New Tilers Support - 2

[Dan]

If any new tilers are stuck with anything either business-wise or tiling-wise then give us a shout in here and between us we'll see what we can come up with.

Cheers.

p.s. i've closed the old thread and will unstick it as this one gets popular.

 

[baldygeezer]

Hi, I have to fix a line of glass tiles 50mm x 50mm as a horizontal strip between white ceramic tiles. Should I use a different adhesive or use the adhesive that I am using for the rest of the tiling. I am using BAL white star. Thanks

 

[DHTiling]

Whitestar is fine for glass tiles of that size.....use a flexible grout ....

 

[Brindle]

How long...

Hi, I am nearly at the end of bathroom number 3 and am worried that I might be too slow to make a living out of it. I might be jumping the gun a little in being so inexperienced?
How long would you say it took you to build in confidence to tackle bathrooms accurately and quickly.
I have done 3 floors also 7/9/12 m2 which I did feel went smoothly and fairly quickly.
I am trying 100% to be as accurate as possible by the way!

Thanks

Brindle

 

[tiler tom]

What you have to work out is how long it takes you to do a bathroom against how much you are paid and work out wether you are making a weekly living.
Say a 20 metre bathroom takes you 4 days and pays you 400 and you are happy with that then days 5&6 could be used for drumming up more work so you build regular work up. I have found most customers realise there is going to be disruption where tiling is involved and are more interested in a good job rather than somebody who throws them on the wall so if you maintain your accuracy your speed will build up. You must have noticed that by how long it took to do bathroom 3 compared to bathroom 1.
If you post how long it has taken the it would be easier to answer the question more fully.

 

[Brindle]

Thanks Tom. bathroom 2 was approx 20m2 floor to ceiling with border, plus the actual floor too.
It took me around 40 - 50 hours, but that was in fits and starts as easing into tiling from existing job.

Bathroom 3 is smaller but more fiddly. Suppose I just want to run before I can walk. I take your point about the level of disruptuion though and will bear that in mind on next job.
This Forum is a big help to me

 

[baldygeezer]

Thanks for the reply, using Microflex, Thanks again :yes:

 

[woodie]

evening all, it used to take me a few days to do a bathroom when i first started this week it took me a day for a b/room and ensuite so don't worry it'll all come soon, good luck

 

[Varley]

Thats damn good going there woodie

 

[Brindle]

I'm growing in confidence and learning, so it's all good.

Next job......porcelain tiles on floor. The majority of the existing floor is covered in very well laid vinyl tiles. about a metre around the edge was old ceramic tiles, now pulled up, leaving iffy concrete, plus some bits of black c*ap (bitumen?)

Am I ok to self level over the concrete up to the edge of the vinyl. then next day prime it all and lay new over this surface using flexible cement based ad'? The vinyl tiles are very flat and solid.

Cheers