I want to become a tiler

[MikeyH]

Hiya lads and ladies,

I've considered a change of career for the last few years now, im currently a forklift truck driver on minimum wage bringing home £200 on a flat week, upto £250 with aload of overtime, damn tax man. Im 24 so think its getting to the do it now or never stage and got to do something about it. Absolutely hate being stuck inside the same factory every day and have always considered learning plumbing or tiling, or both.

With not loads of money ive been looking for low price courses and found one for £300 but its only a 4 full day course. I am wondering exactly how much you can learn in 4 days, but i persume the best way of learning is experience.

My plan is to do this course next month, over 2 weekends keeping m current job. And then practice what ive learnt on my own home. Maybe offering family and friends that if they pay for the materials i will do there tiling for free to gain some experience at weekends until i am confident enough to advertise for real work. Do you think this might be a good plan of action? I am kind of expecting a few comments regards to 'these new 4 day tilers are useless! but im after becoming good at it as its something ill enjoy. The fact that ill be able to look at a room with a bare wall, then see it looking hopefully great after ive finished will give me a good bit of satisfaction. And if i did eventually leave my job and become full time, surely i couldnt come home with any less than i am doing now if i can get enough work.

Any advice from experienced tilers about when you first started would be greatly appreciated. Or even better anyone looking for an apprentice around manchester 😉

Thanks

 

[doug boardley]

Hiya Mikey, whilsy I can sympthise with your situation, there are thousands of experienced tilers struggling for work at the moment. You seem to be thinking along the right lines tho' (altho I'm not sure how much you'll learn in 4 days, the basic basics I'd assume) but if you do go ahead with it, your plan to do family and friends bathrooms is a good plan till you gain the quality, confidence and speed to make a career out of it.
Good luck
Doug

 

[david campbell]

:welcome:to the forum

if you don't have any or liitle experience in tiling i would suggest longer than a 4 day course,maybe 4 weeks,even after that you will still have aa lot of learning to do on the job but at least you will have the basic knowledge to get you going in the right direction.after the course you will still have a lot of outlay on tools(expensive),van,business cards andadvertising etc etc.it will also take a while to build up a reputation as a decent and trusted tiler and the pay will not be much different from what you are earning at the moment while you are starting out maybe even less.the best option i would think to go into tiling at the moment is maybe take the course on but keep your job and start tiling on a weekend basis,get people you know to recommend you and start out doing small floors and splashbacks,until you are comfortable with what you are doing and can rely on your phone bringing custom your way.

good luck whatever way you choose to do it

 

[jimbob]

:welcome: Mikey,

I have a slightly different view to Doug and David.....I did a 4 day course myself, just for my own purposes, and from it (along with lots of time researching on this forum) managed to tile my own kitchen and hall floor with underfloor heating, so if the course is any good you should be able to pick up the very basics enough to do your own projects and friends/families. After that it is a case of building up your confidence and your speed (without sacrificing quality). That said, I was nervous enough doing my own work, so I dread to think how I would've coped with the pressure of working for a paying customer, but if you think you can handle it, go for it.

Obviously a longer course can go a bit more in depth, but if I read your post correctly you haven't got the extra cash a longer course will cost you. In my opinion you're on the right tracks with your thinking

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

hi:welcome:

 

[LM Ceramics]

defintley stay in your job at the moment there are loads of quality tilers out of work and should you do a course and advertise straightaway your going to struggle to earn near to what your earning now

i still think a longer course would be better as a 4 day you will only learn the real basics but id suggested practise on friends family etc before you step foot into a paying customers house it takes years to build a reputation but one bad job could destroy it

if you havent got the money then you might aswell go for the 4 day course but that is just one tiny step onto becoming a good tiler

 

[mikethetile]

youve been given sound advice on here mikey and i wont repeat it

things are very bad at the moment and will only pick up slowly

having said that................go for it

you have nothing to lose and with a forks licence you have a fallback

do what you say and go on the course and see if its for you

stay on here as you will learn a great deal from tilers that are at the top of their trade

good luck mate

happy tiling

 

[MikeyH]

thanks lads for the advice its been very helpful. im going to do the course if i cant find a longer one that i can afford. keep reading th forums and watching vids on utube too. seems the case of the right job but wrong time really thanks again ill post back how i get on.

 

[Peter]

IMO it takes hundreds of hours work to have the experience to tackle a paying customers job solo, as I say in all these kinda threads, it would be better to see if you can get a job with a squad of tilers. You should still clear your £200 a week and gain proper experience at the same time. Not really the best time to be going into the game though.

