Question....

[Mouldy]

Do it all mate for my sins, except for electrical work and Im seriously thinking about getting that ticket. Qualified plumber and have a ticket for unvented. Been installing bathrooms pretty much exclusively for the last 6 years, although have picked up a couple of kitchens too.

Have worked my way through most trades over the years, Im also a qualified brickie, cut my construction teeth on roofing and have also done a lot of decorating. All in all I prefer bathrooms, although it would be nice to have some really nice projects to get stuck into! Mostly mid priced stuff, although doing a wet floor at the moment.

 

[Thespanishtiler]

i too provide a turn key service for bathroom and wetroom instalations and have work booked in to take me to march with a job booked for the whole of april

i have had to turn work away over the last year and have tried to redress the leed time/capacity issues

i considered getting a helper/labourer but decided not to.

i was lucky to meet Kev who now tiles on most of my jobs

i strip out, first fix plumbing, prep (wall boarding, tanking, feature studding, etc etc ) then kev and i set out and kev tiles and grouts.

whilst kev is doing his thing i go onto the next job and do my strip and prep etc

he then drops onto the 2nd job and i first fix the 1st then move on to job 3

i can fit 3 jobs a month in rather than 2

 

[Time's Ran Out]

just do it all myself, I can trust me to do it how I want it done

Then when your lads leave school they come straight into the business - that way you don't have to find 9k a year for further education.
12 years my son has been with me and I often get a 'morning' on a monday and a 'how much' on a friday. Nothing else in between but its great to work with your son:lol:

 

[united]

Then when your lads leave school they come straight into the business - that way you don't have to find 9k a year for further education.
12 years my son has been with me and I often get a 'morning' on a monday and a 'how much' on a friday. Nothing else in between but its great to work with your son:lol:

Sometimes I wish my Dad had a trade so we could have worked together, my granddad was a very good at a few trades but I was too young to learn from and work with him before he passed away.

 

[White Room]

Work on my own, just me

 

[SandyFloor]

I like to work my own hours and I enjoy my work. I frequently work to 8 or 9 pm on a whim to give myself time off later in the week. Don't think I could deal with a lad wanting to get home for 5pm. I get home when the job is done or well on schedule.

 

[Mouldy]

i too provide a turn key service for bathroom and wetroom instalations and have work booked in to take me to march with a job booked for the whole of april

i have had to turn work away over the last year and have tried to redress the leed time/capacity issues

i considered getting a helper/labourer but decided not to.

i was lucky to meet Kev who now tiles on most of my jobs

i strip out, first fix plumbing, prep (wall boarding, tanking, feature studding, etc etc ) then kev and i set out and kev tiles and grouts.

whilst kev is doing his thing i go onto the next job and do my strip and prep etc

he then drops onto the 2nd job and i first fix the 1st then move on to job 3

i can fit 3 jobs a month in rather than 2

Nice set up. About the same turn around for me, two jobs a month.

 

[Stewart]

I like to work my own hours and I enjoy my work. I frequently work to 8 or 9 pm on a whim to give myself time off later in the week. Don't think I could deal with a lad wanting to get home for 5pm. I get home when the job is done or well on schedule.

When i interview for my apprentices, i stipulate that there is no set time of work and there will be constant overtime (mostly with notice) while the lads don't have a problem with this as they're keen as mustard, there parents normally do. I've lost a couple of good guys because their parents didn't like them working longer hours.

 

[Pebbs]

I am one of the few that did an apprenticeship for my old tight wadded skinflint italian boss. The first few weeks were the worst, I used to go home crying most days it was just brutal, however it taught me one good lesson. Never expect any of the men to do something you couldnt attempt or know how to do yourself. You cant talk the talk and not walk the walk in this game, or the client will crucify you and hang you out to dry. If I hadnt have gone through being on the tools, I couldnt do what I do now. Its made me highly protective of my lads, its all to easy for a pen pusher of a client to think anyone on site is an idiot. The most intelligent, people I have ever met are not the ones who never get their hands dirty, its the genius's who slog their guts out most days.

I have tried a couple of apprentices out with the lads, and it has been nothing but aggro for us, they dont turn up on time, they are always on their mobiles the list goes on. Their mums for the most part are battle axes, because in their minds their sons are still 12 years old, and its ok for them to not go into work, or work at the weekend. They dont take kindly to being told if their son isent man enough to pick the phone up and call me, then he can stay in bed as long as he wants, because we dont want to see him on site ever again.

Lynn

 

[doug boardley]

I am one of the few that did an apprenticeship for my old tight wadded skinflint italian boss. The first few weeks were the worst, I used to go home crying most days it was just brutal, however it taught me one good lesson. Never expect any of the men to do something you couldnt attempt or know how to do yourself. You cant talk the talk and not walk the walk in this game, or the client will crucify you and hang you out to dry. If I hadnt have gone through being on the tools, I couldnt do what I do now. Its made me highly protective of my lads, its all to easy for a pen pusher of a client to think anyone on site is an idiot. The most intelligent, people I have ever met are not the ones who never get their hands dirty, its the genius's who slog their guts out most days.

I have tried a couple of apprentices out with the lads, and it has been nothing but aggro for us, they dont turn up on time, they are always on their mobiles the list goes on. Their mums for the most part are battle axes, because in their minds their sons are still 12 years old, and its ok for them to not go into work, or work at the weekend. They dont take kindly to being told if their son isent man enough to pick the phone up and call me, then he can stay in bed as long as he wants, because we dont want to see him on site ever again.

Lynn

Just like my wife, 14 years a coded welder (mainly stainless steel turbines), now she's a lecturer some of her students thought she'd be a pushover...... how very wrong of them to think that!

 

[SandyFloor]

I always found it odd how some teenagers will throw away a good apprenticeship ( paid training) and then someone in their thirties or forties will spend maybe one or two thousand pounds to get trained. As they say 'youth is wasted on the young.'

 

[chrisroe]

I'm 22 and really strive to do the best I can at anything I do! I think that branding us all as the same is unfair. Grander alot are like you guys say but not all of us!!

I work 4 days a week for kingsmill, 2 12hr days and 2 12hr nights, then on my days and mornings off I'm either tiling or looking for work, I haven't had a day off yet this month and am hoping to do the Same in January, Im trying to build up my experience and make a name for myself, then when I feel I have enough tiling work I can ditch the 18500k from kingsmill. And be my own boss.

I'm up for 5.45 for morning shifts and up at 8.30 when I'm on a tiling job. I don't touch my phone for any reason other than to look at the time or to put music on!!

You will find a decent lad!! If u lived anywhere near me I'd prove it

at last someone in the youths worlds who gives a ****

anyone in this kids area give him a go i would

I employed three kids a year in my old world from the age of 17 to 18 they had to go through the whole of my training in the factory doing the sh** iest jobs through to some quite technical jobs before they were let into the office This took a year to a year and a half before they could even cover the costs of holiday cover and when they stated paying their way my competitors started poaching them

so i knocked it on the head shame really