20 Day Professional Career change tiling course Posted on 21/08/2007 at 21:32 PM This 20 day training course was developed over 12 months ago with the career change in mind. We felt that a full course along with a FREE help and support line after training from 8-00am to 9-00pm over 7 days would be perfect to get you earning in this exciting high demand industry. This is our 4 week advanced tiling course, this course includes all aspects of tiling and far more........................ Through the 4 weeks with us you will be taught all the following to an exceptional level:~ * Welcome to PITT Ltd and Health & Safety * Backgrounds for wall and floors * Cutting of tiles wall and floor (by hand, dry rail cutting & wet wheel cutting) * Setting out in a multiple of areas * Basic on Adhesives & Grout\'s * Presentation from Building Adhesives Ltd on all their products. * Presentation from H & R Johnson\'s on their tiles. * Fix Battens * Tiling Tools in full * Application methods * Fixing of ceramic tiling * Application of plastic & metal trims * Mitring trims * Movement joints * Customer service * Measuring & quantities * Installation of underfloor heating * Wet room installation * Waterproof membrane * Water plumbing * Laying of natural stone * Sealing of natural stone * Stone Restoration * Architectural specifications * Fixing large format tiles to wall & floors * Fixing intermediate movement joints * Natural Stone sealers and protectors * Cosmetic repair * After training support for 91 hours each and every week * Training to British Standards 5385, 5980, 8000 * Free help 24/7 with our very own forum www.tileforums.com * No other training provider gives this service. You can try our 3 day taster course first to see if tiling is for you then have the cost taken off the 20 day course should you want to take tiling to the advanced level. See our latest news section for ex-delegates comments. Please call 01782 566166 to discuss this course in more detail. PITT Ltd and Grand Designs Posted on 15/04/2007 at 21:29 PM PITT Ltd 4 week tiling course always runs a real on site job after training, a few months ago the delegates got the chance to work on the Grand Designs project, click the link to see this church turned into a family home, some 200 square metres of tiling was carried out. Click this link Grand Designs and PITT Ltd Training Centres Like a lot of people i thought long and hard before finally taking the plunge and doing the 10 day wall and floor course. I looked at various courses on the web but always ended up back at the Pitt website as it just seemed so professional and the feedback was very positive. So in Feb this year i did the wall course then last week (April 9th) the floor course.Everything about both courses was superb! the facility, the food but most of all the staff to whom nothing was too much trouble.Jasons teachings were excellent and if there was something you were\'nt sure of he would spend time with you until you were sure. So thank you Paul, Jase, Kev, Phil and all the office girls for a really great two weeks, i feel that Pitt have given me the knowledge and confidence to go ahead and make a career from tiling the rest is up to me but with the superb technical back up and these forums i am very confident of succeeding. Thanks once again. David Apr 15 2007, 08:25 PM gers4ever ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have to say I have just got my second job using the Schluter Systems samples books, the knowledge gained from PITT and Aquamix products. Three other tilers had quoted but the man wanted black grout on the black tiles and champagne grout on the cream tiles next to each other and stainless steel profiles around his windows. I just stood and said no problem got the samples books out from Schluter, explained to him about the setting out cos he\'s got lots of sockets and it will work out that the black and cream colour change row will fall right in the middle of each socket. Then explained about grout colorant and properties etc. Then gave him my quote which he told me about 10 minutes later was 3 x the highest estimate he had. Then just said but you are going to do it for us because you listened to what we want and you made it possible. The moral is I can and they couldn\'t!!! Just shows that extra training pays off I\'ve made enough money to pay for the Aquamix course from one grout coloring job Kev Apr 10 2007, 09:06 AM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello All Just a quick update to anyone who\'s replied to any of my posts. After numerous questions and quizzing, I decide the best thing to do was to visit PITT themselves, so this afternoon I drove for an hour to see them. When I arrived, I was greeted at the door, and offered coffee now that doesn\'t happen when I go shopping I was greeted by Phil ( hello mate ) and taken into the treasure trove that is PITT\'s stock warehouse With no idea of what I actually wanted to buy, I spent the next 2 hours been talked through everything from which product, to how to apply it. Phil helped me work out everything, except how to get my credit card out at no point was anything pushed on me, unlike others who want to sell to you and make you dissapear, I asked about certain buying certain items, and he told me I wouldn\'t need them, now any sales manager would S**T at that, push your ware on to the punter, but it was quite the opposite and it works, I came away with everything I needed to do the job, no silly extras or gimmicks, and I felt like I\'d been truly looked after. I know it always seem\'s a bit dubious when you read posts like this, you tend to think it\'s a relative or friend just helping to plug the site. I can assure you 100% I have no affiliation with PITT, but what I can assure you is, that after just one visit it\'s evident that this is a true proffesional business in every sense of the word. I would expect this kind of service buying a million pound house.......not a £10 bag of grout, it\'s so nice to be made welcome. Paul.... You have truly set up a company that offers everything that a customer expects to receive, your staff are both polite and friendly and are clearly knowledgeable of their trade, I wish you all the luck in the world for the future, and don\'t be suprised if I\'m not pitching up for one of your courses in the future. Phil.... A massive thank you for all the time you spent ensuring I got what I needed, I can\'t really say enough without sounding like a fool, but I\'m sure you know anyway, not only did you give me good advice, you saved me money, which is important to anyone, I can\'t wait to get those silicone tools going and she did want the chrome trims And finally thank\'s to everyone who has taken the time to reply to my posts, all your help is welcome, and you ain\'t heard the last from me. Best wishes to all Jed. Jan 27 2007, 11:24 PM Glad I could help Jed, hope the tiling goes well and I am sure youwill have fun with those silicon tools . Let us know how you do. Phil Jan 28 2007, 08:58 PM Well, it would be nice if all the guys out there that doubt PITT, made the same effort as Jed to find out for themselves what they are missing. They may well not be so quick to slag off a company that really does care about the tiling industry!!!!!! Dale DWT Tiling & Bathrooms Jan 28 2007, 11:46 PM Totaly agree dale, nice 1 TANKER Jan 29 2007, 10:06 PM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NOT A DELEGATE COMMENT BUT STILL WORTH A MENTION The trades direct part of our business is just as professional. Thanks for the reply. after taking a look at Trades Direct I realised that they (and of course PITT) are 20 minutes down the road from me! I popped in yesterday and would like to say a big thanks to all there, but especially Phil who took over half an hour to sort me out (that\'s a compliment!!!!) Me being a humble DIYer looking to buy some \'decent\' products, with a piece of my cut stone in hand seeking advice was met by (at one point) 4 of the PITT Professionals, taken into their workshop, during their lunch break (sorry about that) and then given the considered opinions on the best products that would most suit my needs. It would have been easy for them to just send me away (I haven\'t even been on a course there and only discovered them a week or so back), or to have just sold me several expensive products, but gentlemen, you are a credit to your profession and I have no doubt having seen your set-up that your approach to training is equally professional. It was a pleasure being there listening to your advice, with Phil listing the individual products for me, and sending me away with the \'stage 1\' gear that I need. What\'s more, the \'off the shelf\' price to me, a DIYer was £50 cheaper than a certain well known \'big\' tile outlet, and their quote didn\'t include sealers and the two trowels that I will need! All in all I can highly recommend the establishment. As requested, you name will be remembered and passed on by me whenever appropriate.....and if I make a pig\'s ear of the job I will be looking for a half decent tiler to sort me out!! Jan 19 2007, 07:32 PM Pilot Pete ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi Jase/Paul Just a quickie to thank you for your time spent today showing me round the centre & confirming the info I\'ve read from your site & Forum. I did also get a lot more useful info which has definitely swayed me to come & do my training at PITT. Just a bit of figure crunching at mo but hope to make a booking in next few days... Great to speak to both of you! I couldn\'t have asked for a more spot on, enthusiastic approach from Jase. Nice one & I\'m sure it\'s gonna be good!! I think the website, asks for suitable clothing you don\'t mind getting dirty...I think I can pick up one of them Red n White Striped shirts just to knock about in...He! He! Cheers Guys & Many Thanks. Look forward to catching up with you soon & in meantime will spend plenty time on here, getting some inside scoop & networking with others. Cheers Andy Jan 15 2007, 07:37 PM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- hi i did the 10 day wall & floor course in december and can assure you its well worth it. can\'t believe how much i learnt. hopefully going to come back and do a plumbing course too when i can afford it. Jan 3 2007, 01:52 PM Taken from tileforums.com http://www.tileforums.com/index.php?showtopic=2822 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E Mail to PITT Hi Paul, came on the brilliant 3 week course in Oct but didnt register on `Find a Tiler` is there any chance? I did send email to Jase but i dont know if he`s on holiday. KPS Tiling and Supplies, LongEaton, Nottingham and Derby area. Just about all set up for the New Year so fingers crossed it will work out? Once again thanks for a Brilliant and Professional Course and a MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all. Regards Paul Scanlon ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Paul & everyone at PITT, I am writing this to update you all on where we are at, I say we as its Cheryl writing this not Tony he,s working none stop at the moment and I did promise you we would put something on I still havent thanked you all for the fantastic course I did with you (Natural Stone) I have two jobs on at present (Sealing a Bathroom which Tony is tiling at the moment and re-coloring grout on a Kitchen floor) and a number of others lined up for next year, I have also sold a number of products to a contractor and private customers we deal with For those who know nothing about us Tony started tiling part time about 18 months ago but only did the Pitt course about 4 months ago, since then he has given up his Factory job, we have two building contractors who regularly give us work, he has just tiled a number of bathrooms at a place called Dunepoint in Lytham St. Annes, the development won an Award in the Daily Mail Northwest property inovation awards, I know many of you have had knighmares with site work but there are still a number of developers who still look for quality, put your price in and don\'t worry if they are not prepared to pay its not worth your time or expertise. We have just recieved an application to tender for a houseing assosiation for the renovation of 300 properties we are not going to touch it for the simple reason the terms & conditions are terrible it reads like payment will never be recieved, its just not worth it, read everything! I have done the Natural Stone course so I do the sealing, cleaning, recolouring etc. I also do all the admin, we have recently taken on our first empolyee on a Part time basis, he helps out with the grouting etc In the new year we are looking at