Contract of works - what should I put - Tile Advice

[LM Ceramics]

if your new tiler has agreed to a written contract then there should be no problem i understand that youre taking pre cautions due previous experience but i have to agree if a client came to me with a written contract then id be inclined to walk away as it could be more hassel than its worth but i do understand the money you have pay out.

anyway good luck hopefully second time lucky

 

[tile55]

Hi Guys

You may remember my last thread on the bathroom bodge-up. Well we appear to have found some new tilers (Finesse of Chester) however, I want to draw up a contract of works so there can be no disagreement in expectations before, during or after.

We are having 600*300 laid landscape in a standard pattern (no brick bond) with two strips of mosaics running horizontally round the room - one high and one low (see pictures in the thread I mentioned above) and two different colours of the tiles - with the light running through the centre and the mosaics bordering the light.

So - what can I put in a contract. So far I have


3. Lippage of Tiles - What should I put for this??

4. Mosaics are to be flush to surface of tiles - no undulation, standing proud or sunk, and no twisted individual Mosaics.

5. Grouting - Grouting is to be either flush to the face of the tiles or no lower than the slight chamfer on the edge of the tiles. What size grout line would be best with these tiles??


10. An on site inspection of a recent comparable job,


Now what else should I put down - Sealing corners? straightness of tiles - looking to you guys to help me avoid another disaster and need to get this to them by next weekend.

Cheers

Steve

Good luck in getting the best job that you can, obviously you are paying a lot of money hopefully to get a fantastic result, so no one can blame you for being overly critical or demanding, in fact I would expect it. Your home, your job, your money.

Drawing up a contract shows you have the intent to inspect, criticize and demand the highest level of skill possible from your tiler and to me should be standard when tiling any area.
For all those guys advocating a governing body for the tiling industry I would of thought this would be a no brainer as it protects both the tiler and the client, and could be a legally binding contract between 2 parties.

:3 Personally I wouldn't mention the word lippage, if the tiles are tiled properly you wouldn't have any noticable lipage anywhere, and this should be a bare minimum for any tiling install.
Also No. 4 partly covers this and all you would need to do woud be to add that all tiles should be even and level.

:5 Are the tiles 'rectified' if so then maybe a 2mm grout line would suit, which would possibly be the same grout size as the mosaics.
When mixing mosaics with normal tiles Imo it is always best to have the same grout spacing throughout.

Again I wish you all the best and hope everything goes well for you.:16:

This to me, is what makes this forum so special, although not a tiler you have posted quite a few times, asked for and received help and I'm sure that by doing so, you have helped other people aswel -live long and prosper my good man.

 

[lawrenso]

Might sound a silly question but where are you from

North Wales near Chester

 

[lawrenso]

if your new tiler has agreed to a written contract then there should be no problem i understand that youre taking pre cautions due previous experience but i have to agree if a client came to me with a written contract then id be inclined to walk away as it could be more hassel than its worth but i do understand the money you have pay out.

anyway good luck hopefully second time lucky

Hi LM,

I suppose what I am looking at really with this contract is confidence - it is all well and good somebody saying I can do that, but that is all it is - where as when it comes to agreeing to signing a contract - that should weadle out the ones that definately can't cut the mustard. In the end we only want to protect ourselves the best way we can.

Just had an argument with the original tiler while waiting to board the plane this morning - he denies spot-fixing the tiles now....

Still deciding what to to do there.

Thanks for all your support guys - great forum you have here.

Steve

 

[DHTiling]

Just another point : " tiler to check walls for level " ?
As a customer expecting a top class job, surely you should check and be responsible for ensuring that the walls are level prior to tiler commencing. You need to give the guy a fighting chance of doing that perfect job

It is not upto a customer to say whether the walls or suitable to tile...IMO.

How many times have you turned upto a job and the customer mentioned over the phone etc that the walls have been skimmed/prepped..

Then you turn up and they are nowhere near flat enough, so i think it is a tilers job to check a substrate is good enough for him/her to tile too.

I wouldn't take a customers word for it...




p.s. Good luck steve...Let me know how it goes...i wish i could have come and done it for you but not to be this tme....thanks for the offer though..it's just a shame you have had to undergo this upset.

 

[Fekin]

It is not upto a customer to say whether the walls or suitable to tile...IMO.

How many times have you turned upto a job and the customer mentioned over the phone etc that the walls have been skimmed/prepped..

Then you turn up and they are nowhere near flat enough, so i think it is a tilers job to check a substrate is good enough for him/her to tile too.

I wouldn't take a customers word for it.

Bang on

 

[theyomper]

Had a customer once having a Smallbones Bathroom fitted. He demanded a meeting with all those involved before the work started. His words....' I am paying you for a first class job, I am fussy, if anyone of you does not think that you are capable of the standard that I expect..........Please leave now'
He got a first class job and rewarded all the tradesman with a decent bonus.

So it pays to set the ground rules and more so if you have already been stung. i hope all goes well.

 

[MRMO Technical Services]

Actually I read it yesterday but I had some thoughts about it and today I wanted to read it again because it is very well written