Book Match Porcelain Veins in the Printed Sheets

[Old Mod]

......so a few weeks before Christmas @GaryTheTiler invited me to embark on a little project with him.
All I really new initially was that it was a job in Hampstead North London, Gary met me at the tube station and drove the rest of the way.
Wasn't far actually, about 500m haha but it is up a very steep hill, so I didn't feel like a fraud.
Sorry I digress! Hahahaha

So the job, approx 220m of Bookmatch Porcel-Thin over two corridors part of a stair well and around a lift shaft.
Not forgetting 7 flights of stairs and 13 landings and half landings, stringers, skirtings and a 3m high bulkhead! Simples!
After a couple more site visits we were starting to get a feel for what was to become a pretty technical project, but one which would be pretty dammed impressive if we pulled it off.

Book Match Porcelain Veins in the Printed Sheets​

Incidently, there's also another 3 lift surrounds plus a couple of walls in another 1200x600 regular 12mm porc to add to the above list.
The project was projected to start mid to late Feb, in actual fact it started mid March.

So as to get a feel for the job and what it might entail, between Christmas and New year I constructed a small 1/10th scale model of the ground floor stairwell and a couple of flights of stairs.
Anal? Perhaps!
But it instantly highlighted problems we would face.


It's late more tomorrow! ............

 

[Old Mod]

Your not telling me it's £30 a metre for work like that

Haha no I'm bloody not! Hahaha

 

[John Benton]

For work like that I'm guessing it should be nearer £70-80 a metre labour minimum or are you on a day rate Marc

 

[Old Mod]

For work like that I'm guessing it should be nearer £70-80 a metre labour minimum or are you on a day rate Marc

I suppose it's a close call as to whether day work would have been an advantage John, we'll have to see as it pans out.
With repetition the stairs will become faster, as like anything else.
The floors, if they get the prep right, will boost things along.
And as we're not in the arms, I'd say I'm not at liberty to discuss anymore!

 

[Rizzle from the Portizzle]

Ok so back to our little job cos u haven't even seen any progress yet!
There was the usual slow start, finding somewhere to store gear and the 2 tonne of adhesives and levellers and so on, and hopefully not too far from where we were working.
Then there was the tile delivery, if I'm not mistaken (Ray can put me straight if I'm wrong) a 150kg approx per box of extremely fragile tiles.
Whilst we did have some help, well we all know how site labourers can be with 'fragile' goods.
And there was about 5-6 sets from memory, oh 2 boxes per set.
So heavy work.
And fortunately no ones gonna try put a box under their arm and walk out with it! Hahaha
It took a few days to settle in and get up and running, but we got there.
So we're a couple of weeks in and things have been less than smooth haha
But that's work for you.
Not from our point of view, we've been pressing on where we can, we just haven't always been able to. But we've all been there.
So I spose I'd better put a pic or two up then! Haha
So this is the result from the model, well partly.
View attachment 80969 View attachment 80970 View attachment 80971 View attachment 80972 View attachment 80973 View attachment 80974 View attachment 80975 View attachment 80977 View attachment 80978

80kg a box of ten tiles 2 boxes a set 160kg fragile is the fear of breaking them so far none

 

[John Benton]

Haha for some reason I thought was in the Arms

How flat are the walls Marc?

 

[Old Mod]

Haha for some reason I thought was in the Arms

How flat are the walls Marc?

To be fair, the render work is excellent John.

 

[Old Mod]

80kg a box of ten tiles 2 boxes a set 160kg fragile is the fear of breaking them so far none

Only 80kg Ray?
I'm getting weak in my old age, they feel a lot heavier! Haha

 

[John Benton]

To be fair, the render work is excellent John.

That's got to help

 

[Unused Account 1]

Obviously you want money for the job ,but knowing you got it right ,just creates more work for you ,excellent,patience

 

[gamma38]

Top job there Marc, looks stunning.

 

[Old Mod]

Cheers Paul,
Whilst I'd love to take all the credit,
The credit goes to @GaryTheTiler mate, without his guidance and knowledge I'd been up........without two paddles, let alone one! Haha
Yeah ok I've carried out that part of the job, but that's the easy bit.
It's Gary's experience that has ultimately given the look.
I'll post the staircase that Gary has completed tomorrow, and u'll see why it's a privilege to work alongside him.

 

[gamma38]

Looking forward to those pics.

 

[Ste-G]

Great job, hat's off to all involved.
Marc I hope you mitred the corners on the model as well

 

[hmtiling]

Awesome work there. Very impressed

 

[Old Mod]

Great job, hat's off to all involved.
Marc I hope you mitred the corners on the model as well

You know I did Steve! Hahaha

 

[Old Mod]

