tile setters

[Jim Stradwick]

Im from canada and thinking about moving to scotland,ive been on the tile forum for about two weeks now and it seems that tbe uk tilers are very skilled. Im from ottawa with about a million people and theres only about 12 really good installers

 

[kilty55]

hi jim,hows work in youe area for you just now are you busy?

 

[Polishtradesman]

Only 12 ?

 

[Jim Stradwick]

I work for a big commercial company doing tile and I've got my own business on the side. The commercial company is getting slow but my company is busy
And yes only about 12 really good installers. There are lots in the city but they all suck and they don't charge the proper prices so it makes it harder for the good guys

 

[Muse2k8]

So just like the uk then? Lol

 

[lukeb]

Sounds like no competition.Might apply for a working visa(there will be 13 tilers)LOL!!!

 

[Gazzer]

Sounds like no competition.Might apply for a working visa(there will be 13 tilers)LOL!!!

But still only 12 any good :smilewinkgrin: ( Joke)

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Hi Jim, sounds like the good fixers should be kept busy. But will people pay a little over the standard rate to get a perfect job? seems less and less in the UK will.:mad2:

 

[Jim Stradwick]

You get people that will pay above the rate,but you get lots of cheap ones also.what i find here is youcan ask for a good dollar as long as its your own stuff,if your working for a store youll never get rich. You can just mske ends meet. From what i can tell the uk gets paid more than canada at a sqft rate.

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Hi Jim, not sure the Uk is paying good money atm, we are having the same probs. with unskilled labour also cheap foreign workers, not saying foreign workers are a bad thing, but we have some home grown bloody good tradesmen who are finding things hard , just now.

We also have to try to compete with the four day/ four week courses peeps. I served a five year apprenticeship and I do feel a bit cheated, that I am now trying to win jobs against this type of semi skilled tiler. Please check out my profile/ web site, and then tell me I am whistling Dixie. Sorry for the rant Jim, but I think you might be better off where you are.

 

[hillhead]

:welcome: along Jim.
Ottawa sounds like most cities even here in Ireland.
I'v heard in the last week about Canada looking skilled tradesmen urgently too.
If i went out i'd visit whistler to do a bit of biking,lol.
It's a country i really would love to visit.
Good luck with your move

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Sorry for my rant, I Just feel very strongly about this, my bad.

 

[hillhead]

Dog eat dog out there Phil as we know, not as much work about for the top tilers IMO.
It's the truth and the cheaper 3 day and 2 week coursers are ruining our trade as we know.
Luckily there is not much of these courses in Ireland,lol.

 

[DHTiling]

We have cheap uk tilers , not just foreign workers.

There will always be the cheap brigade.

 

[Polishtradesman]

I think this situation you can feel all over the Europe. Some people call it recession. Prices goes high very fast on whole continent. Live is harder then it used to be just 5 years ago. Canada looks much more recession resistant then Europe.

 

[Polishtradesman]

I am foreign worker but not cheap:smilewinkgrin:

 

[DHTiling]

I am foreign worker but not cheap:smilewinkgrin:

Exactly.

So let's stop this singling out minorities.

 

[Tony73]

sorry, but i am foreign person (eastern europien). i spend 2years in colledge in lithuania, trying to bocome tiler. i allways put my 100% to what i am doing (people call me perfectionist) . i allways kept high rates , and hate tilers, who say they are tilers, but alot of them -rubbish. :whistling:

 

[Tony73]

ups sorry )))0 i am to slow :8:

 

[Tony73]

oooo and i can speak polish :hurray:

 

[Jim Stradwick]

You are both right, we have the same thing here. The government had brought in a 18 week tile coarse and people think they can do the coarse and will be a tile installer. I've had arguments with guys that u can't learn it in 18 weeks . I've been installing for 23 years and I'm still learning things today . I've come to the conclusion it's pretty much the same everywhere and maybe I'm being a little stupid but the best is still the best and we will end up on top. I've lost jobs to them but I've also made those guys look really bad l. Keep the faith and love what u do

 

[John Benton]

We have cheap uk tilers , not just foreign workers.

There will always be the cheap brigade.

Not only that, but a bloke who works for nothing will always be busy !!

 

[Tony73]

cheap=bad quality. people do not come back to bad quality. if you top quality tiler- people do come back. cheap guys sit at hom for few months in the winter

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Amen, to all above, let us all just go about our tiling work, and try to prove we are skilled craftsmen/tradesmen, by showing our skills to the world. It is easy, and always will be, to talk a good job..

 

[Jim Stradwick]

You know what, its great to know that there are other installers who love what they do and take pride in what they do