Uk Pro Tiling Training - Tiling Courses (formerly Nett)

[UKTT Darren]

UK Trades Training formally (NE Tiling Training) new website at [DLMURL]http://www.uktradestraining.co.uk[/DLMURL]

Best Regards
Darren

 

[UKTT Darren]

Re: North East tiling Training - Tyne & Wear

Anyone looking to do a quality tiling course, check out the feedback on our centre on the last 21 pages
We are one of the longest running tiling training centres in the country
Not only do we teach you tiling, we teach you how to run a full tiling business from keeping accounts, wages, tax, finding work, pricing, measuring and estimating
Regards
Darren

UK Trades Training (formerly NE Tiling Training)

 

[Andrew Case]

So today I started my course with Darren.
I thought I would give a brief run down of each day so others could get a feel for what's on offer and what you can do on a course, if you're interested.
This post is not to instigate a "for or against short courses" debate. That's been done enough. This post is to let future members know what Uk Trades Training has to offer.
Day 1
Arrived and was welcomed with a brew while we did the mandatory health & safety etc.
Then into the tiling area.
Today we have learnt how to set out a room, both walls and floors.
We've practiced dry and wet cuts, straight and curved. Cuts for round obstacles like pedestals etc.
We've used dry and wet cutters, nippers, levels and covered datum lines, floors and walls that run out of plumb/square.
I have set out allowing for obstacles etc an area equivalent to 5 separate rooms inc. corridors etc. The rooms are not all square and walls not all plumb. We've covered splash backs including what to do when counters are level, walls out etc
Tomorrow it's tiling those rooms and also a lot of class room work reference back grounds etc.
The amount of material we have covered today is huge, but very clear.
I've not slept for 3 nights due to being in hospital with my son..... Yet I could still understand it all. Hopefully I'll remember it too ;-)

 

[Dan]

Nice review mate, glad you're enjoying it.

 

[Dave85]

Hi Andrew,

I'm currently saving my pennies to come and do the same course so am looking forward to hearing the rest of your thread!

Do you have any previous experience in this type of work or is it all new to you? I have spent most of my working life in kitchens so have no experience at all!

Are you doing the 1 or 2 week course?

 

[Andrew Case]

Hi
I'm doing 5 day course.
Have tiled in my own house but that's it.

Day 2
Started tiling my wall. This has a sink and pedestal on it and the walls are crap. So preparation needed.
Did 6 rows of tiles in between the bath and sink. 2mm spacing throughout. Cut tiles around the sink including splash back. Scribing them around the curvature of the sink. Tiled around bath. Both required curved cuts.
Then did diamond pattern border, including plunge cut and inset smaller diamond shape. Fairly quick moving as the top of the border needed to be checked for level before the adhesive set.
Clean up.
Then into class room. Really good talk on running a tiling business, how to get extras in a job, pricing and type of work to go for.

Tomorrow is continuing our walls with more design work, angled cuts etc.

 

[Andrew Case]

Ok better do info on day 3 before I fall asleep!
Day 3

Continued with our walls. Was set a design to tile as a feature. Included angled cuts, 2 different colours and plunge cuts.
Then tiled rest of the wall, around sockets and window.
Laid

 

[Andrew Case]

Sorry, pressed wrong button....
Laid out flooring designs and re-capped on setting out floors.
I successfully set out floor tiles in a 3 room layout, including corridors connecting the rooms and obstacles like pedestals, toilets etc!
I've got no problem in setting a floor out now with the way I've been shown.

Tomorrow we tile the window, do all trim, grout up and.....tear it down ready for the next course. Also doing some measuring up and quoting.

I'm attending the Friday not this week but next due to personal circumstances. The program for the Friday will be natural stone, wet rooms, decoupling, waterproofing etc

 

[Andrew Case]

Day 4
Floor tiling training. Then finishing our bays including windows, reveals, trims etc. we also did 3 way mitres for trims which I found quite easy.

Grouted everything up, used the washboy to clean up.

Then finished the day with recap questionnaire and measuring tasks.

As I said above, my 5th day will be next Friday.

 

[Dave85]

Thanks for doing this review Andrew, be sure to let us know how the natural stone day goes on Friday!

What are you planning on doing with your new found skill?

 

[Andrew Case]

Thanks for doing this review Andrew, be sure to let us know how the natural stone day goes on Friday!

What are you planning on doing with your new found skill?

Hi Dave
Have had to move my final day to next week due to family commitments. So will post my final day after that.

I am already decorating for extra money, but am now advertising tiling as my main area. As i've said in other threads, i will only take on work i can do well. I plan on learning from this forum, doing lots of supplier days, maybe even a victorian tiling course next year.
Ive got a few of my own jobs in my house to do to keep up practice while i try and build up business.

Have ordered some cards, van signage etc

 

[Dave85]

It sounds like you have the right idea about how to get started, so hopefully you can prove all the guys wrong that say you need to follow a tiler around for 2 years, because that's how they did it.

I have not seen Victorian tiling courses before, do they do it at uk trades? I live in an area with a large amount of rich people so have often thought that Victorian porch's and steps would work well here.

 

[Andrew Case]

[/QUOTE]
I have not seen Victorian tiling courses before, do they do it at uk trades? I live in an area with a large amount of rich people so have often thought that Victorian porch's and steps would work well here.[/QUOTE]

Able skills down south do it. Its not cheap, but i dont mind paying for training as i enjoy learning new things. Im hopefully going to be doing a venetian plastering course soon. I dont think theres loads of work for it, but again, it interests me.

Ive got no problem in tackling the majority of tiling jobs - but i will always be up front with the customer. I may not be the quickest but i would never leave a job like the cowboys do, even if it was at my expense.
Im fully insured too, even though i am still waiting for my first job. I want everything to be done properly, not last minute

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Andrew you must be a very gifted person, you will have five days tiling in a cubicle under your belt, and you are ordering cards/ signed written van etc. Tiling is not about just bathroom bashing or splash backs. Tiling, true tiling is, was, and always will be a very skilled trade.

I find these kind of posts very offensive, I don't care who I upset, I have been tiling 45yrs time served C&G, worked all over the world. I sit on the TTA fixer training committee, I would like to change this industry so we can bring back the skills, instead of diluting them.

As for Victorian/ geometric work, I get calls on a regular basis from tilers 40yrs experience, asking me for set out advice. If I thought for one second that any tips/ advice I have shared on this fine forum, would encourage people to belittle my trade, or undermine the skill required, skill that takes years to hone to perfection. I would not post again.

I don't know you Andrew, so this is not an attack on you personally. But I do know and respect a lot of TF members who are highly skilled and experienced in this industry, some of them are struggling in the current climate. Sorry to rain on your parade, but I have to voice my opinion. I have come across so many "tilers" in my time. I hope you do well, but you will need a red cape to succeed in tiling after five days.

This could get me banned, but I had to say it.

 

[Ian]

You're perfectly entitled to your opinion Phil, anyone who reads an opinion of yours and doesn't take it on board, is missing out on top advice. Your experience and work allows you to give this opinion.