Mistakes

[tiler tom]

Come on lets face it a person who does not make mistakes has not worked so lets here about some and find out how you managed to get out of it if at all.

I will start the ball rolling with setting out. Some time ago I measured and quoted to tile a bathroom not knowing the size of tile only that it was ceramic and that the tiles were to be ordered. It required 6 linear metres of border as it was taking in a window.
I started the job today and as they were havig a bath wall skimmed and a plumber to do the shower I set about removing existing and tiling the sound walls. As I only had a small range for the border to fall within the window at waist height I could only set out with the border more like shoulder height or so I thought. I asked the customer if she was ok with this as I told her there were problems otherwise and she gave me the go ahead. It was only when I tiled around to the second wall that I realised I could have dropped the datum 50mm and placed the border a tile below. During tiling the customer questioned if it was usual for the border to be at that height so I blagged her that it was not unknow for the border to be at that height and I was governed by the window and shower which she seemed to buy. The husband has to see it yet so I don't know if he will question it as well.

 

[grumpygrouter]

I cut tiles to go behind a toilet. Every thing look fine and dandy until you stood 20' back in the hallway, you could see where they had been cut. Customer wasn't too impressed initially, but I did a doozie of a job cutting tiles to fill the gap (on a slight angle, I may add) to such a fine tolarance that the join was all but invisible.

Customer was delighted and gave me referrals.

Grumpy

 

[tiler tom]

Since starting this thread there have been 32 views and only one post so you lot are perfect eh. Yeah right! :icon_bs:

 

[CLAYS TILES]

well we could be shy

 

[grumpygrouter]

Since starting this thread there have been 32 views and only one post so you lot are perfect eh. Yeah right! :icon_bs:

You tell 'em Tom!

Grumpy

 

[CLAYS TILES]

my first wall job!
everything was going well, getting on with it quite quick, then i was going around the window,inside,trims all looked sweet as a nut!
i stepped back to admire my work once all finished, only grouting out to be done!
to my HORROR i put a FULL TILE around the one side of the window instead of half tile, all the grout lines was out..... i can laugh about it today, i was :furious3: then thou!

 

[ad tiling]

i dont make mistakes, well no major ones that the customer can see

 

[Fekin]

I was doing a bathroom with a mosaic border, tiled the first full window wall, stood back to admire it, then realised I'd forgot to put in the mosaic border

Half the wall tiles quickly off, cut n stuck the border in and then retiled the upper half ahgain, then the customer came in to have a nosey "phew"

 

[DHTiling]

I was tiling 2 bathrooms in a house on site... tiled one and then went to start on the next, just as the site manager came in...he looked at the first room and said nice tiling dave.. just have one problem.. i said what?.. he said wrong tiles they should be in the room your just about to start...ffs i said.. he said just leave it we chose them not customer so it doesnt matter..imagine if it was a customer.:furious3: ...that was a while back now...still laff at it know tho.....

 

[penno]

My very forst job was a kitchen, 10 x 10 tiles, worktop to ceiling. Took me 8 days to do, last day of tiling and the customers were not there as they had gone on holiday (paid me the day before). To my horror on the final wall (small part behind the fridge) when the tiles met the grout lines were about an inch out. Customer had a new fridge that was boxed up that they intended to put in after the tiling was done. Unpacked it and threw it in to hide the tiles behind, left a not saying i hope they dont mind but put the fridge in to save them work. Phoned me the next week to thank me for the tiling and putting the fridge in for them. Just hope they never buy a new fridge and see behind it 🙂

Went out and bought a laser level the very next day

 

[Perry]

Fekin i have done that more than once :yes:

 

[Tilestiles]

Rememeber my first job. Only a small £50 job replacing some tiles round a new shower unit and some box section at back of toilet. Took me about 1 hour to do. Easy this tiling lark and good money too! £50 for an hours work!! Then she asked me to remove the old seal on bath and re-seal. 1.5 days and 3 tubes of silcone later, I did one!! Couldnt for shame ask for the money!! - I am much better at siliconing now tho!! - Lol

 

[tiler tom]

Thats the way boys no shame in dropping one only how you got out of it as well.

 

[Dan]

Many a time i've cut a tile nearly in half and fitted the wrong half, leaving me short. Obviously spotted it though and changed the tile like.

I'm don't think I've made any mistakes that I haven't corrected or let the customer know about (if it's a small mistake).

I can't think of any off the top of my head though.

 

[smokie899]

done that a few times meself big sweat for customer came up for nosey as they always do lol

I was doing a bathroom with a mosaic border, tiled the first full window wall, stood back to admire it, then realised I'd forgot to put in the mosaic border

Half the wall tiles quickly off, cut n stuck the border in and then retiled the upper half ahgain, then the customer came in to have a nosey "phew"

 

[Yorkie]

Not so much as a mistake but more for a bit of revenge (and a giggle) I was working on a site with a right old you know what who was as tight as a goldfishes axxehole when it came to paying up so on the last job I tiled over all the socket openings and also removed the light switch and tiled over that as well, the guy nearly had an hernia when he found out.

