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