Choosing the right tiler
Reading time: 8 minutes
Whether it’s in your bathroom, kitchen, or hallway, tiling is one the most hard-wearing and attractive ways of decorating your home.
As well as being an attractive finish, tiling will also protect your walls and floors from water damage, so with such an important job, it’s vital that you find the righttilerto perform the work. We spoke to some of the experienced tradespeople recommended on MyBuilder to find out the key things you should know in order to make the right choice:
- Look out for experience as much as accreditations
- Make sure you are comfortable with them
- Find out about their pricing
- Check what warranties and guarantees are available
Keeping these points in mind can help you focus on what to look for when you’re meeting with tradespeople and getting quotes for the work. Carry on reading for more details on how to go about finding the right tradesperson for your job.
Look out for experience as much as accreditations
Tiling is a common building skill, that can crop up in a range of projects, from bathroom and kitchen installations, to redecorating jobs, renovations, and even garden landscaping work.
As with many jobs, there are a range of available tradespeople who will be able to take on the project. While many builders, handymen, and kitchen and bathroom fitters may offer tiling services, there are also dedicatedtilerswho devote their careers to perfecting their skills, learning all there is to know about the various techniques and materials available. For larger tiling jobs, a specialist will always be best placed to deal with any issues and answer any questions you have.
When looking for a tradesperson for your project, it’s sensible to speak to ones who have performed similar jobs to the one you have planned. As well as seeing previous examples of their work that they can show you as part of their portfolio, you may also be able to arrange through them to visit their previous jobs - they should be happy to put you in touch with previous clients they have done work for before.Damion Beech of D Beech Tiling, a firm with nearly 100 pieces of positive feedback on MyBuilder, said:
When it comes showing my own experience, I use social media to have a gallery of pictures I can show to people, and if they want to know more, I’m happy to introduce them to previous clients where I’ve done jobs locally.
As well as checking their references, there are other things you can do to check their experience. On MyBuilder, you can read honest feedback on the jobs they have undertaken for homeowners, as well as seeing pictures of the jobs they have taken on. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions as well, about any qualifications they may have, their length of time in the business, or how they’ll approach your own particular job.
有些商人可能属于行业协会。As well as general trade bodies for builders like theFederation of Master Buildersand theGuild of Master Craftsmen, tilers may also belong toThe Tile Association, which inspects the financial and technical performance of its members.
However, it is experience that is the most important thing to look out for. Damion added:
Qualifications aren’t necessarily everything. If someone isn’t qualified, that isn’t the end of it. A lot of the oldertilersmaybe didn’t go to college, but they have years of experience. I’ve met youngtilerswho have lots of qualifications, but they don’t know how to do a lot of jobs because they’ve never come across them.
Make sure you are comfortable with them
As well as knowing if they are experienced with your kind of job, you should simply assess how comfortable you feel with the potential tradespeople. You can do that from your first contact with them; are they polite on the phone, do they arrive for meetings at the scheduled time, do they ask lots of questions about the project?
在整个项目过程中保持良好的沟通是非常必要的。你不应该以和他们成为最好的朋友为目标，但你应该能够有一种专业的关系——你必须感到自在地公开谈论任何可能出现的担忧，并处理任何问题。James Woodham of Akiva Projects, a tiler who went on to set up his own bathroom and kitchen installation firm which has more than 50 pieces of positive feedback on MyBuilder, said:
I believe that every tradesperson that comes into your house should be really friendly, really experienced, really clean and tidy. And they should be able to explain everything to the client. Every time we leave a project I like to think we leave them with knowledge as well. You can never provide a client with too much information. The more you ask them, the more they feel involved in the process, and the more confident they can feel in you.
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Find out about their pricing
Depending on the scale of a job, it can be advisable to meet with, and get quotations from, at least three tradespeople. Particularly on larger jobs, where original estimates have varied, the detail and scope of a tradesperson’s quotation can tell you a lot about their processes.
重要的是要确保所有的报价都是对等的——它们是否包括材料和劳动力，以及增值税?如果商家将移除和处理之前的瓷砖，是否包括在内?准确比较报价的唯一方法是同类比较，并从见过这份工作的人那里获得报价。拿出至少三份报价的样本，可以帮助你发现任何看似不合理的低报价——如果是这样的话，这可能是一个商人想要赢得这份工作的标志，但会通过在构建过程中增加额外成本来弥补真正的价值。Damion said:
The quote needs to include everything, adhesive is very important but people don’t know about it. Sometimes people will see it on the quote and say they’ll go out and buy their own adhesive, but when they see how much it costs they usually come back and ask us to get it.
The price will also depend on how you purchase your tiles. Although you can purchase your own tiles and other materials, such as adhesive, from stores or online, many people prefer to purchase through their tiler, who will often have access to discounts that can be passed on to you. Many prefer to work with particular brands, especially when it comes to grouting and adhesives, so it’s always worth checking.Jamie Murray, a flooring fitter who regularly does tiling projects, has more than 180 pieces of positive feedback on MyBuilder. He said:
It’s very easy to shop around these days when it comes to buying supplies. I often go to show people samples, and they may end up deciding to go and buy it elsewhere. I don’t have a problem with that, but I always tell people I can’t provide any guarantee for products they buy themselves. I’ve had cases where I’ve turned up to do the fitting when they’d had the materials delivered, and it was all the wrong stuff. It slows the whole process down.
After agreeing to a price through an accurate, written quotation, ensure you’re happy with how payment will work. A reputable tradesperson will generally not expect, or ask for, the total value of an expensive job up front. However, a small deposit is not uncommon, especially if the tradesperson is supplying the tiles. Many tradespeople are happy to be paid in cash, but most will now accept cheques or bank transfers. Damion said:
I’m a very regular customer at my local tiling store, so I can get very good discounts - up to 40% because we spend so much in there. So although I might be a little more expensive than other tradespeople due to my experience, I can pass on a huge discount. I pass it all on the customer rather than making a bit extra myself on it.
He added:
If it’s a large job I take a 10% deposit, especially if it’s a chunk of time in my diary where I’ll be turning down other jobs. I take most payments by bank transfer afterwards. I encourage people to use their new kitchens or bathrooms for a week and see how it is, then they can pay a week later once they’re sure they’re happy with it.
Check what warranties and guarantees are available
While tiling jobs are usually straightforward, there is always a chance that something can go wrong. It is sensible to hire a tradesperson who is happy to return to the build to follow-up on their work and make right anything that may have happened since the work finished.
一些建筑商会在他们与房主的最初合同中加入一些这样的内容，而另一些则会提供一个更非正式的安排。世界杯荷兰vs威尔士竞猜像粘合剂这样的材料也可能有保修期，如果通过瓷砖购买，这是值得再次检查。Damion said:
我使用的粘合剂和灌浆有25年的保修期。世界杯荷兰vs威尔士竞猜房主可以寻找使用那些好品牌的瓷砖。我对自己的作品保证五年，但别人供应的产品我就不能保证，所以我总是喜欢自己供应。
If the tradesperson is willing to put you in touch with previous clients to see their work, then it is a good sign that they have maintained good relationships, taken pride in their work, and ensured that they have followed-up on any issues that have arisen. Jamie said:
Most products come with a good warrantee from the manufacturer, so homeowners get some protection in that way. I guarantee my own work, but it’s quite informal - I tell them they’ve got my number, and I’ll be knocking around for a few years yet. They can talk to other customers to know I’m as good as my word, and I’ll always pop back to make anything right.
