Room setting out...

[Brendan]

Hey guys...

Thank you all so much for your positive response. Its nice to know I can come here and get good advice in a positive environment. The end result for this job is that I've walked away. Sad but unfortunately true. I don't know about you guys but I can't work when big brother himself is looking over my shoulder. It makes me uncomfortable and then no doubt I'm just going to be prone to make mistakes.

I worked two days on his job, prepping the splashback because when he removed his old tiles he left pits in the plaster obviously from the way in which he hacked the tiles off. I asked him to get a plasterer in to please fix that as not only was the wall for splashback area so uneven and rough with the dot and dab addy left behind but it was full of holes so what happens? He gets some mentally challenged soul to fill the pits with either addy or plaster what ever it was I couldn't tell but now you shoulda seen what it looked like. To give you an idea of what he expected me to tile from please refer to the pictures I've attached to this reply. Some of the pics show what the splashback looked like with the dot and dab clearly still showing and the pittiful attempt to straighten the window edge. Then look at the pics of what it looked like once I sanded it down and re-skimmed the splashback to try make it tileable. Tell me what you guys think?

Anyway, so in the end....He then comes back with all sorts of things saying stuff like he was going to get someone in again and I shouldn't have spent the most of one day prepping the area. Lack of communication I say, he's just picking at straws now to make me look bad. Not man or beast could tile that splashback, it looked like the remenance of the Island of Malta after the 2nd world war invasion now if any of you have ever been to Malta you'll know exactly what I mean.

Anyway, so the short of it is that I don't get paid for my two days work on site but I used some of his tiles in his house, some I had to cut and so I guess thats my loss. So we're quits by the looks of things. I took all my addy and various other materials back and I left his premises.

Its unfortunate that my first job has to go pear shaped but so you learn I guess. You guys have all suggested that its bad to walk away and I so agree with you but in a situation like this where the customer thinks he knows more about tiling than you do because he's done his "homework" and tries to view a floor with only logic (not taking into account spacer usage and non-rectified tiles) then what do you do? I couldn't convince him that my attempt was valid and that he has a flawed room and if you have a flawed starting point then surely he cannot expect smooth sailing all the way through or expect the tiling to look like you've just walked in bloody atlantis itself.

Anyway, so....There you go. First job lesson learned. I'm in South Africa by the way guys. I did my tile training in the UK to BS 5385. So I think I have a pretty good idea of how to and when to but you see the difference is that in SA we build with bricks and cement ONLY. No no wood. No gas. No double glazing, you know...that kinda thing. The tolerances to which builders build in this country is "S H O C K I N G"...The tolerances to which tilers, tile is beyond shocking. Your average non commercial tiler that takes up a job in a kitchen or someone's bathroom can't afford a wet cutter. They only have manual cutters. Now you tell me how in the hell anyone is going to cut around fittings or wall edges or what have you like I did at this guy's house without a wet cutter?

I'm lucky enough to have a wet cutter because I brought mine with me from England when I left. The answer? They bloody nip it...thats how!!!

If you have a cut around a wall edge then guess what happens with the piece that goes around the wall? It's obviously going to break off isn't it? Well, no matter cuz all the average dude does is take the broken piece and stick it down with the other piece as this is somehow accepted.

So thats why my confidence is a bit busted because here I come with my wet cutter and I work as neat as if I'm doing a floor for the Queen herself and mister "I know because I've asked my friends" comes in and starts making me feel stupid...

No contractor will take on a job so small here because it's just not worth their while, so you're left with having to take on a tiler that has no wet cutter and will make your kitchen floor look pants...

I had to consult on a 4 story penthouse apartment in a swanky part of town the other day and man this must be THE most expensive house I have ever been in. This place was worth R20 Million. Which in GBP is about 1.4Million GBP. Not sure if you guys have been in such posh surroundings but for me it was well huge. This dude, had white marble as thick as my imagination on the floor. The penthouse, has massive round supporting columns around which the white marble had to be shaped so you would imagine that they'd contour the marble around the pillar but no such luck. It was roughley cut with at least 1CM or 1.5CM's gap between the pillar and the edge of the tile.

This is the tolerance to which people work in this country so what am I to do with my perfectionist ways? How do I bridge the gap between being prideful in what I do and being the best tiler I can be when everyone around me tiles like a dogs breakfast? or I have "clever" customers thinking they know more than I do?

Surely if he claims to know how to then what the hell did he get me in for? He may as well do it himself!!!

Anyway, I'm sure you can tell that I'm slightly sore from my first outing. Thank you for reading guys, my rant is officially over!!! Ha ha ha!!!

Kind regards to all of you...

Tileboy )

Everyone learns new lessons everyday m8, and if he was that much of a pain and the place was so bad and he didnt want u to do your job the way u wanted it, then you are right in walking away. Better to loose a job from walking away than doing the job and it looking so bad, as then your name is stuck to that job and it aint worth it m8, like we all say it isnt good to walk away but trust me if he doesnt listen and is being such a pain at the start then it would of got awhole lot worse, so walking away is best choose here.

M8 with the sounds of it, the tilers there just dont care in there work and if you care about your work and take your time and do a great job (o and u sound like you are going to be a good tiler) then people will always remember you and when the word gets around of your good work, u think they going to get in them other tilers to make a mess of things? hell no they be looking you m8 so keep the head up and the work u do good and all will fall into place for you m8

 

[oogabooga]

Tileboy, don't worry too much mate, you're going to run across the odd spanker now and then. Most of these types you've described are very demanding and expect impeccable standards of everyone else but themselves. It's a technique they use to weasel out of paying people what they're due - nitpick about everything so they can justify non or short payment. Thankfully I've only ever run across a few, but have heard of exactly the same ploy used many times on other trades. You soon get to recognise the bad apples and weed them out when quoting jobs. Trust your instincts if you get a bad vibe about a potential customer - don't work for them. Better to make no money than work your ring off and make no money eh?.

My outlook is probably a bit different than others, but a proportion of my work comes from the ability to do tiling, waterproofing, some building construction, floor & wall screeding, plastering, painting, install shower glass, install vanities, a bit of plumbing etc, etc. Obviously local codes will dictate what you can and can't do without formal training, but it's a pain in the butt (as you've found out) when you turn up to a job and despite what you've been assured, it's not ready to tile. It's very handy to possess the skills to sort most things out and get things ready for tile.

I think it would be a wise thing for you upskill yourself so that you can resolve
jobsites issues when they arise. Your customers will be very appreciative and it's more paid work for you. Sure it's a big learning curve, but with the right attitude, training, research, hard slog and time you'll establish a good reputation and be sought after.

By the way, don't they have angle grinders in the land of the Yarpies?, beats the hell out of using nippers:smash:

 

[Gracer]

Thats what I was going to say Oogabooga. About the only time I use a wet saw is if I'm laying stone. Angle grinder for cutting around most fixtures/corners. Different blades for different tiles.

Bad luck on having to walk out on your first job.....can't say I ever have. Been close on many occasions, but when you have already put in a lot of effort, well it seems pointless.

But yeah I hate hovering clients as well. Next time just tell them if they want to watch it will cost extra as they are learning your trade secrets, say it in a jovial manner and they usually get the hint.