getting a small storage unit, and hopefully another van, when we take on a new tiler it goes without saying they will be from or sent to Pitt for training Due to the training we have recieved from Pitt the Property Developers we work for take us seriously and ring for advice in regard to there tiling they are looking at the soundproofing systems developed by Bal for there next development & sealing the grout Yes, things are tight money wise due to all equipment products we need etc but we are managing and recon we may almost breakeven by Feb. 6 months after going it alone, anyone out there who is scared so where we but with pitts help & support we are looking forward to next year the quality of work Tony is now doing is speaking for itself & we find that our customers always ask for another area or room to be done or pass the card to someone else. Tony had a request to fix a tile for an older couple who lived near us what price! we gave them 6 cards & asked them to give them out we got 2 jobs from it! Anyway thats all for now Cheryl & Tony Ps Paul the PTT sounds really good please send us any info, we\'d like to be involved APS Tiling Dec 11 2006, 06:30 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Just completed the 4 week Wall, Floor and Plumbing course with the guys at PITT and thought I\'d use this forum to say \'Thanks\' and also offer my opinion to any budding tilers out there who may be choosing a training centre just like I was a few weeks back. I was looking for a complete change having got totally fed up with the office politics and lack of job satisfaction - I worked in the marketing side of the travel industry. Luckily a mate told me about the big demand for \'professional tilers\' - bad ones are \'two a penny\'. Having researched and spoken with quite a few training centres - my gut feeling took me to PITT (even though it was in no way the nearest to me as I live in London). What a result! The training was top-class and far exceeded my expectations. I\'d previously had a go at my own bathroom but other than that, I had no clues on what was involved. The professionalism of the team at PITT and the product knowlege that they have provided me with has given me the confidence to aim high and go after the top-end of the market as opposed to just doing splashbacks / simple jobs. If you are considering where to spend your hard earned money on re-training into the tiling industry - I don\'t think you can do much better than PITT. Yes, like me you may find easier options closer to home but if you are serious about inveting in your \'new business\' wisely - consider carefully which centre you choose - there is lots of bad ones out there (just pick up the phone to a few of them!) Big thanks to Jase, Steve and John for all your help and top class training - not forgetting Phil, Kev, Paul and all the girls in the office. ps What a great bunch of blokes we had on the course! Andrew (12 June 88/ England 0: Ireland 1 ) Dec 2 2006, 04:55 PM --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello, we have just booked a Wall and Floor course. There will be 2 of us arriving Monday morning from the Leicester area. Wall course 4/1/2006 Floor 15/1/207 We chose this course over all the others out there becuase Paul Riley has a very good professional reputation. We also looked at the virtual tour which shows just how professional the setup is. After speaking with lots of people who run other courses and also visiting a few outfits I knew this was the number 1 course of choice. For anyone interested on next years Floor course, I got a good deal on accomadation stopping with Travelodge on 15/1/2007 at only £15 a night per room. The room deals are not available for next week as we booked too late. MrAlanB Nov 29 2006, 02:01 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi everyone at pitt still have found memories of that ten days last year god is it that long still keep in touch with daz, on the phone every other day asking me for advice, what a cheek!!! also randy russ ,think he could be inside now for selling dodgy stuff on ebay last i saw he was selling a complete tiling tool kit on the cheap(only joking) Been a pretty good first year some good months some bad and still refining the art of tiling but improving with every job, hope its going well for you guys once again would like to thank you for a great course and i would strongly recomend it to anyone who reads this, just no one from Teeside, Best regards DARREN ACDC TILING Nov 22 2006, 09:01 PM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi all at pitt sorry for the delay. Thank you for a fantastic wall and floor tiling course I had a great time. I have become very boring talking to people about tanking. I have recommended your course to lots of builder friends. I\'m very excited about starting my first tiling job after christmas. I have two connecting floor jobs. So beware jason I will be phoning you alot after christmas so I may become your stalker for a while. Thanks again and if anyone is going to madrid for christmas I\'m performing a crane show on the main square until 4th jan. talk soon beth beth Nov 21 2006, 11:36 PM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- just thought i would let you know i have just acheived my nvq 2 and applied for my cscs card done it all through the citb must say that what you learn at pitt makes doing this so easy hoping to do my nvq 3 in new year thanks to all at pitt for all the help and assistance. Nov 19 2006, 11:00 PM davey1203 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finished my 5 day wall tiling course on Friday , and would highly recommend it. Lack of funds prevented me from staying on for the floor course this week , but i shall return Many thanks to Jase and Steve , top , top blokes. They must have the patience of saints ! Would like to say the 2 boys were the most important on the course , but sorry lads that award goes to Norma. PITT will have to start training someone up for when Norma retires in January. Food was fantastic all week . I actually tried to pay for it not knowing it was free !! Good luck to the rest of the lads who are staying on for the floor course next week , great bunch of lads, and hope you all have as much fun as last week. Re the course, i have absolutely no doubt whatsover that i\'ve been taught how to tile a wall in the correct way , now it\'s up to the individual to get out there and do it. On my way home last night i was checking out the tiling in the Motorway cafes, i know for a fact i could have done a better job. Thanks again to the PITT people and hopefully see you again in the new year. Gerry (The wraparound tiler) Nov 11 2006, 03:44 PM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I completed the wall and floor course last week. If your looking for a change in career PITT is the place to go to learn a new trade. I have learnt so much in 2 weeks. The facilities are great and nothing is too much trouble for any of the team there. north-towers Nov 1 2006, 09:21 PM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 months today to starting my business!! Must say it\'s been a very good year. Can\'t believe how quick it\'s gone. Had lots of easy stuff and lots of technically difficult stuff that I would never had dared to even think of when I was tiling years ago!!! Said it before and I\'ll keep saying it - right information delivered via excellent teaching methods followed by a superlative technical backup service - the proof is in the pudding Must say a very big THANK YOU to ALL the guys and gals at PITT, the guys from Aqua Mix, Colin at Kidsgrove Kitchens, the tech guys from BAL, the staff at Topps Tiles in Burslem and not forgetting all you guys on this forum!!!! and all my customers whop had faith in me! Cheers! Toots Oct 31 2006, 10:54 PM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks Paul for a fantastic, incredibly worthwhile course. Thanks to all at PITT(again) for everything, it\'s worth the trip just for the hospitality! Norma, your lunches make me wish i could drop in everyday! Special thanks really have to go to Bill, Frank and Ian from Aqua Mix. What they don\'t know about the treatment of natural stone really doesn\'t seem to be worth bothering about. The way the information was imparted and demonstrated to us was superb and left all of us on the course with the realisation that the training we had received wouldn\'t just be extremely beneficial on a day to day basis, but could open up many other opportunities aside of tiling itself. Thanks to all the other lads on the course who also helped make it such a pleasurable experience. easylay Nov 1 2006, 06:47 PM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have read your postings over the weekend, and can see exactly where you are coming from. I am a 100% full blown skeptic, and I am not easily fooled by scammers or folks out to make a fast buck. It is not professionalism that I would have called into question regarding anyone that has trained on a short term training course, but experience. I have been tiling on and off for nigh on 20 years, sometimes as a diyer at other times as a handyman for other companies. I attended a pitt training course only a couple of weeks ago, and can only say that I am shocked at the lack of knowledge and skills that I had. The time spent at the training facility is mainly on setting out procedures and tile fixing using the correct methods and tools as set by british standards., this training is the foundation that everything else can be built on through time. To put this in a lifelike scenario you go to a job, you set out and then you fix. If a problem arises you deal with it as you would have done in the past ie use your experience. Put me or another new trainee in that position, and we will contact the technical helpline, and use their experience to enable us to deal with the problem. This does not show lack of professionalism, just lack of experience. To finish off, is it not better to support someone who, through hard work and expense to themselves wants to succeed in this industry, rather than slagging the off and putting them down at the first chance you get. Thanks to the staff at pitt, I feel that I am in a far better position now to offer a quality service to customers that I\'m sure they will be delighted with. gizmo Oct 23 2006, 01:14 PM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some very interesting points of view regarding this topic. I have been tiling \'on and off\' for the past 20 odd years. My first pro job was in 1988 (restaurant kitchen) and took a week to complete. The skills I had and built up to that point I took from job to job and there came a point that I didn\'t learn anything new; I just repeated the experience I had built up (which looking back was rather limited!!). For a few years I also got into painting & decorating (try teling them that their trade isn\'t real!) and worked for a local contractor who gave me all the tiling work he got. After suffering a bike crash I got easier work but after a while (long one!!) I got bored and wanted to get back into either tiling or painting but for myself. I knew that to make it work I needed far more knowledge than what I possessed at the time and after seeing an ad to \'become a professional tiler\' in the national press I looked into it. After a bit of research I came across PITT, albeit accidentally, and took the plunge. 12 months on I can honestly say that I would not have the business that I have now if I hadn\'t invested in myself and what I learned at PITT really did make a huge difference (and yes, you can learn a hell of a lot in a short time scale especially if you are willing to learn and the info put across is correct and properly presented!!). However, after talking to others that have done \'courses\' on various trades there appears to be a bit of a lottery as to whether you get an excellant, mediocre or just plain crap training centre. This very same lottery also applies to customers who are after a trades person in any trade (we\'ve all seem builders, plumbers, tilers et al with 20 years \'experience\' still making bodges and balls ups AND getting away with it!!!! If those in the industry, especially with experience on many fronts, or time served feel there is validity to at least exploring the reasons for an association then a certain amount of trust should be given to allow then to do this. Findings can always be discussed and questions can always be asked - open mindedness allows the creation of many things and also the solving of many problems. It is only by looking at all aspects of an argument that progress can be made, afterall freedom of speech is what our forefathers fought and died for!!!! Sometimes we need to see a bigger picture and this can be done through the exchanging of ideas. I would very much like to see where this association can go and how it can represent all those within the tile industry and also all those it serves. \'What the fool doesn\'t understand he mocks, thinking he\'s showing superiority; where in fact he\'s just displaying latent idiocy.