no confidence for Travertine job

[bluevin123]

Hi,
I have been tiling for 2 years now and have done about 35 various domestic jobs, of which every customer seems to be happy with which is pleasing.
I hate tiling bathrooms because of the size and the awkwardness and lately have had bad walls.
I now realise this is my fault as I should get the customer to have them plastered to make it easier for myself and to get a better finished look.

The last job I done was a bathroom for a mate and I used 6 tubs of Bal green star,it was 15.5m2...mad I know and not good,but it looked ok in the end and he was more than happy...I pretty much had to back butter every tile and it took me four days to tile.:whistling:

Ive just got really fed up with tiling lately and maybe fancy trying something different from tiling, I just seem to have all the crap jobs and have a nightmare on each one, I know it is lack of experience but its bloody frustrating at times.
The ideal would be to work alongside another tiler just to see how they work, and try to speed up.

Anyway a friend put me onto a bloke who's renevating a house to sell.
I didnt really want to do it as my confidence has been knocked a bit, but I looked at the job and it is two bathrooms, one is gonna have a bath and the other a shower...It is completely empty and it is just plaster board and plastered walls which I hope should go up a treat...This I am starting on Monday...He also wants the whole ground floor tiled, it is just over 50m2 and he is using Travertine...this could be a nice earner but I feel it could be too big a job for me and dont wish to look an idiot.
I have never touched Travertine,let alone work with it, and have heard it can be a nightmare to work with.
It starts in the hallway and goes into about three rooms,I know it would need expansion joints and the setting out could be a nightmare...do you think I should stay away from that job? Im not even sure how to price it.
Im on day rate next week and could be for that,but not quite sure what to do.
Any ideas folks?
Cheers.
Vin.:rolleyes5:

Oh he wants it layed on underfloor heatin too.

 

[Gazzer]

I am going to be very abrupt here and say that if you have fixed 15.5m2 of tiles using 6 tubs of adhesive then you need to get yourself on a real course for tiling. I know you read these forums, i have seen you on here before.
I really dont think you are qualified to fix travertine at all.

A tiler would not have used so much adhesive, They would have prepared the walls or had them prepared.
I feel you are way out of your depth.

 

[bluevin123]

Fair enough Sir Ramic for your harsh words,
I know a tub should do 4-5 mts and certainly wont make that mistake again and I did go on a very good course, but I think most of the learning is done on the job.I know a lot of good tiling is based on the preperation and didnt realise I would use that much adhesive when I began.
Will certainly prioritise the prep from now on.

 

[DHTiling]

The main issue Vinny...is that dispersion adhesive ( tubbed ) shouldn't be used thicker than 3mm really...thats 3mm finished bed depth....

As for the travertine...maybe it is a big project for a first time but that doesn't say it isn't achievable...

 

[david campbell]

also i wouldn't advise you use dispersion adhesives in a wet area such as a bathroom,at the very worst white star or someting similar!

when you are laying the travertine i would suggest you read some of threads on the forum very carefully,take your time and do the prep work properly as these are expensive tiles and could land you in a bit of hot water if you don't leave a good job!


good luck with the job and don't hesitae to ask for help
for trav i would be looking at £**m2,expansion joints every 4m or when going over different substrates,use white adhesive,make sure the tiles are sealed properly maybe several coats as they can stain very easily,make sure your wet saw is spotless before you start preferably a new blade!

 

[White Room]

This should be in the arms so some solid advise can given on the pricing side to help bluevin

 

[DHTiling]

This should be in the arms so some solid advise can given on the pricing side to help this bluevin

Done//

 

[White Room]

More detail on the floor as in screed etc would be helpful, the size of the hallway and the rooms. Is it the setting out that also bothers you, travertine I've found is flat which makes the job alot easier

 

[Rob Z]

Hi Vinny, The best thing that you have going for you right now is that you are wanting to do good work and are thinking about some important issues BEFORE the job and not once you've started (like I see a lot of guys doing :mad2: ).

My advice is to see if one of the experienced guys on this forum will work out some sort of a split with you for this job, you follow their lead and do everything that they direct you to do, and make a few bucks while you are learning on the job. This is a big job to tackle for your first one of the kind and you could really get hammered on this one.

It's a fine line to know when you should stay away from a job and not get burned and having the nerve to tackle something big and end up pushing your self to a new level in the trade. Best of luck on this decision-only you know what you are ready for.

 

[diamondtiling]

I would take Rob's advice on this one Vinnie, your customer will appreciate you admitting it may be a little out of your scope but at least you found someone to do it for him and your earning and learning at the same time.

When you go to a job that has poorly prepped walls/floors then stand your ground mate, tell the customer what needs to be done and how much it will cost before you take on the work, if they are genuine people looking for a first class job then they will accept what you say, if they expect you to just get on with it then you don't need them so just walk away. You will start to get a better class of customer by doing this.
Good luck to you.