 

[suave]

hi mate,quick one for you,i was in exact same predicament as yourself,chucked my job,done a course got the tools van the lot,as it is quiet out there at the moment iam using this time to practice in my garage and get all the info off this forum,its all here.
what iam saying is keep doing the job your doing,do your course and try build your business up whilst your working i.e tools, van etc,its a big outlay at the start,the tools list goes on and on.If i could turn the clock back i would have kept my job on
and did it that way,hope this helps you decide:welcome:

 

[Andy Allen]

wish i had a fork lift licence ;work is very slow at the moment still it should start to pick up in the next couple of months best thing to do is the 4day coures learn the very basics and try helping out a tiler it will take time but its how most of us 40 somethink tilers started out.

 

[faithhealer]

Mikey , keep your job and do the course anyway, hopefully you have been looking at the Nett one which is the best four day course anywhere. At least this will tell you if you actually like tiling and if you have the aptitude for it. You have nothing to lose at this stage. Even if we weren't in a slump it would be almost impossible to go from zero to earning a living. What are your overheads? family? morgage? Loans? At 24 you are not at the crossroads yet, you SHOULD spend a lot of time reading this forum, it can't give you the experience but it will tell you correct methods and materials. If you get weekend work NEVER work for nothing or all your family and friends will take it as the norm, just ask them to make a contribution as the subject of asking for money can be embarrassing at first but you will soon become hard nosed about it when it's your living!
PM me any time

 

[DHTiling]

Hello Mikey and welcome to tilersforums..


The members above have given some good advice and you won't go far wrong with it...

Good luck for the future and keep using the forums for all the info you will need.

 

[jay]

:welcome:

 

[Aqua Tiling]

:welcome: mikey.

i was 23 when i went on a tiling course and finished in november, i so far have had one job on my own and had 6 days working for another tiler. its not as easy as it sounds, but in the long run i am confident that it is the right career move.

if your looking at a course, i trained at alpine tiling group, gary, who you can find on the sponsers, he does a free taster day, i recommend him.

Hope all goes well for you, but try and keep your job part time at least if you can

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

IMO it takes hundreds of hours work to have the experience to tackle a paying customers job solo, as I say in all these kinda threads, it would be better to see if you can get a job with a squad of tilers. You should still clear your £200 a week and gain proper experience at the same time. Not really the best time to be going into the game though.

All good advice, but as Wingn; says try for a team of tilers, even if you start as a labourer, you will learn more in one day with a pro gang than you will on a expensive 4 week course. Tiling is a mind set, if you are keen, and are willing to learn, you can succeed. I wish you all the best. Good luck

 

[White Room]

Hi and welcome

 

[MikeyH]

Thanks again for all the sound advice. I appreciate it and have taken it all on board. Ive got the day off work today, and am overly keen to have a go at tiling so im off out later to find the cheapest tiles i can find and have a practice in the pantry. Going to do one wall now, and one wall after the course whichever i decide to go on and see the difference. Basically im just having a play around at my own expense will post a picture if you promise to not laugh 😳haha

Thanks again people

 

[faithhealer]

Thanks again for all the sound advice. I appreciate it and have taken it all on board. Ive got the day off work today, and am overly keen to have a go at tiling so im off out later to find the cheapest tiles i can find and have a practice in the pantry. Going to do one wall now, and one wall after the course whichever i decide to go on and see the difference. Basically im just having a play around at my own expense will post a picture if you promise to not laugh 😳haha

Thanks again people

You get honest constructive comments on here, if you take them onboard you'll do ok

 

[albyshellshear]

hello mikey if your determined to become a tiler and your short of the cash, i would do like the boys said, keep your job do the 4 day course start with family and friends then maybe part time evenings and weekends slowley build your confidence

 

[Daz]

You've had some great advice.
Just to add that I have been contacted by a couple of tilers, recently, that have done 4 week courses. I have given them both a try as I am happy to try and develop talent (even if it is future competition ), but the obvious lack of skill and, dare I say, common sense have caused me issues.

My advice would be to maintain your current means of employment, and look for apprenticeship opportunities so that you develop your skills and learn the trade thoroughly.

Good luck mate , good attitude.

 

[Colour Republic]

thanks lads for the advice its been very helpful. im going to do the course if i cant find a longer one that i can afford. keep reading th forums and watching vids on utube too. seems the case of the right job but wrong time really thanks again ill post back how i get on.

Good luck,

Just be careful of what you take from youtube, even some of the professionally produced videos show incorrrect advice (one example has that guy from 'Homes under the Hammer'). A lot of them are designed for the DIY'er, so whilst it will get tiles on the wall it doesn't show the professional methods

 

[div]

hi mate all nice advice above
but a 4 day cousre!! u aint going to learn much.
will try to put this is "nice" words ere.....

u aint got a snowballs chance!!!!

ok.. the regulars on here will tell you ..."yes go for it"..."??
b@@@s@@@....

will be honest here when i see posts like this .."no disrespect" i usually pmsl...why u ask???..well why not go for a "course" in plumbing/elec..more money to be made??

you have to have a good contact base .i.e plumbers/joiner/sparks/...ect ect..

best off.