So as I said in my very first post, I was invited by Gary to join him on this project!
I don't know why either, must have been a moment of weakness! Haha
But I'm so incredibly grateful he did!
I have learnt more in the last couple of months being in the company of @GaryTheTiler and @Ray TT @ Porcel-Thin , than I ever thought possible, in a very short space of time.
Both of them are true and utter gentleman, and will gladly give you their time and experience, unconditionally!
And all they ask in return is...........nothing!
Well as long as you pay attention of course!
I have to thank them for being very generous with both their time and patience, and of course, for giving me this opportunity!
Thanks guys, truly!
So whilst I've been doing a bit of wall tiling, Gary has been tackling, amongst other things, the first flight of stairs from the basement up.
Oh and the Bookmatch walls below mine and the basement lift surround in the alternate 1200x600x12mm
and.........also found time to have a week off!
That's also after setting out the job together! Haha
Like I said last night, it's a privilege to work alongside him!
So here it is, the first staircase.
Sorry about the shadows

 

[Italy]

marc has two days to say antonio go look at my work posted !!!
(Marc become heavy as my wife).
Now antonio study well the work of marc. and gary.
then I talk. (Hoping that it understand)

 

[Italy]

So as I said in my very first post, I was invited by Gary to join him on this project!
I don't know why either, must have been a moment of weakness! Haha
But I'm so incredibly grateful he did!
I have learnt more in the last couple of months being in the company of @GaryTheTiler and @Ray TT @ Porcel-Thin , than I ever thought possible, in a very short space of time.
Both of them are true and utter gentleman, and will gladly give you their time and experience, unconditionally!
And all they ask in return is...........nothing!
Well as long as you pay attention of course!
I have to thank them for being very generous with both their time and patience, and of course, for giving me this opportunity!
Thanks guys, truly!
So whilst I've been doing a bit of wall tiling, Gary has been tackling, amongst other things, the first flight of stairs from the basement up.
Oh and the Bookmatch walls below mine and the basement lift surround in the alternate 1200x600x12mm
and.........also found time to have a week off!
That's also after setting out the job together! Haha
Like I said last night, it's a privilege to work alongside him!
So here it is, the first staircase.
Sorry about the shadows
View attachment 80981 View attachment 80982 View attachment 80983 View attachment 80984 View attachment 80985 View attachment 80986 View attachment 80987 View attachment 80988

now I like !!!!!
composition as a model does not convince me)
composition with dark wall is fantastic.
very very compliment to all the protagonists of the work.
good

 

[Old Mod]

Great job, hat's off to all involved.
Marc I hope you mitred the corners on the model as well

Sorry Steve, meant to ask earlier, how u doing mate, how u finding working again?

 

[Ste-G]

Thanks for asking Marc. Good days and bad days but getting easier.

 

[Old Mod]

Kool glad things are getting a bit easier for u mate!

 

[Spud]

Thanks Marc ,
That is high praise indeed , I am lucky that I have got to work with such nice materials , Porcel-thin is so versatile that when fitted correctly it can be used on stairs ,walls floors and is easy to cut , handle and fit
When I started fitting it 5-6 years ago lots of tilers and retailers were not convinced as they could not get their heads around it as it was thin and light weight not realising the benefits of the material, now those same guys are kicking themselves as Porcel-thin is the leading brand of thin tiles in the country and is specified by all the large developers and top architects practices and was marked as one of the companies to watch this year by leading design experts ,
None of this happened by accident Ray has closely worked with the manufacturers to bring the latest designs and best quality products to the market place , we have done training days , work study groups and worked tirelessly developing the fixing techniques , trialling different trowels,adhesives , cutting tools sometimes til the early hours of the morning , there is a fantastic group of tilers on the porcel-thin recommended tilers page on the porcel-thin website and I am lucky to be amongst such a good group of guys fitting these tiles .

 

[Spare Tool]

There's tiling and then there's TILING, this is something else..

Just shows what the right knowledge, skills, planning and materials can achieve

 

[Old Mod]

So the last post for now,
Here are the other areas under way,
You have the Bookmatch wall leading down to the basement.
This is visible as you walk down the main corridor.
And as u can see it gives the impression that the staircase was added after.



At the other end of the corridor as u come in the main entrence , on your right is a feature wall.
U turn left to walk toward the staircase.



We now have to join the two together by tiling the corridor floor in the matt version.

Then there is the lift surround in the basement. These are an alternate 1200x600x12mm porcelain supplied by the builder. Again all externals mitre'd. There are 3 surrounds to do in total.

This first wall is the one u see as u come in the disabled entrance from the car park. Incidentally this floor wil be bookmatched too!



Then there is the surround u've seen bits of around the staircase.



And if u were wondering about protection.



So that's pretty much were we are at the moment.
There are a few other bits I can add as additional information, but in essence that's where the fixings at.
And if u can read past all the larking about in the thread, I hope you can see this is a great job to be involved in, and we hope you enjoy us sharing it with you guys!

 

[MTiler]

Stunning and insane job, youre learning from the best Marc.

 

[Old Mod]

Thanks Sharon!
You're not wrong there!

 

[Lee@emctiles]

very very impressive tiling guys, TTA award awaits you lot next year.

 

[Old Mod]

So next stage completed, bookmatching the entrance lift surround.
Miles of re fabricating factory edges and mitre's yummy!
We'll certainly felt like miles

 

[Unused Account 1]

How are the external corners finished

 

[Old Mod]

How are the external corners finished

How D'u mean Ray?
They're all mitre'd, that's the detail given.