Primers vs PVA/Other

[cam_low]

Ok we all know about this topic....but I'm finding it increasingly frustrating trying to advise clients of traders (mostly eastern European) who come in asking for PVA, these guys I can generally handle up until the other day when I could have lost my rag and burst his lips for how rude he was to me.

So this guy basically blasted out in the shop that he had not had a failed tile in 15 years and had used PVA on everything. Surely this can not be down to luck.

How is he getting away with it? Is the science really correct? Its what they used to use years ago ? I felt so belittled, to the point I would have happily sent him 3 feet up in the air and then some...however being the English gentleman I didn't.

 

[Tony73]

yeh, them bloody eastern europiens.....:11:

 

[cam_low]

yeh, them bloody eastern europiens.....:11:

They are so bloody rude !!!

 

[kilty55]

lol i think you will find plenty brits use pva as well cam,you cant educate peeps who dont want to listen mate

all i can advise is keep doing what you know is right and let them get on with there stuff if they aint interested

 

[Tony73]

yeh, and cheap!!! i don't like them :incazzato:. they are just bad people...

 

[Dan]

Primer vs Eastern Europeans

I think he's not stayed around long enough to find out if he's from Eastern Europe. We had the baddest influx of migrants from Eastern Europe in 2009 I think it was when they changed the law on passports over there due to eu laws.

 

[Dougs Third Go]

as Kilty says,,it's global, plenty of brits do the same.

 

[Sean Kelly]

What about doing a primer & pva test..................a bit like the adhesive & diamond drill bit tests on here. Only last week an Eastern European builder asked me what was that stuff I used instead of PVA. I told him it was primer and he said that he had several tiles come away from the floor because they were not bonded. He was going to reset them, but he was going to use primer this time. He was not rude, so hopefully he will tell the rest of the Europeans to use the correct stuff.

The same argument applies to people using 3mm ply, or not screwing down Hardiebacker, or using tubbed addy on floor tiles, or grouting 20mins after laying tiles. They get away with it because they are on building sites or they are only contactable via mobile (which gets ditched after 6 months!).

 

[kilty55]

there are some very very good eastern european tilers out there just for the record they are not all bad,jusrt as many bad brits imo but the influx of migrants over the years has no doubt had an impact on prices

 

[bugs183]

There are just as many horrible, tight Westerners.
I've worked worked for loadsa different folk, been all over Eastern Europe and sorry but the only folk i've fallen out with have been English.

 

[cam_low]

This was in no way a thread about the quality of their work as I have worked with many ee tilers who were very very fast and their quality was top notch.
Most southerners down my neck of the woods are miserable so and so's and the minority of the ee are down right ignorant, maybe that comes with the language barriers. Just a thread about their love for pva!

 

[jonnyc]

Ok I think your last post was needed because I think things were veering off the point.
i think there Is a genuine lack of product knowledge with some of the foreign workers that are tiling over here.but this in general is only because they don't know any different but am sure would gladly use the right product if given right advice.

 

[jonnyc]

yeh, and cheap!!! i don't like them :incazzato:. they are just bad people...

Tony
what does this comment mean?
I am the greatest supporter of any person who is entitled to work here regardless of where they come from.
please tell me this is an dark ee joke.

 

[bugs183]

I won't get involved in the other stuff here!
Its's just one of those things if you mention primer everyone thinks 'PVA' or even worse 'We''l just paint it'.
Just like people now can't think past Plywood.
It's just old habits.
Also there is no info on any of the suppliers walls saying that using PVA based products are a no no. If no one tells them any different most guys will just carry on using what they know. You can gaurentee someone stuck in their ways won't go on a forum as 'i know what i'm doing, i've been doing it for years'
More work for us when it goes wrong!!!! So i don't worry one bit about it.

 

[widler]

Tony
what does this comment mean?
I am the greatest supporter of any person who is entitled to work here regardless of where they come from.
please tell me this is an dark ee joke.

i may be wrong but im sure tony is foreign ? i think he is taking the gypsys jonny,don't take the hump

 

[jonnyc]

yes bugs , im with you.
how many times have you turned up and the painter has put an undercoat on the shower walls .
they think they have done you a favour and primed walls.
in reality you are going to have to take off undercoat and prime

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

Well being an old-timer, & a plasterer i used PVA uni-bond for years and never had a problem with it, but thanks to this forum i 'am enlightened Now the passed 3-4 years ,and at every opportunity i tell fellow tradesmen of the pitfalls ,its still used a lot in plastering and is fine as a cheap bonding agent for work that is not going to come into contact with moister /water, but personally i would never use it now, in any situation

 

[gamma38]

I was in Topps earlier picking up some adhesive and a fellow trader came in to pick up his materials for his next job. A stack of 600 x 300 porcelain and tubbs of greenstar. I said nothing but I couldn't believe what I saw. I then waited until he left and then did what everyone else would, I asked if thats what he normally buy's for them tiles. Oh yea he uses that stuff for everything, floor, wall, porcelain, ceramic, stone, mosaic there is no need for anything else in his opinion. Go the tradesmen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :yikes:

 

[White Room]

I was in Topps earlier picking up some adhesive and a fellow trader came in to pick up his materials for his next job. A stack of 600 x 300 porcelain and tubbs of greenstar. I said nothing but I couldn't believe what I saw. I then waited until he left and then did what everyone else would, I asked if thats what he normally buy's for them tiles. Oh yea he uses that stuff for everything, floor, wall, porcelain, ceramic, stone, mosaic there is no need for anything else in his opinion. Go the tradesmen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :yikes:

And I bet he'd say "I've never had a problem" as the saying goes:dunce:

 

[jonnyc]

i know where he comes from as well .

 

[gamma38]

To make it worse, he was in a nice new van, lovely signwriting and they said he buys loads of gear and he is always busy. And yes whitebeam i agree he would say that. So if anyone ever needs some advice or a hand give him a call his details are ####### ####### tiling tel no ##### ######. :yikes:

 

[Brian the Tile]

and why have topps not told him

 

[gamma38]

They told me they did tell him but the guy wasn't interested, to be fair from there perspective we are/should be the professionals. They may advise but ultimately it's the tradesman who has the final say not them.

 

[bugs183]

Mmm Green Star, sod the expense, i'd use Blue Star.!

 

[steveboy]

In all the time I've been tiling I have always used BAL primer with no problems.

I do remember when I was in picking up my materials a good while back, a guy came in asking if they sold PVA, every1 just looked at him & some1 said you can't use that mate. Tried to explain why & he just said the same thing.... I've been using it for years & it works.

Aye right mate.

So of to B&Q he went...