how much work for pro tilers involves taking old tiles out

[Stevev]

Hi,
Just wondering roughly what proportion of a pro tillers work is taking out old tiles and making good before refitting.....I'd envisage a high proportion of your job is on new installations done by kitchen fitters and plasters unless its a wet room.....im looking at doing the run of the mill easier stuff..

many thanks

 

[Dan]

Most involves making good. Even plasterers leave a mess and nothing level. A lot of tiles these days are too heavy for skimmed walls so those involve over boarding with either plasterboard or a tile backer board.

 

[Stevev]

but how much involves stripping down would you say?

 

[Qwerty]

On a full bathroom or wet room project I usually spend 2 days stripping out and another 5 prepping, making good etc even before the first tile is laid.
A kitchen splashback may take a couple of hours to strip off

 

[Stevev]

The nub of what I'm trying to get at is...what proportion of a whole typical years work( and please see don't say theres no typical year) or an average of a few years is having to stripping down...jobs such as kitchen/ bathroom splash backs....discounting full wet rooms as I will not be taking them (wet rooms) on for a number of years...can a lot of work be tiling kitchens that have been built from scratch or even a new bathroom(with no wet walk in area) tile around bath

 

[Stef]

but how much involves stripping down would you say?

i don't strip out old tiles, the job is normally ready for me to tile.
I work for a lot of independent house builders that have the job ready for me.
If u go to a private job I recommend joiners, plumbers etc & then I go & tile.

 

[Andy Allen]

The nub of what I'm trying to get at is...what proportion of a whole typical years work( and please see don't say theres no typical year) or an average of a few years is having to stripping down...jobs such as kitchen/ bathroom splash backs....discounting full wet rooms as I will not be taking them (wet rooms) on for a number of years...can a lot of work be tiling kitchens that have been built from scratch or even a new bathroom(with no wet walk in area) tile around bath

You will find most customers want a complete job doing from start to finish.
If I was you I would team up with a good plumber then you can do a complete job.
Not many bathrooms I quote are stripped and ready to go....

 

[Mike ramsdale]

Without your steady stream of work from builders etc youre going to struggle to just turn down jobs because you don't want to do any prep work. As said above most private jobs are going to expext a tiler to say for example take uo a conservatory floor, do whats required to the surface and then tile.

 

[Stef]

Without your steady stream of work from builders etc youre going to struggle to just turn down jobs because you don't want to do any prep work. As said above most private jobs are going to expext a tiler to say for example take up a conservatory floor, do whats required to the surface and then tile.

Eh??
I turn down all prep work, I normally run a 6 month waiting list but I've managed to get that down to 6-8 weeks.
I never struggle for work...

Mike, are you a tiler by trade??

 

[Qwerty]

The nub of what I'm trying to get at is...what proportion of a whole typical years work( and please see don't say theres no typical year) or an average of a few years is having to stripping down...jobs such as kitchen/ bathroom splash backs....discounting full wet rooms as I will not be taking them (wet rooms) on for a number of years...can a lot of work be tiling kitchens that have been built from scratch or even a new bathroom(with no wet walk in area) tile around bath

I'm now curious as to why you want to know? You either are or are not prepared to rip out & prep jobs. One bathroom may take a couple of days to rip out whereas another may take a week. I could never say on average what proportion is spent ripping out in an average year, and to be totally frank I wouldn't care to. I am paid the same for a days ripping out as I am paid for a days tiling, or tanking or services on display fixing. It's all part of my job. Some guys just tile and that's fine. I offer a complete service so it's a bit different

 

[Mike ramsdale]

Eh??
I turn down all prep work, I normally run a 6 month waiting list but I've managed to get that down to 6-8 weeks.
I never struggle for work...

Mike, are you a tiler by trade??

