We will populate this advice area soon - Best tile shops and tile suppliers going?

[Dan]

We will populate this advice area very soon. I'm creating prefixes for every tile outlet in the country. And then threads for every one, including independents and smaller companies.

And we want to go visit some, and have them on first name terms.

We want to try and find the ones who advise correctly.

I need 20 questions that we ask them all to test their responses. See how knowledgeable they really are and whether they're advising homeowners correctly

 

[Dumbo]

I spoke to a customer to today who was advised the bct Laura Ashley are robust .
Is that an instant fail

 

[Old Mod]

I need 20 questions that we ask them all to test their responses. See how knowledgeable they really are and whether they're advising homeowners correctly

Requirements for tiling to heated floors on different substrates, Screed, timber, wet and electric.
How soon can you tile a new screed?
How do you tile to an anhydride screed, and how soon?
Do I need special adhesive for anhydride screeds?.
What are the correct preparation methods for liquid screeds?
Can I tile to 6mm overlaid ply?
How do I tile a plywood wall?
What make of PVA is best for tiling?
Can I tile to moisture resistant PB in a shower?
Is cement board ok in a shower?
Give them a bathroom plan and ask for the quants of tiles required.
Do I need to add extra tiles?
Is it easy to fit the tiles myself?
What tools would I need?
I have a new extension, some of the floor is new screed, some is floor boards, is it ok to tile it all?
If I have big tiles, it can be done quicker right?
Do some tiles cost more to fit than others?
I’m sure there’s another thousand you could ask. 🤣

 

[Dan]

Those are the types we want! I'm taking a recorder too, so we can catch their first answer and them correcting themselves. Give them a chance like. But we will soon clock the awesome suppliers. And then those are the ones we want award little trophies too.

Until an association we know. Who just pay each other for their own awards they're giving themselves lmao.

Of course the main reason for this is to get us some traffic. But also push the suppliers who are genuinely good.

 

[Dave]

My local Ctd tend to ring me if they are stuck in advice 😂

 

[Dan]

At least they have the know-how too. A lot bloody guess it seems!

 

[Dumbo]

It only reflects which member of staff you speak to that day.

 

[J Sid]

What's the best adhesive for resin backed stone?
What's adhesive should I use on a painted wall?

 

[Unused Account 1]

The one in a big bag lol

 

[Dumbo]

To be honest I hate tile shops specifying work because no matter how experienced they are they are relying on information given to them by amateurs. They should ask your tiler what he needs and after all if they specified what adhesive ,prep etc and it failed who is everyone going to point the finger at , you guessed it the tiler .

 

[Old Mod]

The unfortunate thing is tho Jerry, clients do ask the retailer first. And because they sell everything, surely you be able to expect them to know.
If I go in to a specialist store, I expect them to know what they’re selling.

 

[Dumbo]

The unfortunate thing is tho Jerry, clients do ask the retailer first. And because they sell everything, surely you be able to expect them to know.
If I go in to a specialist store, I expect them to know what they’re selling.

I actually don't believe that of you , I think you would thoroughly research what you are buying first .
Like Chris Carter used to put at the beginning of the x files
Trust no one

 

[Dan]

It only reflects which member of staff you speak to that day.

Christ. Give me more credit than that lmao.

I'm going to speak to the best of the best mate. See what we have in our industry and let those guys be known.

The likes of Paul C do their research and have quickly become awesome. They need more than pay rises IMO. The amount of bathrooms that look ace and won't fall apart because of the good ones, doesn't get recognised anywhere.

I don't want speak to nephew Bob who's just shelf stacking that day lol

 

[Old Mod]

I actually don't believe that of you , I think you would thoroughly research what you are buying first .
Like Chris Carter used to put at the beginning of the x files
Trust no one

You’re right Jerry, I research as much as I can, but you’ve first got to completely understand what it is you’re buying and why.
I bought a new tv recently, and researched it as best I could for the best all round model for the functions i required.
Do you know how many tv’s say they do the same thing and still vary by as much as 30-40% in cost.
I even took out a which subscription just to read their reviews, and tbh honest after all that research I only had an idea of what I wanted.
And I’ve 6yrs electronics training, so I’m not totally baffled by tech speak.
And yet I still found myself asking a so called specialist in store, and what assumptions did I make from his response to the questions I was asking.
Firstly, I knew more about his products than he did,
And secondly the only model he tried to push was obviously something they needed to get rid of or, the model he’d make most commission on.
Because it was a tv well below the spec I was after.
And honestly, I felt insulted, one because he thought I was an idiot, and two because he was just trying to sell a tv he felt he had to, for whatever reason.
So in short, even tho I had an idea, I turned to a so called professional tv salesman to give me that extra bit of reassurance I needed.
After all, it’s his job, right?
So yeah, he’s the guy I’m gonna ask, not the guy who fits the thing, cos by then it’s too late, I’ve already bought it.
And you can go on about return policy’s and such like, but how many of us can actually be bothered by then.
We normally wait for it to go wrong before we really look at a complaint, and by then it’s too late typically.
So yes, I do expect a salesman in a specialist store or department to know what the hell they're talking about.
I had exactly the same problem the other day speaking to a tech department about their product being used in a steam room I have to build, I hung up on her, she was clueless about her own products, and that was their very own tech department. 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

[Dan]

Our small contribution via a little blog online might help get more of them searching.

At the end of the day the manufacturers spec things. And they nearly all offer training. So it's a case of employers allowing time for them to learn a bit more about products etc maybe.

But I'm hoping we end up with some cool blogs about some good staff at sound stores. Where they really do care.

There are some out there. We just hear a lot of bad because we are the place they go when it's already hit the fan.

I think if we catch some people before they're buying, we might help guide them to the stores where the staff know the score. And save some more jobs from going wrong. While getting some of our tilers jobs. And plugging the firm's and staff involved all at the same time.

I can't actually find a con to all these pros. Not sure why we didn't do this years ago.