\' It is good to be skeptical but not to the point that it limits you - if you have a point of view (good, bad or indifferent!!!) that you think can make a difference to our industry then please bring it to the table. Toots Oct 23 2006, 02:26 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just a forum question with answers, this topic can be found at http://www.tileforums.com/index.php?showtopic=2410 Evening lads Put a post on earlier in the week saying that i was thinking of doing the PITT course early next year and the response i had back was good, thanks!! Ive noticed that alot of you seem to do the plumbing side of things too is that because there isnt enough demand for tiling just on its own or there is more money to be made doing full bathrooms? Would like to hear your comments. Thanks 2tile ……………………………………………………………………………….. Hi 2tile Its pretty simple really once you become a tiler soon things start cropping up in kitchens and bathrooms where you need or could do with a knowing a fair bit about the plumbing side of things. This knowledge in turn gives you the ability to do complete bathroom refurbs not just the tiling for which you earn more money. So I like many others have been back to PITT to do the plumbing course to enhance my skills. Like the tiling course I have never looked back and I have paid for both courses over and over again. I am sure others will agree. Tilinglogistics Kev ……………………………………………………………………….. Cheers Kev Thought that would be the case! And i know big money can be made in the bathroom game as i have a mate thats just done 4 years of evening classes to do his plumbing but he still works full time in a factory to scared to go it alone and to be honest ive seen his tiling and its not the best to say the least but saying that hes never had a complaint, so it shows i guess the training you have needs to be good but i guess you need to have the get up and go attitude to make it work........... Got to be honest the thought scares me sh**less at the mo...............!!!!!!! 2tile …………………………………………………………………………. You are not the first and you won\'t be the last mate. I don\'t think there is a single person on this Forum that wasn\'t scared the first few times but it soon passes with Paul and Jase as your fairy Godfathers to ring if your stuck or if you are really stuck you can ring the Fairy Godmother Steve. Bibi4now Kev …………………….. Kev is spot on in what he says. There is more money to be made in full bath refits if you do it all than the sum of just either tiling it or plumbing it. There is plenty of work out there and there are customers who are discerning and who are prepared to invest more for a quality job, their problem is finding the right person. 90% of my work comes from recommendations from satisfied customers and I get 100% of these jobs I look at. Tiling and plumbing gives you far more control over your projects and gives you far more options to choose from. 2tile you will be fine after your first job, we all have to start somewhere but you will be surprised at what you can achieve, just take a picture of the grin across your face when you complete your first jone!! Toots ……………………………………………. Cheers Toots One step at a time i guess the only problem with me if im going to do a job it has to be spot on im abit of a perfectionist....... and everyone says thats my down fall because it slows me down but surely in tiling thats a good quality to have, you can normally tell when someone takes pride in their work. P.S Live in Kidderminster (Worcsershire) what would you say the going rate for this area is? 2tile …………………………………………………………….. 2tile. When you have done the PITT course, do some jobs in your spare time first. Don\'t get me wrong, you will still be awake all night sh*ting yourself, but it makes it alot easier when you finally go for broke and set up full time on your own. And just to add to the other guys comments, you earn alot more money doing the full lot rather than just tiling it. -------------------- DWT Tiling & Bathrooms ……………………………………………………………………………. totally agree with the lads i usually do full bathroom refurbs the amount ov money yo can earn from theese is amazing easily you can walk out ov some 1s house with a grand in ur hand for a weeks work tell me ov a factory job that you can earn that much in a week usually i can walk out ov a job with a grand a week easily i get a lot ov my work from recommendations but i do advertise aswell id say go for it Dale ………………………………………………………. I did the 2 week tiling course in Feb and went self employed in June. It was a slow and scary start but now going reasonably well, all thanks to the excellent training and support from the team at Pitt. Did a kitchen splashback in August and customer has just had me back to do kitchen floor. Now she wants full bathroom refurb so I\'m going to do the plumbing course. Think I\'ll practise on my own bathroom first tho! Richard K End of topic --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- just like to say a big thank you to all at pitt for a superb 10 days training. i thought i was an ok tiler until i started the course. now i know better. the training is second to none, the facilities are excellent and the buffets are ok. just kidding norma, the lunches are outstanding, and the mrs has put me on a strict diet since i came home. i am hoping to get my business up and running at the start of 2007 and without the help from pitt there is no way i would have had the bottle to even consider going self employed. anyone reading this and still unsure about taking the plunge and doing the course. DO IT!! its the best Jase, i hope you can help, i took the mrs to b&q to get one of pats datum lines but the wee guy in the shop said they had just run out. thats me knackered now. once again thank you all very much stuart york Oct 14 2006, 10:29 PM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi to the guys at PITT- Firstly I\'d just like to say a massive thankyou to everyone down at the centre- In particular to Jase, Steve and Paul. What started out as a daunting prospect when contemplating a career change soon turned out to be one of the best experiences I\'ve ever had. To anyone thinking of whether to book onto a course, all I can say is a resounding \"Yes!\". The structure of the course was so professionally ran from start to finish- in fact, when I had to go back to work the following week I honestly thought what a great bunch of people I\'d just met- if only I could get paid to do be on the course what a perfect life it would be! Ah well, what I took away from those first two weeks is alreadly paying dividends...A plumber came round to sort out a leaking soil pipe (How I wish I\'d done my plumbing course already ) and saw my newly laid floor- after chatting for a while, he said he used to do a bit of tiling (don\'t most plumbers say that? ) and he was really impressed with how I\'d worked out my cut sizes! I explained I\'d recently trained and he said (no word of a lie) that he thought it looked a bit too good to be a DIY job, and that I looked like I knew what I was doing- What a sucker! On a serious note though, I can\'t tell you how proud I felt and that that comment alone has given me so much confidence. I\'ve also befriended a Spark to pass off my underfloor heating installations too! Just think, if you\'re even just considering a 1 week or a 2 weeker- all this after just the 2 week course I booked the 4 week course, but unfortunately due to working commitments (I am a Jeweller as my username suggests and am selling the business as we speak) I was unable to do it all in one go. I can\'t tell you how dissapointed I felt, as it was such a great bunch of people on the course with me Also, I dipped out on the \"special project\" in the fourth week but I\'m glad James, Colin, Daz, Andy & Co did PITT proud- the pics, as I said on the link put up by Paul, looked amazing. It is testament to all at PITT that I have, however been able to split up the course to suit my needs- the flexibility is so helpful if like me, you\'re already in a form of employment and taking 4 weeks off on the bounce is too much there are plenty of options available. In fact I\'m back mid October for the 3rd week (plumbing) and back end of November for the Finalé I do have a question as well though- I am part way through doing approx 5m of splashback tiling in said kitchen. Well Mrs Jeweller had gone down to Waxmans (where I have a nice trade account already- It\'s amazing what Jases\'s acting lessons will do for you ) and they had an end of line \"Rosa Marble\"- normally about £78 per sq m- they let us have for £45 cash, the lot! Unfortunately the natural stone bit is covered in more detail in the 4th week I believe, and when I last came down to PITT I forgot to get some sealer So Mrs J decided to get some impregnating sealer by HG and another that goes on top of this... I fixed the tiles on using Dunlop Waterproof (AA) and was going to grout the 3mm gaps with the same as I did the floor tiles with- a limestone colour dunlop flex wall and floor number I think- would this be okay? Also like Jase said, do I; Fix. Seal. Grout. Seal again? Oh, and the aquamix grout sealer worked a treat on the floor too as young Eddy (our Jack Russell pup) pissed all over one corner last night! Again, thankyou all for everything- I can\'t wait for the plumbing in a couple of weeks! Neil P.s. Special thanks of course, to Norma for looking after us all so well- she is an absolute angel. The_Jeweller Oct 3 2006, 11:21 AM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Ryan, I did the 10 day floor/wall tiling course at PITT a couple of months ago and like yourself had no prior experience of tiling.The training/instructors are top draw and in my opinion the best you will find.Add to that the after training support and you are well on your way to a more rewarding career.Look no further, call them and i promise you wont regret it. Paul Sep 7 2006, 04:12 PM charbium ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- just wanted to say a big thanks to jase & kev this week. I must have rang them 20 times but they are always there to hold your hand and sort your problem out. Jase - the boards went up a treat just as you said thanks mate. Hope when i get used to this sort of problem i won\'t have to ring as much The help line is worth the course money alone Sep 3 2006, 08:11 PM ianw ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To be frank anyone considering a change of career to tiling really needs to get this bit in there head - the tech help after the Pitt course will go a long way to ensure success. Without it I believe many may become a cropper. It is the most important thing I\'ve got from all the courses I\'ve done at Pitt by far. Do not under estimate it\'s value!! Aug 24 2006, 11:49 PM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- JUST FINISHED A TWO WEEK TILING COURSE AT PITT AND ITS BEEN THE MOST ENJOYABLE AND CREATIVE EXPERIENCE I,VE HAD. I,D LIKE TO THANK EVERY ONE AT PITT, ESPECIALLY JACE,KEV,STEVE AND PAUL . STILL WORKING IN MY JOB BUT HOPING TO GO FULL TIME TILING IN OCTOBER, GOT A COUPLE OF QUOTES FOR FRIENDS NEXT WEEK SO HOPING IT WILL START FROM THERE. I,D LIKE TO THANK ALL THE LADS WHO WAS ON THE COUSE WITH ME, I MET SOME GREAT MATES (ESPECIALY THE FUNNY GYPSY FROM IRELAND) ONLY JOKING TERRY. MANY THANKS AGAIN AND I,LL SEE YOU ALL SOON AT PITT WHEN I COME AND GET MY ADHESIVE AND GROUT . CHEERS LEE Aug 24 2006, 09:21 PM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Big thanks to all the guys in pitt and course participants for making it a verry interesting and worthwhile two weeks. Great training center, great trainers, great 10 day course and a great bunch of blokes on the course. Well worth the trip over from Ireland. First price up for 20m2 of porcelain L shaped kitchen floor this weekend. You will se me appearing on the forum as AQUA from now on. Aug 24 2006, 04:10 PM terry ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As many people read these forums with a view to doing a training course, I wanted to let them know what they can expect in the way of help from the after course technical helpline I have recently completed a 10 PITT course (going back for the 5 day plumbing next week), and have