Yeah I am a tiler by trade, qualified plasterer too. I am not saying it's impossible but I assume the original poster is just starting out whereas yousrself has probably built up a reputation as a quality tiler hence the waiting list. You can afford to demand job be ready to lay etc. I just imagine it would be hard to only take jobs that are ready if you are just starting out. I prefer doing my own prep though tbh. Nothing worse than turning up to a job that is 'supposed' to be ready as their neighbour boarded it out etc

 

[Stef]

Yeah I am a tiler by trade, qualified plasterer too. I am not saying it's impossible but I assume the original poster is just starting out whereas yousrself has probably built up a reputation as a quality tiler hence the waiting list. You can afford to demand job be ready to lay etc. I just imagine it would be hard to only take jobs that are ready if you are just starting out. I prefer doing my own prep though tbh. Nothing worse than turning up to a job that is 'supposed' to be ready as their neighbour boarded it out etc

Yeah I agree with your post, when I started out I ripped out a few jobs but I don't do it now.
I'm lucky that there isn't another tiler in my area that leaves the finish that I do.
The builders I work for know the standard I'm looking for & if it's not right then I walk away to the next job, they know that I'm that busy that if they don't do the job that I ask for then they won't get me back.

 

[Spare Tool]

Do most of my own prep but don't actually strip that many tiles off myself, struggling to remember the last one I ripped out, customers are usually quite happy to go in and smash their own tiles off/up..it's the mess they leave behind with their hammer and chisel that usually needs sorting..

 

[Joseph Kover]

Provide all service here, don't trust plasterer.. doing the fixing myself, preps usually takes no more than one day including rip off the tiles (standard size bathroom) and waterproofing. Sometimes do waterproofing following day, but still can tile some surfaces while waterproofing sets.
Last time sent a guy to rip out shower cubical, walls badly damaged by water
I showed him easy rip out since the rendered walls has been covered with plasterboard. Plasterboard came with just hand. He finished in 2hours. Went there next day left wallpaper on walls, adhesive bumps on the wall and floor where the board were fixed, took another 2hours to finish after him. Paid him 70 quid for the 2 hours which I believe is good price for that much work, still I had to finish it off myself. I don't have time for this.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Never - why would anyone want to pay a Tilers rates for a labourers job!

 

[Andy Allen]

Never - why would anyone want to pay a Tilers rates for a labourers job!

Cause they can't be arsed to do it themselves....

 

[Andy Allen]

On a full bathroom or wet room project I usually spend 2 days stripping out and another 5 prepping, making good etc even before the first tile is laid.
A kitchen splashback may take a couple of hours to strip off

Seriously.....7 days to prep a bathroom !!
Dose that include andysday?.

 

[Joseph Kover]

Never - why would anyone want to pay a Tilers rates for a labourers job!

Because labour doesn't give a sh.. , often damage something you pay for it at the end, and the labour can't pay off. Plus you know what is behind and what to do. Customer pays for your 15years of experience not for your actual labour itself only.

 

[Qwerty]

Seriously.....7 days to prep a bathroom !!
Dose that include andysday?.

Rip out
Reboarding
Dry lining/ plastering
Tanking
Plumbing
First fix
Electrics

Pretty good going in my experience. Yes and an andysday in the mix somewhere

 

[Flintstone]

It's rare for me to rip out, maybe a couple a year. Even then I only remove tiles, I don't board or plaster.
Floors, slightly different, I board floors every week, or prep with slc. I remove floor tiles when needed.

 

[Stevev]

lol ...I open a right can of worms lol..nice to read the exchange of views though

 

[Joseph Kover]

Still the best thing I believe, if every individual trade let the other traders do their work for various reasons. First, I don't believe in myth as one trader can do other trades on professional level. On the other hand, it's support the buisiness if one let others to the table and effectively give them work in case they are reliable, as on the long term it's pays off for everybody as traders support each other and recommend each other which brings more client and businesses than try to do everything by themselves. You can still provide full service by involve your partners you trust and you can focus on your profession in case larger projects especially if you re popular among contractors

 

[Andy Allen]

Still the best thing I believe, if every individual trade let the other traders do their work for various reasons. First, I don't believe in myth as one trader can do other trades on professional level. On the other hand, it's support the buisiness if one let others to the table and effectively give them work in case they are reliable, as on the long term it's pays off for everybody as traders support each other and recommend each other which brings more client and businesses than try to do everything by themselves. You can still provide full service by involve your partners you trust and you can focus on your profession in case larger projects especially if you re popular among contractors

Do you think a tiler should trim doors and plinths..?.....