Some advice for someone starting out

[Crocotile]

I was working in retail last year and quit my job to become a laborer. I took a hit in terms of money but wanted to better myself. I've been given the opportunity to learn tiling. I did a few bathrooms with my boss helping me and then recently I tiled a full bathroom on my own, granted it was a small one but I tiled the whole thing, start to finish on my own and grouted it. I'm starting the next bathroom this week coming up and it's a really big bathroom, floor to ceiling with a niche or however you spell it?

Anyway I'm after any advice anyone can give me? I'm really keen and extremely interested. I can't stop looking at different tiling jobs and tools etc. I've bought myself a few bits and will continue to buy more tools to help me. I just wondered what tools I should be buying, even if it seems obvious. I was thinking about getting a splashboy as a few people have recommended them to me. I'm getting a mitre box and hacksaw this week for my beads, just to add a more professional touch. My boss says I have the makings of a good tiler and he even said he can't fault my work so far, he just wants me to be faster as we can't be taking over someone's bathroom for ages while I tile it. If I can start doing it faster and speed up, I'll get more money so I could do with any advice to try and speed up but still keep the same quality. I obsess over some tiles and end up going back to them to alter them which is frustrating. I also struggle to get my batton perfectly level so I end up having to pack the odd tile up a little to make it all level. Apologies for the long winded post!

 

[Time's Ran Out]

I'am all for being keen and wanting to learn, but this is a finishing trade and background knowledge is paramount to a decent job.
See if your boss will send you on a NVQ course and look at the Training side of the forum.
I do wish you good luck but don't take on more than your capable of with limited experience.

 

[LM]

As @timeless john has said and you've already found one of the best resources for knowledge and help there is out there in this forum, spend a few hours a night reading posts of interest to you, there's a thread for everything you can imagine tiling related and don't be shy to ask questions if you don't fully understand something, we all at one point were at the same point of knowledge as you. Always be honest with yourself and take your time, speed will come naturally with experience.

 

[Andy Allen]

What's a splash boy...?

 

[Andy Allen]



 

[WetSaw]

What's a splash boy...?

He's the one who splashes water on you after the wash boy has washed you down.

 

[LM]

Leave the guy alone will ya, give him a chance

 

[GoneGuy]

Welcome to the forum,
As @timeless john and @LEE MAC have said in their posts, anything you need answers for or help explaining your in the right place.
Good luck

 

[Andy Allen]

I do apologise.
It just made me giggle..
I blame paul for going to far..

Follow Johns and Lee's advice and you won't go far wrong.
And good luck !

 

[Lou]

Welcome!

Love your user name!

 

[Flintstone]

There's a tile shop called croc a tile near me. My advice is to not get pressured into rushing. There's always somebody telling you it needs to be done in two days when it's a 3 day job. Just make sure when you leave the job it looks the best you can make it. Packing out and tweaking tiles is all part of it.

 

[bsc ceramics]

croc o tile... I love it
welcome to the forum.
take your time and speed will come.
ask questions, someone on here will know the answer or
give you advise. don't get to down if things don't go right 1st time
it happens to all of us and the best of luck.

 

[Crocotile]

Thanks everyone! A splash boy I thought that's what they were called, evidently not! Anyway are they worth buying? I've been watching tons of youtube videos lately as I'm becoming more obsessed with tiling as it's all new to me. I've noticed people using those lash tile leveling kits with the wedges etc, are they worth using. I tend to just put my straight edge or level across the tiles and check for spaces etc to make sure they're all straight.

I start tiling a bathroom tomorrow, on my own like I said. It's four pretty big walls with two medium sized windows and a niche. I have been told to start with a full tile off the bath meaning I'll have to work my way down from it and then put my battens on etc. It's a bit daunting just being dropped off and having to do it start to finish on my own. I've been told if I do it and grout it in four days I'll get a bonus and it's achievable, a wall a day basically so it's not too bad! I'm slightly worried as I have alimunium mosaics to put a single line of them behind the shower mixer, straight up. I think they will be tricky as I've not done them before.

I can't go on courses etc as I'm full time and have children so I wouldn't have time for it. My boss wouldn't pay for it as I'm learning from him basically. Are there any resources anyone would recommend? Maybe videos to watch or helpful articles? Again apologies for all the text and thanks for the comments!