just started my first tiling job. Whilst it was fairly straight forward (100mm sq tiles, wavy edge , over a couple of worktops), I was still a little unsure about a few \'simple\'points i.e what to do with the walls after removing tiles, whether to use trim etc. I rung PITT for a bit of \'hand holding\' & was straight away put through by Angie to Kev. He was very helpful and answered my questions without making me feel stupid in anyway for asking what may seem basic questions. I have spoken to him three times over the last couple of days, and have been very grateful for the advice & have been very impressed with Kev\'s professional approach. I have also spoken to Steve about a plumbing problem recently, and he too was very helpful & understanding. Thanks Steve managed to soleve the overflow problem after speaking to you . So I would like to reassure any one thinking of doing a PITT course, and wondering if they will get any back-up when they leave, that they can feel confident that the professionalism & help doesn\'t end when you leave the course. They really are there to help you succeed. Aug 24 2006, 12:08 AM keano1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ i\'ve just completed the 10 day wall & floor course.Thanks to all the lads at Pitt for a fantastic 2 weeks the training on the course was second to none.18 months ago i did a four day tiling course at a different tiling school & i\'ve been tiling on my days off work since then.A couple of months ago i decided i would pack work in & go tiling full time.i thought a little extra training could speed me up & i wanted to learn how to tank showers & wetrooms,i\'d been asked numerous times if i could do this. My wife actually found the tile forum & the info on Pitt training & when she showed it me i was so impressed that i booked to do the wall & floor course.Having just completed the course i now realise i new jack shit about tiling,Pitt has given me the knowledge & the confidence i needed to pack work in & become a quality tiler streets ahead of all the cowboys out there.Pauls determination to provide the best training school in Europe shine\'s through & everyones dedication at Pitt will make sure he gets there.i\'ve now packed my job in (scary) & i\'m just in the process of promoting my services so any advice would be welcome,i have a couple of jobs coming up in the next month but thats all up to now.Once again thankyou to everybody at Pitt hope to see you soon & all the best to the great set of lads who were on the course with me.TONY(APS) Aug 21 2006, 10:27 PM APS Tiling --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Big, big thanks to all at PITT, especially Jase, Steve, Kev & Paul, for a fantastic 10 days on the wall and floor course, top tutors, top blokes. I\'m certainly not the first and definitely wont be the last to sing PITT\'s praises, but they\'re well deserved. Anyone who\'s come on this forum thinking about making the step towards a career in tiling shouldn\'t wait any longer or look any further, book the course! Best investment i\'ve made. Have to also mention the great bunch of lads i shared the course with for the last couple of weeks with, Tony, Glynn, Lee, Terry, Darren, Mark & Charles. I couldn\'t have wished to have met a nicer bunch of blokes and have hopefully made some lasting friendships to boot. 11/10 Aug 18 2006, 10:36 PM easylay ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- sorry i have taken a bit of time to get on here but i can only type one fingered. I see i have missed a bit of banter between my good mate dot & dab and the balding hull boy. So now on to say how good the 2 week tiling course was. I would recommend it to anybody as I had only done the odd bit of dot and dabbing. I have come away from there with a whole new skill and trade with a bit of practice. So big thanks to jase &kev as they always had time to show and teach to the highest standard. Hope I didn’t get on your nerves to much by taking the p… . Also thanks to every body in your team who looked after us. PITT is defiantly the place to go to get trained. ps A big thanks to all the boys for some top nighs on the beer .Our chats in the pool room will be remembered for a long time. Aug 17 2006, 04:07 PM ianw ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have recently completed a two week wall and floor tiling course at pitt. I would like to say a great big thanks to all of the team at pitt, for not only providing me with a vast quanity of tiling knowledge but making the course so enjoyable. I can highly recommend the training centre to anyone who is wanting to learn how to tile the correct way. The way in which the course is structured is brill, with every tiling aspect imaginable covered, it was a massive confidence boost, cheers kev and jase. Aug 16 2006, 10:09 AM mark1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Everyone,Just finished pitt 10 day floor and wall tiling course.Just like to say special thanks to Paul for his worldly advice, Angela for sorting out my accommodation and generally being on the ball, and sharon for the Tasty food that kept us all going! The Course gives you enough information and knowledge to get you out there and get tiling. Very professional staff and set up, friendly atmosphere and good working enviroment. Big shout out to the instructors Jase and Kev, who apart from being top blokes made learning quick, easy and fun, these guys really know their stuff well done and thanks again guys. So anybody thinking of going on a pitt course I would highly recommend them,by the way I checked out two other firms near me first, one being Bentleys in Dunstable and the other Abaccus in Luton, don\'t even go there!!! Glad I chose PITT, All the best everyone.Well Done. Darren. Aug 15 2006, 03:28 PM daz27 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes,yes,yes, i know, shock horror! Can you believe it, another happy chappy, thanks to the wonderful team at PITT I\'m only 60% of the way through but the course has been fantastic, tuition and facilities are second to none and everyone is as friendly and helpful as it\'s possible to be. My previous knowledge of tiling was, i suspect, the same as most delegates....er.....limited, and even though i\'ve never lacked self belief, the confidence i\'ve gained so far from the sheer quality and professionalism of the training has left me brimming with confidence. This is the start of a big life change for me and i can\'t wait to get started on the 25th September, my first day of trading. You\'ll be seeing plenty of me in the future as i\'m sure i\'ll be needing the wisdom of you good folks on here. Hopefully, in time i\'ll be able to return the favour to someone else in my present position. As a brief and slightly embarrassing aside, Toots dropped in during today\'s lesson and was introduced to us by Paul. Well trust me to make myself look a tw*t! A someone who has had bikes for 27 years and takes a great pride in my knowledge of them i had noticed his avatar on previous visits and blurted out \"you\'re the guy with the VFR?\" Er...no. If you happen to read this Toot, please accept my apologies for my embarrassing mistake, i\'ll learn to look closer next time. What makes it worse is i own a T595! If you happen to frequent T595.net you\'ll have a good story to make me shamefaced with! Aug 14 2006, 08:42 PM easylay ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For all you lads & lasses who are unsure as to whether you should do a course at PITT, I would say .....GO FOR IT I have just completed the Wall & Tile course with some of the best lads you could ever possibly meet. We were all in the same boat on the first day i.e none of us knew each other, had done none or very little tiling, and were unsure what to expect. Well after our initial \'fears\' that we would never take it all in, and that \'setting out\' was like brain surgery, we put our faith in our top trainers Jase & Kev. Those lads are so understanding & good at what they do. I would also like to thank Paul, Ang, Phil, Sharon, Norma, Steve & John for their contributions to a great learning fortnight. I think I speak for all of the lads Ian, Mark H, Mark R, Big Si, Alex & myself when I say that we are all very confident that we can give \'experienced\' tilers a run for their money as we have been trained \'the correct way\'. As was said on the course if you have been doing it wrong for 20 years, then you will always do it wrong. I was the oldest one on the course at 48 (but the best looking !!), and am now going to have a complete career change when it would be \'easier\' to stay in my cosy but boring, mindnumbing job with it\'s petty office politics. The enthusiasm & belief that I can try something new has been in large part due to the fantastic training I received at PITT, and the security of knowing that there is always someone there to help if I need advice. I like to think I have also made some great mates who intend to stay in touch with in the future. I can\'t believe that I\'m also missing the Bennett Arms !!! I was so impressed with PITT that within 2 days of getting home I also booked for the plumbing course on August 28th, so that I can do full bathroom installations. Now that my friends is..................................THE FUTURE !!!! So if you\'re thinking about it ........................JUST DO IT. Don\'t die wondering Aug 10 2006, 11:12 PM keano1 ........................ Very nice comments indeed, I and the rest of my staff live and work so hard for the kind of words you post on the tileforums, you are so kind to give the expressions that make it worth while getting out of bed 7 days a week to teach people who really do deserve professional training and want to be the best. Please let me thank you once again and yes you have help from 8-00am till 9-00pm 7 days each and every week for as long as you need our help. Staff members when you read this as with many posts on the forums please believe it’s your hard work that makes it all possible, so from PITT Ltd thank you. Paul Riley Managing Director Aug 10 2006, 11:24 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question from www.tileforums.com hi all just found this forum and im basically looking for the usual first time advice answers etc etc sorry if its all being asked before , basically im intrested in tiling proffessionally for a living , im currently self employed with two jobs first one is as a billposter putting up the big posters you see on the streets the money is good but the hse is killing the money/time ratio this job is one week on one week off which is how i would plan to start tiling is this a good idea? my second job is erecting marquees on my weeks off this used to be my full time job since the age of sixteen! twelve years on i had enough off working 16 17 18 hour days being away seven days a week but good money basically im worried that doing a course might not make me experienced enough to be pro and do you need any formal qualifactions like other trades sparks etc etc ? what sort of hours do you guys work ? and ive got my own 52reg swb transit would this be ok or too small ? sorry for the questions again but as most of you will understand changing careers is daunting with bread needing to be on the table of course (thanks gordon) any advice appreciated Aug 10 2006, 06:06 PM belly .................... Answer Hi belly I left a job (money not bad either!!) to run my own business. It was very daunting at first so know how you feel but over the last few months business has developed and I\'m now at a point where I\'m setting on a young trainee. I had done tiling before for several years (cowboy status ) and didn\'t think I\'d learn that much (was I surprised???) but knew from day one that I could do it. Also did the plumbing course in feb (knew nowt about plumbing though!!) but did my first full bath refurb in June and customers told shop owner (kitchens - he gave me the lead!!) that they\'d recommend me to Buckingham Palace (he must be one of these anti-royalists ) so you can do it if you really want to. If this is the path you want to tread then I believe that PITT is the ONLY place to go - the training is exceptional but more importantly (and I really am speaking from experience here!!) the ongoing help and support afterwards will keep you afloat. BTW the van will be fine, you don\'t need quals and I work long & hard but the pay\'s good and so is the job satisfaction Good luck belly Aug 10 2006, 07:41 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- First chance I have had to get on the net and give some feedback on the 10 day floor and wall tiling course I finished last week. The course was great. I had done a bit