 

[Colour Republic]

hi mate all nice advice above
but a 4 day cousre!! u aint going to learn much.
will try to put this is "nice" words ere.....

u aint got a snowballs chance!!!!

ok.. the regulars on here will tell you ..."yes go for it"..."??
b@@@s@@@....

will be honest here when i see posts like this .."no disrespect" i usually pmsl...why u ask???..well why not go for a "course" in plumbing/elec..more money to be made??

you have to have a good contact base .i.e plumbers/joiner/sparks/...ect ect..

best off.

I'd have a re-read through the posts Div

 

[div]

LOL...he and MANY other aint got a "snowballs chance"....lets ALL BE HONEST ONLY very GOOD tile fixers will have work in front off them..i know you all have to invite them into your website..."sponsership" an ALL,,,... all pardon the spelling..BUT YOU ALL have to tell them all!!!!

come on ......4/5/6/8/7/8/9....day/weeks cousres were does it stop?

were does the 4year app.. go then not just in this trade but all other trades just look around sites like this and the sponsership ..which i think as more say than the members.

 

[Colour Republic]

LOL...he and MANY other aint got a "snowballs chance"....lets ALL BE HONEST ONLY very GOOD tile fixers will have work in front off them..i know you all have to invite them into your website..."sponsership" an ALL,,,... all pardon the spelling..BUT YOU ALL have to tell them all!!!!

come on ......4/5/6/8/7/8/9....day/weeks cousres were does it stop?

were does the 4year app.. go then not just in this trade but all other trades just look around sites like this and the sponsership ..which i think as more say than the members.

As I say re-read the posts and I think you'll find all of the points you mention are raised

 

[Colour Republic]

Here you go

IMO it takes hundreds of hours work to have the experience to tackle a paying customers job solo, as I say in all these kinda threads, it would be better to see if you can get a job with a squad of tilers.

wish i had a fork lift licence ;work is very slow at the moment still it should start to pick up in the next couple of months best thing to do is the 4day coures learn the very basics and try helping out a tiler it will take time but its how most of us 40 somethink tilers started out.

Mikey , keep your job and do the course anyway, hopefully you have been looking at the Nett one which is the best four day course anywhere.
PM me any time

All good advice, but as Wingn; says try for a team of tilers, even if you start as a labourer, you will learn more in one day with a pro gang than you will on a expensive 4 week course.

hello mikey if your determined to become a tiler and your short of the cash, i would do like the boys said, keep your job do the 4 day course start with family and friends then maybe part time evenings and weekends slowley build your confidence

Just to add that I have been contacted by a couple of tilers, recently, that have done 4 week courses. I have given them both a try as I am happy to try and develop talent (even if it is future competition ), but the obvious lack of skill and, dare I say, common sense have caused me issues.

My advice would be to maintain your current means of employment, and look for apprenticeship opportunities so that you develop your skills and learn the trade thoroughly.

Good luck mate , good attitude.

Surprisingly the guys who offered the most encourgement are the one just starting out, that have gone through a lean spell but are now starting to find work, even more surprising is they followed the advice of the time served tilers.. go figure :crazy:

 

[Stephen G]

Hi, Lokking to find a tiling course in Scotland, any reccomendations .
Cheers
Steve.

 

[Stephen G]

Looking:ninja:

 

[diamondtiling]

LOL...he and MANY other aint got a "snowballs chance"....lets ALL BE HONEST ONLY very GOOD tile fixers will have work in front off them..i know you all have to invite them into your website..."sponsership" an ALL,,,... all pardon the spelling..BUT YOU ALL have to tell them all!!!!

come on ......4/5/6/8/7/8/9....day/weeks cousres were does it stop?

were does the 4year app.. go then not just in this trade but all other trades just look around sites like this and the sponsership ..which i think as more say than the members.

I have read and re-read your posts and don't have a clue what you are trying to say? No punctuation anywhere so your sentence's flow into each other with no meaning.

Getting back to the point in question, new tilers have to start somewhere and a course is an obvious place to begin. Apprenticeships have all but disappeared but if you want to contribute to the work force and to tiling in general Div then why don't you take on a youngster and train them yourself?
If you get stuck at any point then please feel free to post your problem and the professionals on this forum will help you as best they can.
There are other forums out there that seem to be glad of negative people joining them and posting what I call 'cul de sac' questions or answers, in other words the advice is a dead end and gets the reader no where.
This forum finds answers to peoples questions in abundance, we don't do negative.

:mad2:

 

[b30 villain]

if div is looking to take on a nipper the government are providing £2500 for employers who take on 16-18 year olds. Nice bit of advice fellas(well most of ya)