K
kins73
I know there is some dislike by the 'established' tiling community to the one weekers' but having just got back from a distraught lady you have got to hear this!!
Yes I only did a weeks course at Alpine, yes I am just a beginner and yes I have lots to learn BUT what i have seen tonight is just terrible.
This lady paid 800 quid plus for porcelain floor tiles to be fitted to kitchen/diner. The tiler, experience of 25 years (apparently) wanted to use 6mm ply to overboard the floor boards. My client asked at the local tile shop with regard to this overboarding and they recommended 9mm!!
The problem is that all the grouting has cracked- I asked as to how soon it cracked after fitting and she said "the next morning". She has tried to get the tiler back to rectify the problem who has said that the cracking "is nothing to worry about" and it turns out he is from liverpool and regularly works down here in the Bristol/Bath region.
What worrys me- which is to be confirmed by a building surveyor is that to start with the ply wood boarding is totally insufficient, it should be aminimum of 12mm and should really be 18mm. The wood may not have been primed which may go someway to explain the cracking in the grout, also the most important fact is that I think he has not used a flexible adhesive and grout.
The lady showed me a tub of the adhesive which was left in the front garden with offcuts of the tiles- the tiler denied was his!! It is a product that Is certainly NOT flexible and not for floor use.
So basically I feel that someone who claims to have 25 years experience in tiling should know better, should know how to prep the substrate, should know what products to use and certainly should not let someone down in this way.
I have been asked to quote for ripping it all up and re doing it properly, which is a good for me but not great for the poor lady who feels totally ripped off.
So there are decent, proper caring tilers out there who are new but are willing to learn!!
Neil
Yes I only did a weeks course at Alpine, yes I am just a beginner and yes I have lots to learn BUT what i have seen tonight is just terrible.
This lady paid 800 quid plus for porcelain floor tiles to be fitted to kitchen/diner. The tiler, experience of 25 years (apparently) wanted to use 6mm ply to overboard the floor boards. My client asked at the local tile shop with regard to this overboarding and they recommended 9mm!!
The problem is that all the grouting has cracked- I asked as to how soon it cracked after fitting and she said "the next morning". She has tried to get the tiler back to rectify the problem who has said that the cracking "is nothing to worry about" and it turns out he is from liverpool and regularly works down here in the Bristol/Bath region.
What worrys me- which is to be confirmed by a building surveyor is that to start with the ply wood boarding is totally insufficient, it should be aminimum of 12mm and should really be 18mm. The wood may not have been primed which may go someway to explain the cracking in the grout, also the most important fact is that I think he has not used a flexible adhesive and grout.
The lady showed me a tub of the adhesive which was left in the front garden with offcuts of the tiles- the tiler denied was his!! It is a product that Is certainly NOT flexible and not for floor use.
So basically I feel that someone who claims to have 25 years experience in tiling should know better, should know how to prep the substrate, should know what products to use and certainly should not let someone down in this way.
I have been asked to quote for ripping it all up and re doing it properly, which is a good for me but not great for the poor lady who feels totally ripped off.
So there are decent, proper caring tilers out there who are new but are willing to learn!!
Neil