of tiling prior to attending the course and after listening to what Jase and Kev had to say, realised I had made some woeful mistakes. Jase and Kev were not patronising in the slightest when we asked stupid questions and they fully explained the reasons behind what they were saying. The training was well structured and accommodated all levels of experience. The food was good (especially the curry Sharon). It also helped that I was training with a cracking set of lads who liked to have a bit of a crack, which the trainers often joined in on. The visits to the Bennett Arms every night will be remembered for a very long time. If you are thinking of booking a course, this is the place to do it. I have seen other training centres and PITT is by far the best. Plus there is the 91 hours of technical help available after the course which I hope to put to use if I can ever pluck up the courage to leave my current job (got a house, car, mrs, child etc and on a good wage so security is the problem, not the fact I am not confident in doing a good job). If anyone wants to pm me regarding the course to get an honest answer, then please let me know. Just one slight bit of a negative, the Hotel was not the greatest and needs an update, but this didn\'t really matter to me as I spent most of the time in the pub! Aug 9 2006, 10:20 PM dot n dab -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Question from www.tileforums.com Hi everyone,Im seriously considering enrolloing on to the 10 day tiling course as i am in desparate need of a career change and tiling is top of the list. However, I have never had a manual job of any kind,and I am worried that after spending circa 2k on the course and tools etc. that I may not have had sufficient training to be let loose on the general public or even carrying out bad work. Can anyone put mymind at rest? Aug 7 2006, 01:52 PM gallatic .......................................... Answers given on www.tileforums.com Hi, well I\'ve just finished the 10 day course and I feel very confident. I know for a fact that the skills and knowledge they give you are sufficient to do a professional job: only last week I heard of job an established tiler did for a friend of my wife\'s. Before I\'d done the course I would have believed everything he said because he was a \'professional\', but I now know that he didn\'t know what he was doing, and I went into detail (I think my wife was shocked at how much i knew!). For someone to have a complete career change (like myself) it is worrying, but the bottom line is that it\'s down to you to make it work as a career. The skills and support that the guys have given me (and continue to do, after you\'ve finished) are in my opinion first class. I\'m glad I did it and I\'m sure that many more will agree. Good luck anyway, what ever you decide. Aug 7 2006, 02:15 PM Big Si Most recent delegate’s comments 2007 Posted on 15/09/2007 at 14-44 Just a few comments taken from e mail and our free to join tiling tools at www.ttileforums.com tiling forums, tile forums - www.tileforums.com Visit the forums to see these are real people\'s comments below. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some comments from past delegates, see more on our latest news page. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I only did the three day course but gained loads of knowledge and experience in those days. Jase\'s knowledge is encyclopaedic! It is the most friendly and welcoming place..PITT picked me up from the train station and took me back.... I met people from the 15 day course and was offered a lift to and from my lodgings by someone off it (thanks Robert!!) . Everything was so well organised so I did not have to worry about anything. I would recommend the course to anyone. They are professional, approachable, amazingly helpful... I can\'t sing their praises enough. Now I believe all the other comments on this site.... they really are as good as they sound. Thanks again to everyone. Sep 15 2007, 01:22 PM Ray Scobie. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HI just a note to say what an excellent course. Just finished the 15 day course including the plumbing. It was great. Jase Paul and John and the rest of the team are the most welcoming bunch of guys. That includes you Angela, Sharon and Norma (she does the food mmmm). To be honest I looked around to find the course that everyone was talking about and found PITT. I did not know what to expect but was very happy with the quality of the training. The course is a mix of theory with lots of hands on stuff. In addition to the course notes you get the benefit of at least a hundred years of combined experience from the team. They give advice (which continues after the course :-) I\'ll need that. Think this is something written by PITT. No chance. 07867 910666 if you want to prove it is real Ivan B Sep 10 2007, 09:50 AM ...................................... hi there,iam doing the 20 day course in october,but still feel uneasey as never done it before,and then doing it for a living,in your opinon do you think that is possible?as you just done the course,was it a whole new world? mayes440 Sep 10 2007, 03:43 PM ..................................... Yes it was a whole new world. I am a desk jockey and I managed the course so the physical stuff is not too strenuous. PITT prepare you well and as you are on the 20 day course you will be doing a job as a group in the last week. This will in someones home or something similar and give you the opportunity to put your new skills to use. Can you make a living? Many do but like most things you only get what you put into it. You will see that some on the forum go through quiet patches but there is work out there. You would just need to be flexible and sometimes be willing to go where the work is. If you are starting out apart from maybe a few jobs for friends (or just one) start charging. This stops friends and \'new\' friends using you to get cheap good quality tiling. The continuing support from Jase and the team is real as I saw Jase on the forum and on the phone answering queries. Good luck mate Ivan B Sep 11 2007, 10:31 AM ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Here is a question asked in the tileforums. by mayes440 HI ive just booked myself a 20 day course at PITT starting october,this for me this is a carrer change but can i really do it,ive drove trucks for 15 years and just had enough of the traffic etc,tiling is some thing ive been looking at for some time,and dont have any experience at all,bar a few goes at the kitchen wall,like most people have,has any body been in the same situation and can put me at ease. kelv Sep 5 2007, 04:17 PM Read the topic answers. welcome to the forum, there\'s a lot of people been in the same position on here and I\'m sure you will get plenty of replies but you have made the right choice in choosing pitt as the training is first class the rest is up to you it will be hard at first but worthwhile -------------------- www.daveyoungtiling.co.uk NVQ Assessor Sep 5 2007, 04:53 PM ------------------------------- nothing worthwhile ever comes easy springs to mind mate, like dave says you have given yourself the best possible start and there is loads of people on here that was in the same boat as you, If you stick with it and think logically about things in general you will make a go of it mate.. good luck we will all be here to help you out where we can.. -------------------- DH TILING LTD Nottinghamshire Sep 5 2007, 05:26 PM ---------------------------- I was in a management job for most of my working life until the company went bust so after a few other false starts, I bit the bullet and did the 10 day tiling course 18 months ago. Being self employed was something I had always wanted to do and its great. The competition is tough so you have to be a good salesman and set out to do the best possible quality jobs, that way you will get a good reputation. Its nowhere near the earner that I was used to but, apart from the odd depressing week, I\'m still glad I did it. The training from Pitt is good, the support, advice and help thereafter is invaluable. I have considered the plumbing as well but I feel that I\'m too old to try something so radical. -------------------- Richard Knight T/A Richard Knight Tiling Quality Wall & Floor Tiling to British Standards Member of The Guild of Master Craftsmen Sep 5 2007, 08:53 PM ----------------------------------------------- many thanks,good to know theres others who have been there. Sep 5 2007, 09:03 PM mayes440 --------------------------------- Mayes, I ran a family Jewellery business for 12 years and retrained at PITT when it was decided to sell the shop. I\'ve never looked back, the course was great, I still ring from time to time for the odd order or technical querie (- thanks x10 Kev!) As Richard says, it\'s tough when you start but nothing\'s easy to start with is it!? A few weeks here and there where I\'ve not had anything on, but when you ar eon the tools its a great way to make a living- compared to my previous empolment is feels very liberating being in charge of your own destiny- go for it! -------------------- Formerly known as \"The Jeweller\" Sep 5 2007, 10:34 PM ------------------------------------------- The good thing is mate that if things are a bit quiet when starting out you can still do agency work driving trucks, then as you build up work do less driving.You have made the right choice chosing Pitt, good luck. David Sep 6 2007, 10:04 AM gers4ever --------------------------------- As gers has already stated, you still have your HGV to help you out during quiet spells. With that under your belt, you are in an ideal position. You will not regret choosing PITT either, they really are a good bunch and will train you well -------------------- DWT Tiling & Bathrooms Quality Wall & Floor Tiling and Full Bathroom & En-suite refurbishments. Property maintenance and repairs, also carried out. The complete professional service that you thought no longer existed Sep 6 2007, 10:13 PM ---------------------------------- Exactly the same boat as you Mayes, i was in the Army since leaving school (14 years ago) and i suddenly woke up one morning and said to the wife \"i have had enough of this i wanna do something else\" Put my notice into the Army (officially leave on the 29th of this month, don\'t work there anymore but still will pay me until that date) and got myself on a tiling course. Was puling in 36k a year but wasn\'t happy, never seen the family. Only been going a few weeks but with help from these forums regarding everything from advertising to what to charge things are going ok. Got a mortgage to pay and if things don\'t work out i am up sh$t creek but without sounding corny, life is a gamble and that is what i am doing, gambling. Wish you success mate and really hope it works out for you. mat Sep 6 2007, 11:56 PM ------------------------------------- like you I was a driver for 13 years. I trained at pitt last October, and I am still getting help from them. Their training is second to none, and if you need proof go to the photos forum and have a look at the work on there. It\'s not easy taking the gamble if you have a family/ mortgage etc, but if you can do it, the satisfaction that you get from doing a job well that you enjoy makes it all worthwhile. All the best for your new venture Gizmo Sep 7 2007, 12:28 AM End of topic to date, copy this link to see the forum full topic, all people who post here can be contacted via e mail. http://www.tileforums.com/index.php?showtopic=5360 End of topic ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See the web site [URL=http://www.professional-itt.com]PITT Professional Tiling Courses[/URL] or call for more details on 01782 566166 Thank you. Tile UK letter The Link [URL=http://www.tileuk-magazine.com/articles.asp?article_id=6121]http://www.tileuk-magazine.com/articles.asp?article_id=6121[/URL] A tiler\'s tale: day 70 16/08/2007Dean Hirsch Last week I completed a job that I wasn’t particularly proud of and will not be repeating the same mistake. A lady phoned me up and asked if I could quote for tiling around her bath as she had taken off the old tiles and replastered some of the walls. I agreed to go and have a look one evening and give her a price. On arrival she seemed nice and offered me a cup of tea, always a good sign! I measured up the job and asked the usual questions. The reason she removed the old tiles was, as I suspected, a leak into downstairs’ flat from her shower. I suggested that I tank in the area to prevent the same happening again. The answer I got should have told me to be careful right there and then: “I want the job done