Tiling's getting harder

[peckers]

Steve, you are spot on, I think some trades put their levels in the freezer overnight, so the bubble stays in the middle.:lol:

:lol::lol::lol:

 

[tommyzooom]

Don't worry about speed at the moment,concentrate on the quality, It will stand your business in good stead.
I have been called in to deal with tiles like yours a few times when other "tilers" gave up as they were too difficult to lay, so stick with it

 

[peckers]

I'm fairly new to the trade and think I do a good job but I seem to be too slow, I also wonder if I'm too fussy over lippage but with tiles like this I think you really have to be,

I'm begining to wonder if I'll ever speed up ,...............did anyone else think this when they first started

Speed will come in time! your main aim is to do the job correctly and precisely! to get your speed up you need experience and you will only get experience by doing more jobs! and you get more jobs from being known as a good tiler rather then a fast one!
so you will become faster and better with experience in time.
The main thing is too get your name around as a good tiler for work well done. Speed will come, (and you dont have to be the fastest to win jobs)

 

[Stewart]

Peckers is spot on with his advice........... you get recommended for being a good tiler with an eye for detail, and not a quick tiler who rushes the job to get to the next one. Take your time and do a good job as reputation is king.

 

[DHTiling]

tiling in the real world is a thousand times harder than the course prepares you for, we were told if we can tile the bad bay walls on the course (with a 6 inch tile I may add), then we can tile anything, well guess what..... most of the walls I have had to tile in the real world have been worse! put that with the fact that the customer now wants a tile the size of a barn door, it is not easy

Welcome to the REAL world of a tiler..:lol:

 

[faithhealer]

welcome to the arms 4x4

 

[UKTT Darren]

Some cheap tiles are irregular in size that makes it difficult, on theses, try and go for a bigger spacer joint as this will hide any irregularity or lippage a bit better, On dodgy walls try going up in trowel sizes as well, On the floor use a coin to slide across the tiles as you lay them one by one, if the coin doesnt slide over them smoothly there is a lip so just rub the tile into the adhesive a bit more to reduce the lip, that should help you out a bit

Regards
Darren
NETT

 

[hillhead]

Welcome indeed 4x4,drink anyone? lol.
I have a bathroom and ensuite to start tiling tomorrow with 450x450 square edged polished marble !! most definitely no forgiveness there either but like most on here i love a challenge and take pride in jobs like this.Last week i had 78m2 of 600x600 polished porcelain with square edges,turned out a treat and the joiner even noted it to me and took a fist full of my cards. Stick at it 4x4 and don't worry about speed yet,you will find your pace at some stage.

 

[White Room]

An old clerk of works trick was to roll a coin over the tiled floor, if it took off, trouble ahead

 

[lcjohno]

I'm fairly new to the trade and think I do a good job but I seem to be too slow, I also wonder if I'm too fussy over lippage but with tiles like this I think you really have to be,

I'm begining to wonder if I'll ever speed up ,...............did anyone else think this when they first started​

You will speed up mate, you can never be too fussy either. Speed will come with time, i used to really worry about it but you will get faster without even realising. Doing the job right is the most important thing.
​

 

[BoldreChris]

This week I'm doing a bathroom with 25m2 of 600x400 travertine on the walls - sharp unbevelled edges and it's taking me ages to get them flat and unlipped. I really feel slow today. The guys are right though, concentrate on the quality and the jobs will flood in !

 

[tootall66]

Tiling is indeed getting harder but as someone said it keeps the cowboys away. I recently tiled bathroom walls in 1000x500mm square edge porcelain, the builder said "his tiler" was on holiday & couldnt manage it. I know what that really meant was he wasnt capable, so i charged him a tidy sum & got the job done.
Its a far cry from 26 years ago when i 1st started 99% of tiles were 4" or 6"
What i charge for a square metre now was a weeks wages back then

 

[badger]

main thing when your starting out is to do the job right.you will speed up over time

 

[marktiling]

Thank goodness I am not the only slow (but precise) tiler, only been doing this since April this year and am getting work but its taking a long time. Customers really pleased with end result but at some point going to have to get a bit faster ! I also have faced large tiles (not taught on course) and walls that would be better suited for a off road drive ! Currently working with pebbles which I think have been picked off a beach :yikes: and thats a real challenge doing a floor with them.
Onwards and upwards :lol:

 

[doug boardley]

An old clerk of works trick was to roll a coin over the tiled floor, if it took off, trouble ahead

I believe that Saddam Hussein slid his gun across a marble floor in one of his palaces, he found one slight lip and then made the tiler relay the whole floor. When it was relaid to his satisfaction and his gun didn't hit any lips he picked it up and shot the tiler for not getting it right first time!!:yikes::yikes: