ha!!!
I just wish I could walk into a room and without even blinking an eye I could look at it and figure it out in a heart beat without questioning myself the way I do. Problem is that tiling takes me SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO bloody long. G'zuz lads, I seriously do take long. It's like to the point where it's almost not even viable to be a tiler because I just take too bloody long. Now, as neat and detailed as I am doing silly things like making sure grout doesn't collect in corners when grouting, I'm shooting myself in the foot in such a big way because for instance this bathroom has taken me WEEKS!!! ok we had loads of public holidays in between but the point is that I really can't be spending SO much time on one job.
Its very annoying...
My lecturer always said to me that speed should NEVER EVER be your concern. Doing it right should be your number one concern. I think maybe I lack confidence, maybe thats it. Cuz when I walk into a bathroom I can talk my way into the job no problem but the actual doing of the job takes mind power...I struggle immensely with things like lipping and setting out and floor setting out, god forbid I ever have to set out geometrically unsquare floors or rooms. I know in time it will all come but I get the feeling that my school fees haven't even remotely been paid...
I'm a very practical person though and before getting in a panic I will sit down and try overcome the problem myself using a bit of initiative but I'm not always that lucky...Like the lipping issue. I just don't bloody understand why lipping happens when you have equal thickness tiles on an even surface...I mean WTF? Am I thick? Or is my addy bed thicker at one end than the other? If thats the case then my rubber mallet should sort that out with a few knocks by causing the extra addy to squelch out from the grout lines. This is a rather larger boil on an otherwise fairly small ***, ha ha ha (plz excuse my tone lads) LOL!!!
Setting out for me in the training centre made sense. I did it, I set out my room and I got it tiled neatly, straight, and all lovely looking. In practise though, setting out is awful for me. I really struggle with it. I measure get loads of numbers and measurements together, end up getting very confused and then possibly neglect the checklist of things you should check before laying tiles or while finding your first datum like for instance making sure you start tiling from the lowest end of the room so as to not have the possible tapering of the floor bother you at the end.
So you see guys...I'm such a keen learner, I love asking and I'm not bloody shy at all. I too, am not shy to admit my short falls and areas where I need to learn...I want to become a bloody wizz at what I do, and I want to eventually put a team of tilers together and teach them what I know so that like MTM Tiles, I too can talk with absolute confidence and run a shop....I have an advantage here because not a bloody soul in South Africa is trained to be a professional tiler, I am...Can anyone say: "MONEY" Ha ha, I know I'm onto a good thing here if I can just get my *** in gear and get more confident and start to tile faster with less hassle and less stress!!!
As usual you guys, I know I will get a mix of replies but either way I welcome the lot of you to pass on your 5p's worth...
Ta, and chat soon....
PS....Will load the finished article with pics and all once shower is in and vanity is in and bathroom is being used.
Over and out....
Tileboy