as cheap as possible.” I completed my quote and went through it with her. She had no problem with the price for my labour but wanted to cut down the cost on materials. I explained that I only use the best quality materials for the best results and anything else would affect the finish and performance, but she did not listen. Here is the mistake I made. I agreed to do the job using cheaper materials as long as she understood the possible consequences. As I undertook the work I immediately regretted my decision. The tiles kept chipping every time I picked one up, the adhesive was awful to work with and the silicon was just rubbish! I was not happy with my finished work and broke my own rules by saying “that’ll do” and all the time I kept thinking “oh well I did tell her.” I don’t mind sometimes adjusting my price to suit the situation but from now on I will only use the products that I am happy with or otherwise I will walk away. Dean Hirsch, Brightside Tiling Services ******************************************************************************* Now that I have been tiling for a few months, I decided that I had to work on my business skills. Although I have been on a course about how to tile and have been putting what I learnt into practice I soon realised that I had to start making some money and not just enjoying my job! Here is where my girlfriend really helped me out. Working in banking her experience and discipline has enabled me to push Brightside into fast becoming a profitable business. For once she actually managed to help make some money rather than spend it. My next venture involved me purchasing a Blackberry. I found my original style of record keeping rather archaic, so instead of writing on a scrap piece of paper the details of a customer it goes straight into the hand-held device. The blackberry has been a brilliant in helping me keep a track of my movements, it sends me reminders and more importantly customers details don’t get mislaid. To further my quest in embracing technology I decided to throw caution to the wind and buy a PC! Now this has been life changing – I now have instant access to so many reams of information to help keep Brightside ahead. This has also helped me tackle the dreaded accounts, and most importantly keep the Taxman happy! Next on my list - Branding! Now my business brain has been sharpened its now time to move onto my image. I have ordered some t-shirts and jumpers with my business name printed on them and had my van sign painted. Now when I go and quote a job I can portray the Brightside image on the customer’s doorstep. And… I have just had a call from a customer who saw my van in the high street – HAPPY DAYS!! Dean Hirsch, Brightside Tiling Services ******************************************************************************* For the first few jobs I tried to concentrate on the finish of my work rather than how much I can earn a day or my square meterage. My motto is that I do not leave the job until both the customer and I are happy with what I have done. I am aiming for repeat work instead of making a fast buck - although my bank manager seems to have other ideas! One of my first jobs is to lay a slate floor in a friend’s bathroom and en-suite shower room. I soon discover that it takes longer to work in stone than ceramic tiles. I pull out my course notes and systematically go through my routine. I check the substrate, a six month old concrete floor, and choose the correct adhesive for bonding the two materials. Next I work out my starting points so as to leave the easiest and least amount of cuts possible. I have to cut around two toilets which takes ages and really canes my cutting discs. Once the tiles are dry I clean and seal them so there’re ready to grout. I find that I like grouting as it is the moment when all the hard work getting those cuts straight and close really shows. I choose the right grout to match the adhesive and joints I have used. I clean the tiles once again and then seal them one last time using a surface impregnator to leave a shine. The job takes me about two weeks longer than I estimated but I learnt loads and in the end we are both happy. As I am leaving a neighbour asks for my number. Dean Hirsch, Brightside Tiling Services ******************************************************************************* In the first of a series of monthly blogs, tiler Dean Hirsch introduces himself and describes how his initial interest has developed. From June onward, he will relate his various experiences within the industry. ‘We are doing some tiling today, Dean.’ That was two years ago now and pretty much how I started to tile. My old boss was a jack of all trades. I helped him on a few projects and enjoyed the work, but it was when I started to tile that I really loved it. As soon as I had started, though, it looked like I would have to stop. My boss only left for Australia! I had two choices, stop tiling or go and learn how to do it properly. I decided on a PITT course and what a good choice it was too. I attended the two week floor and wall tiling course. The tuition was great and armed me with the basics to get going, but also all the knowledge to do a really professional job. I bought the tools package and headed home. My first problem was that all my new tools were not going to fit into my car so I bit the proverbial bullet and got a van. I had to get a loan for this and business insurance but now I was ready for my first job! So there I was, tools, van and my course notes hanging from my back pocket. All I needed were some customers. A few friends said they would like some work done, but nothing happened for the first month. I printed some leaflets and got some business cards made and fell for a web site advertising company that signed me up for 18 months. (Still not had one enquiry from that!) At last a guy at work let me tile his kitchen. A two day job that took me four, but we were both happy with it. In the next few months, work picked up and I started to discover all the different materials available to use in tiling. Knowing what adhesives and grouts to use with these is essential, I found out. I also discovered that getting your preparation right is highly important and that you don’t need to get some tiles on the wall straight away to finish the job quicker. In fact the better the prep work, the better the finish. Dean Hirsch, Brightside Tiling Services [URL=http://www.professional-itt.com]PITT Tiling Courses[/URL] Call 01782 566166 from 8-00am to 9-00pm 7 days ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Done the 3wk course last nov onto my 4th bathroom refurb now and also other tiling/plumbing work in between , you get the confidence/knowledge to go into peolples houses and know what your talking about and to do a good job,also the tech helpline is invaluable knowing somebody is there if you get a problem thanks to everyone at pitt . cheers ! Aug 27 2007, 07:30 PM hogie66 forum link http://www.tileforums.com/index.php?showtopic=5281 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi to you all again,It\'s been a while since I posted on the forums, but the Gizmo has returned. Nearly a year ago I did the 2 week wall and floor course which was fantastic. The training was second to none, and throughout the year I have put the training to great use, doing bathrooms kitchens etc. To cut to the story, today I had to call the technical helpline for advice three times, and once yesterday. My queries were instantly sorted by Jase, who was more than helpful over the phone. I would like to say a big thanks to all at PITT for their help when I need it, and please keep up the good work. Thank You Stuarty Aug 23 2007, 09:48 PM ------------------------------------------------------------------- Comments on our advanced natural stone training ................................................................................ Just completed the Aqua Mix course today. Fantastic bunch on the course great company and a fabulous course. I learnt loads of new stuff and got lots more knowledge. A big thank you to Ian & Frank for the valuable knowledge. Also to Paul & Co at PITT for the usual warm reception and some more of Norma\'s nosh. I am off to make another dollop of dosh now doing what very few tilers can do Kev --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Can\'t really add anything to what Kev says. Brilliant course. Thanks Aqua Mix -------------------- www.impressions-tiling.co.uk --------------------------------------------- Thanks Guys, glad you enjoyed it, it was great to meet some of the forum folk at last. Kev was right, it was a great bunch of guys (and lady!) Big thanks to all of you for making the trip, to Jase and Paul and co for their support as usual. Kev, big thanks also for bringing your equipment, made a big difference Best of luck everyone Ian ----------------------------------------------------- have to agree great course just like to add my thanks to Ian and frank and all at pitt including Norma for the great food cheers Kev for the demonstration gave me a lot to think about Dave ------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks Ian/Frank/Jase for a great event. Excellent course and a great opportunity to understand the Aquamix products better. I learnt a lot and appreciated learning from everyone\'s experiences. Thanks Kev for making the effort to bring your machines along and give us an insight into honing techniques, much appreciated. Steve. -------------------------------------------------------------- great course great products thanks Chris --------------------------------------------------------- I can\'t really add anything to the above. Excellent course from Aquamix and top hospitality from PITT. These guys really show you how to earn the bucks - the rest is down to the individual. ps Already hit up a place this morning with an offer to colour their grout Andrew --------------------------------------------------------- Here here great course im deffinatly thinking about a slight change in direction , and it was great to meet the hobbit again, YEAH what happened to the free emulsifiying pads Once again thanks to all the pitt crew and the aquamix guys, Darren acdc tiling..... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi ive just finished the course and honestly say you wont get taught nearly enough anywhere else. My wife went on the trade skills for you course for 2 weeks in Crawley and when she came back thought she had learnt enough to start out on her own, i decided to go to PITT for the 4 weeks, i rang her every day whilst there and on day one i learnt more than she did in the 2 weeks she had with them. PITT and its staff were fantastic, the most important thing about tiling is getting your setting out right, we didnt lay a tile for over 2 days until setting out had become clear to all of us, when you then start tiling you appreciate why. As for going around unstraight walls and windows i dont think there could have been worse walls and windows and sockets to go around which was all to our benifit, If you can get around those you can get around anything. When you start the floor tiling on the second week it is just as hard and if youve got Jase teaching you he will dump a toilet in the midlle of your floor and make you tile around it (i know in the real world we would probably take them out to make life easier) but we had to cut around it then tile up a set of stairs all this and keeping your grout lines in line, on tiling out from your bay because you have set out in the middle of the entire room all tiles lined up with the guys in the other bays and half the room is tiled and looks fab. Week 3 and you are out on site tiling somebodys house which takes you to another level because you cant afford to bodge up, The above is only a snippet of what you learn, we layed every natural stone tile you can think of , used every tool a tiler would ever use, still there is more. Above all the staff at PITT from Tracey in the kitchen cooking food for all and tea whenever you need a cup from the boys behind the counter to John the plumber and Paul the boss to Jason the teacher they all know so much and cant help you enough they were FANTASTIC. I could go on some more, i will, two of the lads on the course had gone to centre in Luton previously that had gone bust 3weeks into the course they were pleased it had or they wouldnt have come to PITT where they were trained properly. I agree it looks expensive for the 4 weeks plus the tools but you really only get what you pay for if you want to go out on your own go to PiTT and get trained properly they seriously are the best. Cheers Chris Sullivan May 29 2007, 