Started my First job today

[Matthew77]

Hi all

I started my first job on my own today onsite. I thought i'd be doing a bathroom wall or kitchen splashback, but when i got there I was given a floor to tile in 320 by 320 spanish ceramic tiles. The floor was roughly 5 metres wide by 6 metres long & done in brick fashion.

I was wondering how long would a professional tiler allow to tile this floor & how much if on a metre would be a good price to charge?

It took me 2 hours first thing cleaning out & sweeping up, setting out & trying to work out where to start as the walls arn't very square, then the rest of the day (6 & a half hours) tiling. I guess i'm just under half way done tiling so hoping to finish off tiling tomorrow then grout it over the weekend....hoping.

I'm really hoping that i've set out alright so the tiles will meet the other wall without any cuts or the skirting will cover any errors i made in marking out!
Don't think i've been this nervous in a long time.

Thanks in advance
Matthew

 

[DHTiling]

well done mathew mate...will you post us some pics mate in the gallery.... http://www.tilersforums.com/tilegallery/

 

[GazTech]

Good lad Matt,looks like your well on top...just enjoy the job and I'm sure it will look gr8.....Gaz

 

[brian c]

timescale wise,you should be looking at tiling one day then grouting the next day,some guys would have the 11m2 completed in a day all be it one long day.

 

[devonmark]

don't panic...good luck with the rest of it..Mark.

 

[Matthew77]

Thanks everyone for all your advice.

Nearly finished the tiling today, just a few square metres left to do tomorrow & the grouting.

If I was supplying the mats i wouldn't have gone for a quick setting addy as it goes off too fast so i can only seem to do about a metre of tiles at a time then mix up some more as it's going off in the bucket, I think this slowed me down and the room i was working in was being used as a tea room/store for the site until today when i moved everything out....thats my exuse anyway.

So I think i'll be done in half a day tomorrow so time scale wise i'm a little slow as I expected. Also iI was going to ask for £120 a day but I might go for a square metre rate as then it doesn't matter to the site manager if I'm a bit slower as it still costes the same for him.

If you were me what would be a good price per metre to charge out at?

I'll post some photos tomorrow when i've finished the job.

Thanks again all

Matthew

 

[Perry]

Matt 5 x 6 mts = 30 mts am i right ?

 

[Matthew77]

Matt 5 x 6 mts = 30 mts am i right ?

Yes thats right, it's only roughly tho' as i don't remember off hand the exact dimentions.

 

[Perry]

30 x about 20 = 600 not bad mate

 

[Matthew77]

30 x about 20 = 600 not bad mate

30 metres @ £20 a metre? = £600 so i was quite a way out at £120 A day then?

 

[Perry]

maybe not quite twenty depends where you are and who your working for I'm in an expensive area tends to be a bit more around here good luck keep it going post some pics: Pete

 

[mwss77]

Hi Matt

Don't worry about the time it takes, we have all been there when we first started out, You will pick your speed up as you get the jobs in.

Good luck and post the pics.

 

[Saltire69]

Lo Matthew. Charge what your happy with. I charge £20 m2 but sometimes go on a rate that i'm happy with earning for a weeks wage. So if it's took you 2 1/2 a days what would you be happy with earning if you don't think they will pay £600. £450-£500 not a bad wage for 2 1/2 days work.Might lead to you getting more work from them.

 

[Matthew77]

Hi again

O.k floor is finished now and i've uploaded a few photos onto the gallery, they arn't brillient quality as i only had my camera phone (wil have to go back to do some more work there soon so will take my decent camera and get some better quality photos then, also the shop might be plastered,painted and skirts on so might set the tiling off a bit better)

Well to finish the floor took slightly longer than half a day (that i thought it would take) on my third day. I started at 9am and had finished the tiling off by about half 1, then had to wait for tiles to set, clean & grout the floor, I was there until 8pm...all in all tho' I'm happy with it and have learnt alot about groutng and next time i'll defo make sure i don't work myself into a corner:mad2:.

Thanks again all for all your comments & advice

Matthew

This is the first time i've tryed uploading photos so hope i've done it right?

 

[DHTiling]

Here you go matthew...nice tiling mate....well done.....