 

[Perry]

ant that normal :lol:

 

[grumpygrouter]

Not so much as a mistake but more for a bit of revenge (and a giggle) I was working on a site with a right old you know what who was as tight as a goldfishes axxehole when it came to paying up so on the last job I tiled over all the socket openings and also removed the light switch and tiled over that as well, the guy nearly had an hernia when he found out.

Cool, must remember that one!:lol:

Grumpy

 

[plumbersmate]

a few years ago i was tiling 4 bathrooms with padova 10 on floor and padova 80 on walls. on the 3rd bathroom, and by now thinking i was one hell of a tiler i stood back to admire my work, only to discover that i'd tiled 10 on walls as well as floor. asked customer if he fancied a change in his 3rd bathroom - he didn't, so had to take them off, take them home and wash them!!!!!! of course it was down to poor lighting, not a mistake.

 

[devonmark]

did my mums bathroom, when i finished she asked why i hadn't put up the border...f*&k i'd forgotten...just thought i'd save you money i said...take them back..she did and got £40 something back...

 

[Perry]

try telling that one to a customer :lol:

 

[smokey1234x]

was doing bathroom walls,it was brick affect i was half way up when i noticed i had 2 rows with the joints lined up,quickest i ever took tiles off she walked in and asked me wat i was doing,told her i was just testing her. lol

 

[mikedavey]

Done my first full bathroom.........the tiles went behind the sink so i unscrewed it from the wall to gain access for removing them. As i was chiselling tiles behind sink i slipped with chisel & cracked the sink......had to buy a new sink £100 :huh2:

Also when i fiitted it back to the wall i must of disturbed the water pipes as it leaked during the night & there was a nice puddle in their kitchen......another 80 quid to pay them back for plumber.

Did make much on this job...... oh, got liability insurance now, luckily not much damage with leak as this could of cost me loads.

Also used wrong addy on the wooden box sections & tiles won't stay up for long. (A couple fell off the following day):mad2:

On my first day there the customer said that when i finish her bathroom could i measure up & quote her en suite for tiling............funny......she never asked me again after i had finished her bathroom

 

[Home Tiler]

one of my first jobs ...was a kitchen splash back with a picture of a fruit bowl on it (to be placed at hob area)...6 tiles in all..."infact it is in my gallery"...i was really looking forward to putting it up...well...seeing the customer took the hob of the wall...i went straight through with the picture tiles ...great i thought ..so took a picture of it ..took it home ..and to my horror realised the picture was far to low.. and to near the work top....
mentioned it to "gaz tops" and he said get it sorted it doesn't look right....lol.....so i went back at 11.30pm removed tiles and highered it...pmsl...thank god the house was empty!!
and of course when i told DH and Gaz that i highered it ..they decided that it would of been ok if i left it at that hieght lol
rotten gits....good laugh though...and to be honest it deffo needed highering...
so what i do now is use red CHALK on walls before i place all picture tiles on wall...it's a good tip as well because it stands out and gives you a good idea how it will look....lol
Steve

 

[baht'at]

Still learning.
Did a splash back a few weeks back behind an aga which was on but had asked if could be turned off before i started but customer didnt like that idea as would be to dificult to relite.
If had been cold would have covered chrome tops with sticky backed floor protector but couldnt so covered with only dust sheets but these started to steam/ smoke and only covered infront of area working on but on moving sheet hadnt noticed small blob of adhesive which went on the other chrome cover and cooked rock hard .Removed the blob with finger nail but the damage was done and it left small scratch marks and have had to replce the chrome cover (cost more than the job ).
After talking to the supplier it isnt dificult to relite an AGA after initial start up period .
And NEVER EVER EVER put polyesta sheets on a hot one as you will cling wrap the thing.
So to all newbies just a word of warning.
Richard

 

[enduro]

I was sent to a house by a builder i do a lot of work for who told me his guys were on site, got there the guys showed me the tiles and the hallway floor i had to tile 8sq. The customer was away on holiday and was back the following day, so i got on with it loads of cutting etc anyway got it layed that day and turned up next day to grout, got it grouted around ten and customer arrived back and said to me... you do realise i want the laid diagonally like the tiles in the kitchen i was :furious3: i phoned the builder he said oh yes i forgot to mention that, all had to come up and be relayed got paid for both jobs but a bloody nightmare.

 

[Ric]

Doing job for a friend and we were doing prep work, just taken tiles off behind toilet and sat down for a rest, we were talking then went quiet and there was hissing noise!!!! yes water coming out of join between cistern and main part of loo!!! (disturbed seal) then i realised hadn't put temporary tile back behind cistern so it was exactly as it was before!!!! so thats a wee tip keep loo in the same position !

 

[brummie tiler]

did a splasback the once in what i thought was a mixture of brown and beige tiles. finished the tiling by about 3, and thought great two boxes left over ill take em back for a bit of beer money. upon looking closer the two boxes left were the white which was also supposed to be on the walls!! luckily the adhesive hadnt gone off properly so it wasnt to difficult to go round popping in some random whites. LESSON LEARNED - Check all boxes before you start!

 

[Holohana]

yeah ive done that. Was told when i looked at the job 3 or maybe 4 tile colours.

When i got there weeks later found the tiles only 3 colours so cracked on.

Thought we were running low but just made it amazingly considering there was a box round the corner in another colour! Oops!

Good job a property developer and cheep finish! Left as was and everyone happy.