03:48 AM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ this is just a thank you to all the team at P.I.T.T .I have recently finished a four week course , and believe me it aint easy but the way that its delivered and the knowledge shown by these guys is second to none any one who says short burst courses are no good obviously has not been on one . well thanks Jase,John, Paul and all the team at P.I.T.T it,s been a pleasure learning JimB Apr 29 2007, 10:15 AM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just completed my first job. Before I went to PITT I wouldn\'t have thought I could even attempt tiling a bathroom, now I have just done 3walls with a mosaic border, the 4th wall tiled to the ceiling and finally the floor. All in all it was the excellent training I received from PITT (especially Jase) and the reassurance that they were only a phone call away should I need them. I was quite slow I think, but feel I did the job to the best of my ability. (the customers even gave me an extra tenner... well satisfied) Big learning curve, but also huge satisfaction that I did job I would be happy to have paid for. He\'s even taken a load of my business cards up to his local golf club Thanks again to all at PITT for a job well done. Apr 24 2007, 04:40 PM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- hello there, this is my first go at posting on the forum. brian in scotland here. i went down to pitt to do the 4 week plumbing and tiling course last month and i have to say it was the best decision ive made for a long while. ive been stuck in a dead end job for 15 years and needed a change. ive always been quite good at D.I.Y ing so fancied making a living at it. i looked around for a training course in tiling and plumbing and there wasnt much choices up here in scotland so i came across PITT on a web search. after reading some of the comments and speaking to paul riley , my mind was made up to go there. the course was fantastic, john who trained us the plumbing on the first week was very informative and jason who trained us on the tiling was full of useless information (joke)but is an excellent trainer and really knows how to get things into your head. i learned so much on the 4 weeks i was there . it was certainly worth every penny and i would recomend the course at PITT to anybody thinking of changing career or even any tilers who want to get up to date with whats going on in the trade. ive just handed in my notice at work but im in the middle of doing a wetroom for a friend . tricky first job but im confident i can do it well. so thanks again to all the team at PITT. i\"ll put some pics of the wetroom job im doing on the forum if somebody can tell me how to do it. cheers. Apr 17 2007, 09:37 PM tile it rite bri ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I was on the same course as Brian, and I would like to echo everything he said regarding PITT training and Jase! Cheers Phil. P.s. Just managed to get rid of the belly that came from 4weeks on the beer and cooked breakfasts. Apr 17 2007, 10:01 PM moonraker ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like a lot of people i thought long and hard before finally taking the plunge and doing the 10 day wall and floor course. I looked at various courses on the web but always ended up back at the Pitt website as it just seemed so professional and the feedback was very positive. So in Feb this year i did the wall course then last week (April 9th) the floor course.Everything about both courses was superb! the facility, the food but most of all the staff to whom nothing was too much trouble.Jasons teachings were excellent and if there was something you were\'nt sure of he would spend time with you until you were sure. So thank you Paul, Jase, Kev, Phil and all the office girls for a really great two weeks, i feel that Pitt have given me the knowledge and confidence to go ahead and make a career from tiling the rest is up to me but with the superb technical back up and these forums i am very confident of succeeding. Thanks once again. David Apr 15 2007, 08:25 PM gers4ever ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I have to say I have just got my second job using the Schluter Systems samples books, the knowledge gained from PITT and Aquamix products. Three other tilers had quoted but the man wanted black grout on the black tiles and champagne grout on the cream tiles next to each other and stainless steel profiles around his windows. I just stood and said no problem got the samples books out from Schluter, explained to him about the setting out cos he\'s got lots of sockets and it will work out that the black and cream colour change row will fall right in the middle of each socket. Then explained about grout colorant and properties etc. Then gave him my quote which he told me about 10 minutes later was 3 x the highest estimate he had. Then just said but you are going to do it for us because you listened to what we want and you made it possible. The moral is I can and they couldn\'t!!! Just shows that extra training pays off I\'ve made enough money to pay for the Aquamix course from one grout coloring job Kev Apr 10 2007, 09:06 AM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hello All Just a quick update to anyone who\'s replied to any of my posts. After numerous questions and quizzing, I decide the best thing to do was to visit PITT themselves, so this afternoon I drove for an hour to see them. When I arrived, I was greeted at the door, and offered coffee now that doesn\'t happen when I go shopping I was greeted by Phil ( hello mate ) and taken into the treasure trove that is PITT\'s stock warehouse With no idea of what I actually wanted to buy, I spent the next 2 hours been talked through everything from which product, to how to apply it. Phil helped me work out everything, except how to get my credit card out at no point was anything pushed on me, unlike others who want to sell to you and make you dissapear, I asked about certain buying certain items, and he told me I wouldn\'t need them, now any sales manager would S**T at that, push your ware on to the punter, but it was quite the opposite and it works, I came away with everything I needed to do the job, no silly extras or gimmicks, and I felt like I\'d been truly looked after. I know it always seem\'s a bit dubious when you read posts like this, you tend to think it\'s a relative or friend just helping to plug the site. I can assure you 100% I have no affiliation with PITT, but what I can assure you is, that after just one visit it\'s evident that this is a true proffesional business in every sense of the word. I would expect this kind of service buying a million pound house.......not a £10 bag of grout, it\'s so nice to be made welcome. Paul.... You have truly set up a company that offers everything that a customer expects to receive, your staff are both polite and friendly and are clearly knowledgeable of their trade, I wish you all the luck in the world for the future, and don\'t be suprised if I\'m not pitching up for one of your courses in the future. Phil.... A massive thank you for all the time you spent ensuring I got what I needed, I can\'t really say enough without sounding like a fool, but I\'m sure you know anyway, not only did you give me good advice, you saved me money, which is important to anyone, I can\'t wait to get those silicone tools going and she did want the chrome trims And finally thank\'s to everyone who has taken the time to reply to my posts, all your help is welcome, and you ain\'t heard the last from me. Best wishes to all Jed. Jan 27 2007, 11:24 PM Glad I could help Jed, hope the tiling goes well and I am sure youwill have fun with those silicon tools . Let us know how you do. Phil Jan 28 2007, 08:58 PM Well, it would be nice if all the guys out there that doubt PITT, made the same effort as Jed to find out for themselves what they are missing. They may well not be so quick to slag off a company that really does care about the tiling industry!!!!!! Dale DWT Tiling & Bathrooms Jan 28 2007, 11:46 PM Totaly agree dale, nice 1 TANKER Jan 29 2007, 10:06 PM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ NOT A DELEGATE COMMENT BUT STILL WORTH A MENTION The trades direct part of our business is just as professional. Thanks for the reply. after taking a look at Trades Direct I realised that they (and of course PITT) are 20 minutes down the road from me! I popped in yesterday and would like to say a big thanks to all there, but especially Phil who took over half an hour to sort me out (that\'s a compliment!!!!) Me being a humble DIYer looking to buy some \'decent\' products, with a piece of my cut stone in hand seeking advice was met by (at one point) 4 of the PITT Professionals, taken into their workshop, during their lunch break (sorry about that) and then given the considered opinions on the best products that would most suit my needs. It would have been easy for them to just send me away (I haven\'t even been on a course there and only discovered them a week or so back), or to have just sold me several expensive products, but gentlemen, you are a credit to your profession and I have no doubt having seen your set-up that your approach to training is equally professional. It was a pleasure being there listening to your advice, with Phil listing the individual products for me, and sending me away with the \'stage 1\' gear that I need. What\'s more, the \'off the shelf\' price to me, a DIYer was £50 cheaper than a certain well known \'big\' tile outlet, and their quote didn\'t include sealers and the two trowels that I will need! All in all I can highly recommend the establishment. As requested, you name will be remembered and passed on by me whenever appropriate.....and if I make a pig\'s ear of the job I will be looking for a half decent tiler to sort me out!! Jan 19 2007, 07:32 PM Pilot Pete ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi Jase/Paul Just a quickie to thank you for your time spent today showing me round the centre & confirming the info I\'ve read from your site & Forum. I did also get a lot more useful info which has definitely swayed me to come & do my training at PITT. Just a bit of figure crunching at mo but hope to make a booking in next few days... Great to speak to both of you! I couldn\'t have asked for a more spot on, enthusiastic approach from Jase. Nice one & I\'m sure it\'s gonna be good!! I think the website, asks for suitable clothing you don\'t mind getting dirty...I think I can pick up one of them Red n White Striped shirts just to knock about in...He! He! Cheers Guys & Many Thanks. Look forward to catching up with you soon & in meantime will spend plenty time on here, getting some inside scoop & networking with others. Cheers Andy Jan 15 2007, 07:37 PM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- hi i did the 10 day wall & floor course in december and can assure you its well worth it. can\'t believe how much i learnt. hopefully going to come back and do a plumbing course too when i can afford it. Jan 3 2007, 01:52 PM Taken from tileforums.com http://www.tileforums.com/index.php?showtopic=2822 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- E Mail to PITT Hi Paul, came on the brilliant 3 week course in Oct but didnt register on `Find a Tiler` is there any chance? I did send email to Jase but i dont know if he`s on holiday. KPS Tiling and Supplies, LongEaton, Nottingham and Derby area. Just about all set up for the New Year so fingers crossed it will work out? Once again thanks for a Brilliant and Professional Course and a MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all. Regards Paul Scanlon ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Paul & everyone at PITT, I am writing this to update you all on where we are at, I say we as its Cheryl writing this not Tony he,s working none stop at the moment and I did promise you we would put something on I still havent thanked you all for the fantastic course I did with you (Natural Stone) I have two jobs on at present (Sealing a Bathroom which Tony is tiling at the moment and re-coloring grout on a Kitchen floor) and a number of others lined up for next year, I have also sold a number of products to a contractor and private customers we deal with For those who know nothing about us Tony started tiling part time about 18 months ago but only did the Pitt course about 4 months ago, since then he has given up his Factory job, we have two building contractors who regularly give us work, he has just tiled a number of bathrooms at a place called Dunepoint in Lytham St. Annes, the development won an Award in the Daily Mail Northwest property