I'm an excellent tiler*

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

Stage 4 of 6 of kitchen renovations was finished yesterday;tiling the splash board..

I did it myself.Took me a week. I think it's a work of art.












*with apologies to Rainman.

[leo-rcc]

Wow, that looks great padraic. You haz skillz.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

Wow, that looks great padraic. You haz skillz.

Thank you.

The hardest part for me is the patience; that's why it took a week to do 2.5 square metres. Not wise for me to become impatient with a mallet in my hand.

Have been on steep learning curve (I last tiled in1980)

I pass on some pf what I've learned. May save someone some pain and rage,even perhaps some money:

Shop around for your tiles.I used glass mosaic. Saw them on a TV ad for some up market tile shop. Imported from Italy,only $700 a square metre. Then went to a local tile discounter. Same tile, imported from China; $265 a square metre. I bought them.

Not a good idea to use a wood chisel and claw hammer to remove tiles from gypock. You need a nice broad cold chisel (aka a 'brick bolster') and a short handled mallet.

IF you drop said cold chisel down a wall cavity,you cannot retrieve it unless you knock down the wall or perhaps grease a small child and lower it on a rope.

Gyprock is cheap.--$10 was more than enough for the holes in the photo.BUT you also need an expensive gyprock glue and gyprock nails. Of course both come only in a quantity of approximately 100 times more than you need.

After finishing the job.I discovered a tap was leaking.Removing the handle showed it was the doover which was leaking,and that the undo bolt is recessed into the wall. Went to large hardware store.The doover is called 'the spindle.You can repair it with a washer thingie and some special grease. $12.50. A new spindle is $6.75. Of course I had to remove the spindle. The undo bolt is 29mm.The largest size tube spanner sold separately is 29mm. So I bought and found out how to use a pipe spanner.Now have anew tap. Of course, with the new tiles the taps handles and spigot look crappy------I'm thinking of black chrome. Or not.

Two more stages to go: New benchtops; gloss laminex, called "black marble" (about $1200) .Biggest (and most expensive) Floor: large cream tiles,mat finish. The room is 25 X 14 feet. (about $3000 all up) The whole thing should be finished July-August 2012. The entire kitchen should come out at under $7000,spread over 3 years.

[Edwardo Piet]

Fuck, it does look excellent Padriac.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

Fuck, it does look excellent Padriac.

Thank you. I'm pleased and can live with it. (I'm aware of all the errors)

[mem]

It's ACE! Clever you. Can u do mine?

[darkwolf176]

Nice work!