Problems with Tiler - Advice Please

mighty_mondo

first of all let me say that is a shame you've had a bad experience, it really gets on my nerves when people get 'bumped' by dodgy tradesmen giving us decent guys a bad rep

i went to see a floor that a member of my extended family paid a firm to come in and lay and their finishing is pure cr*p, they now want me to try to fix it.

they are in the same boat as you although its flooring not tiles but ive explained the same to them, its them that has to live with it so if they are really not happy with the first job they need to start over

As for your choice of 2 new tilers.....dont be put off cos the guy has tattoos - so do i!! lol

best ask them for addresses of people locally who they have done work for to allow you to check quality so as not to get stung twice

medders2604

Have you tried ratedpeople.co.uk I have just used them for the first time and read the individual trades persons reviews before choosing.

To help you decide between these 2 have you thought about asking for references?

TomsMom

Definitely ask these new tilers if you can see some of their previous work. If you've explained your situation then they should have no objections to you wanting to make sure you're not getting stung a second time, also if they're good they'd be proud to show off their work.

Shame on the tilers recommended by the shop. Doesn't matter that it's a smallish job, it's still two days work. One day they might be grateful of that!

And don't be put off by the tattoos. We used to own a small family restaurant, hairy bikers and tattooed people used to come in occasionally, apologising for their appearance and asking if they could come in - they were always lovely. And a young lady I know who has tattoos and piercings is the sweetest girl you could meet!

caveat_emptor

Consider putting up a false ceiling, because if the ceiling's that far out I can't see how the tiling can be improved. I had a very rough ceiling and putting a false one about 20 mm below it sorted the problem.

Rockporkchop

To be honest, I don't think I would choose either of them. The rates don't add up and some of the things they are saying are rubbish. I live just outside London and the average price for a tiler is £35 per square metre, so way off their figures. Your choice of tile does make it a bit more difficult though. I always find that the massive tiles like pavement slabs are harder to put up as the cuts show up more, there is more wastage and you don't have much tolerance if the walls are out. It is much easier to get a perfect job on smaller tiles and they always look great once grouted.

Are you really set on having tiles? How about a nice all in one laminate splashback all round your bathroom?!!

vaio

If ceiling isn’t level then there is going to have to be a sloping cut which would niggle me every time I saw it so I’d get the ceiling sorted first.

On the pricing, the recommended tillers wants £500, that sounds about right for three days and I’d go with him unless I had seen good work and good references for the cheaper ones.

rachbc

even a brilliant tiler can't compensate for the fact that the ceiling isn't level - so even if they do a great job you will still have it uneven at the top unless you out it a false ceiling first

thechippy

Whenever I see a client to quote for tiling, I take a spirit level to check walls ceiling and floor so I know what I'm up against.

I would start the tiling in a place where the top and bottom rows will be a cut. This way you can follow the slope and it may not notice too much if it's 25mm out over a reasonable distance.

Personally I do not quote on the basis of £ p.sqm. I simply try to estimate how long it will take to tile to a high standard taking into account any anomolies and then apply my day rate.

Tiles, adhesive and grout are expensive and the tiles are usually going to be up for a long time, so it's worth getting it done properly.

I'd definately remove them, make good the walls and start again....;)

lagi

In relation to your 2 quoters. I can understand your weary but you have to get this finished.

No 1: Tattoos wouldn't make him a better or worse tiler (unless hes just had them done and his body is sore.) The fact that he doesn't want to take anything else on is not a bad thing, he knows his limits. Hes a tiler so why should he be good at fitting shower screens?

No 2: He said he thinks you have to be corgi to remove a radiator, i have heard people say similar things. Even had a plumber say i can't move a condensing pipe inside. Again he probably only knows one thing.

Price compared to a shops fitter is going to seem better. To me personally both prices would be too dear, so don't think they are that cheap somethings wrong.

My suggestion would be go for one of them, explain to them you have been stitched, you will check their work at the end of the first day and if your happy they can continue if not they are off the job unpaid. I am sure if they are confident in their work they would agree to this. By now you should be much more aware of what you should be looking for, you will know by lunch time if they are doing a good job. Don't be intimidated to get in there with your own spirit level while they are working. Your the customer.

mandragora_2

There's only one thing you can do, to reassure yourself - ask them if they've done any work locally (even within 20 miles or so, if you're prepared to travel) and whether or not their customers would be willing to be contacted by you, so that you can speak to them, or best of all, go and see the job they've done. We had some tiling done about 10 years ago now - very expensive tiles, so I wasn't going to risk the job being spoilt by poor workmanship. It came down to a choice between two tilers. One of them had done the loos at a local pub, so they were easy to go and have a look at, the other had done a job on a new-build estate that we went and viewed. This was reassuring, and both were fine, so in that instance it came down to money - the cheaper guy got the work, and he did a fabulous job.