inovation awards, I know many of you have had knighmares with site work but there are still a number of developers who still look for quality, put your price in and don\'t worry if they are not prepared to pay its not worth your time or expertise. We have just recieved an application to tender for a houseing assosiation for the renovation of 300 properties we are not going to touch it for the simple reason the terms & conditions are terrible it reads like payment will never be recieved, its just not worth it, read everything! I have done the Natural Stone course so I do the sealing, cleaning, recolouring etc. I also do all the admin, we have recently taken on our first empolyee on a Part time basis, he helps out with the grouting etc In the new year we are looking at getting a small storage unit, and hopefully another van, when we take on a new tiler it goes without saying they will be from or sent to Pitt for training Due to the training we have recieved from Pitt the Property Developers we work for take us seriously and ring for advice in regard to there tiling they are looking at the soundproofing systems developed by Bal for there next development & sealing the grout Yes, things are tight money wise due to all equipment products we need etc but we are managing and recon we may almost breakeven by Feb. 6 months after going it alone, anyone out there who is scared so where we but with pitts help & support we are looking forward to next year the quality of work Tony is now doing is speaking for itself & we find that our customers always ask for another area or room to be done or pass the card to someone else. Tony had a request to fix a tile for an older couple who lived near us what price! we gave them 6 cards & asked them to give them out we got 2 jobs from it! Anyway thats all for now Cheryl & Tony Ps Paul the PTT sounds really good please send us any info, we\'d like to be involved APS Tiling Dec 11 2006, 06:30 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Just completed the 4 week Wall, Floor and Plumbing course with the guys at PITT and thought I\'d use this forum to say \'Thanks\' and also offer my opinion to any budding tilers out there who may be choosing a training centre just like I was a few weeks back. I was looking for a complete change having got totally fed up with the office politics and lack of job satisfaction - I worked in the marketing side of the travel industry. Luckily a mate told me about the big demand for \'professional tilers\' - bad ones are \'two a penny\'. Having researched and spoken with quite a few training centres - my gut feeling took me to PITT (even though it was in no way the nearest to me as I live in London). What a result! The training was top-class and far exceeded my expectations. I\'d previously had a go at my own bathroom but other than that, I had no clues on what was involved. The professionalism of the team at PITT and the product knowlege that they have provided me with has given me the confidence to aim high and go after the top-end of the market as opposed to just doing splashbacks / simple jobs. If you are considering where to spend your hard earned money on re-training into the tiling industry - I don\'t think you can do much better than PITT. Yes, like me you may find easier options closer to home but if you are serious about inveting in your \'new business\' wisely - consider carefully which centre you choose - there is lots of bad ones out there (just pick up the phone to a few of them!) Big thanks to Jase, Steve and John for all your help and top class training - not forgetting Phil, Kev, Paul and all the girls in the office. ps What a great bunch of blokes we had on the course! Andrew (12 June 88/ England 0: Ireland 1 ) Dec 2 2006, 04:55 PM --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello, we have just booked a Wall and Floor course. There will be 2 of us arriving Monday morning from the Leicester area. Wall course 4/1/2006 Floor 15/1/207 We chose this course over all the others out there becuase Paul Riley has a very good professional reputation. We also looked at the virtual tour which shows just how professional the setup is. After speaking with lots of people who run other courses and also visiting a few outfits I knew this was the number 1 course of choice. For anyone interested on next years Floor course, I got a good deal on accomadation stopping with Travelodge on 15/1/2007 at only £15 a night per room. The room deals are not available for next week as we booked too late. MrAlanB Nov 29 2006, 02:01 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi everyone at pitt still have found memories of that ten days last year god is it that long still keep in touch with daz, on the phone every other day asking me for advice, what a cheek!!! also randy russ ,think he could be inside now for selling dodgy stuff on ebay last i saw he was selling a complete tiling tool kit on the cheap(only joking) Been a pretty good first year some good months some bad and still refining the art of tiling but improving with every job, hope its going well for you guys once again would like to thank you for a great course and i would strongly recomend it to anyone who reads this, just no one from Teeside, Best regards DARREN ACDC TILING Nov 22 2006, 09:01 PM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi all at pitt sorry for the delay. Thank you for a fantastic wall and floor tiling course I had a great time. I have become very boring talking to people about tanking. I have recommended your course to lots of builder friends. I\'m very excited about starting my first tiling job after christmas. I have two connecting floor jobs. So beware jason I will be phoning you alot after christmas so I may become your stalker for a while. Thanks again and if anyone is going to madrid for christmas I\'m performing a crane show on the main square until 4th jan. talk soon beth beth Nov 21 2006, 11:36 PM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- just thought i would let you know i have just acheived my nvq 2 and applied for my cscs card done it all through the citb must say that what you learn at pitt makes doing this so easy hoping to do my nvq 3 in new year thanks to all at pitt for all the help and assistance. Nov 19 2006, 11:00 PM davey1203 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finished my 5 day wall tiling course on Friday , and would highly recommend it. Lack of funds prevented me from staying on for the floor course this week , but i shall return Many thanks to Jase and Steve , top , top blokes. They must have the patience of saints ! Would like to say the 2 boys were the most important on the course , but sorry lads that award goes to Norma. PITT will have to start training someone up for when Norma retires in January. Food was fantastic all week . I actually tried to pay for it not knowing it was free !! Good luck to the rest of the lads who are staying on for the floor course next week , great bunch of lads, and hope you all have as much fun as last week. Re the course, i have absolutely no doubt whatsover that i\'ve been taught how to tile a wall in the correct way , now it\'s up to the individual to get out there and do it. On my way home last night i was checking out the tiling in the Motorway cafes, i know for a fact i could have done a better job. Thanks again to the PITT people and hopefully see you again in the new year. Gerry (The wraparound tiler) Nov 11 2006, 03:44 PM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I completed the wall and floor course last week. If your looking for a change in career PITT is the place to go to learn a new trade. I have learnt so much in 2 weeks. The facilities are great and nothing is too much trouble for any of the team there. north-towers Nov 1 2006, 09:21 PM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 months today to starting my business!! Must say it\'s been a very good year. Can\'t believe how quick it\'s gone. Had lots of easy stuff and lots of technically difficult stuff that I would never had dared to even think of when I was tiling years ago!!! Said it before and I\'ll keep saying it - right information delivered via excellent teaching methods followed by a superlative technical backup service - the proof is in the pudding Must say a very big THANK YOU to ALL the guys and gals at PITT, the guys from Aqua Mix, Colin at Kidsgrove Kitchens, the tech guys from BAL, the staff at Topps Tiles in Burslem and not forgetting all you guys on this forum!!!! and all my customers whop had faith in me! Cheers! Toots Oct 31 2006, 10:54 PM --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks Paul for a fantastic, incredibly worthwhile course. Thanks to all at PITT(again) for everything, it\'s worth the trip just for the hospitality! Norma, your lunches make me wish i could drop in everyday! Special thanks really have to go to Bill, Frank and Ian from Aqua Mix. What they don\'t know about the treatment of natural stone really doesn\'t seem to be worth bothering about. The way the information was imparted and demonstrated to us was superb and left all of us on the course with the realisation that the training we had received wouldn\'t just be extremely beneficial on a day to day basis, but could open up many other opportunities aside of tiling itself. Thanks to all the other lads on the course who also helped make it such a pleasurable experience. easylay Nov 1 2006, 06:47 PM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have read your postings over the weekend, and can see exactly where you are coming from. I am a 100% full blown skeptic, and I am not easily fooled by scammers or folks out to make a fast buck. It is not professionalism that I would have called into question regarding anyone that has trained on a short term training course, but experience. I have been tiling on and off for nigh on 20 years, sometimes as a diyer at other times as a handyman for other companies. I attended a pitt training course only a couple of weeks ago, and can only say that I am shocked at the lack of knowledge and skills that I had. The time spent at the training facility is mainly on setting out procedures and tile fixing using the correct methods and tools as set by british standards., this training is the foundation that everything else can be built on through time. To put this in a lifelike scenario you go to a job, you set out and then you fix. If a problem arises you deal with it as you would have done in the past ie use your experience. Put me or another new trainee in that position, and we will contact the technical helpline, and use their experience to enable us to deal with the problem. This does not show lack of professionalism, just lack of experience. To finish off, is it not better to support someone who, through hard work and expense to themselves wants to succeed in this industry, rather than slagging the off and putting them down at the first chance you get. Thanks to the staff at pitt, I feel that I am in a far better position now to offer a quality service to customers that I\'m sure they will be delighted with. gizmo Oct 23 2006, 01:14 PM ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Some very interesting points of view regarding this topic. I have been tiling \'on and off\' for the past 20 odd years. My first pro job was in 1988 (restaurant kitchen) and took a week to complete. The skills I had and built up to that point I took from job to job and there came a point that I didn\'t learn anything new; I just repeated the experience I had built up (which looking back was rather limited!!). For a few years I also got into painting & decorating (try teling them that their trade isn\'t real!) and worked for a local contractor who gave me all the tiling work he got. After suffering a bike crash I got easier work but after a while (long one!!) I got bored and wanted to get back into either tiling or painting but for myself. I knew that to make it work I needed far more knowledge than what I possessed at the time and after seeing an ad to \'become a professional tiler\' in the national press I looked into it. After a bit of research I came across PITT, albeit accidentally, and took the plunge. 12 months on I can honestly say that I would not have the business that I have now if I hadn\'t invested in myself and what I learned at PITT really did make a huge difference (and yes, you can learn a hell of a lot in a short time scale especially if you are willing to learn and the info put across is correct and properly presented!!). However, after talking to others that have done \'courses\' on various trades there appears to be a bit of a lottery as to whether you get an excellant, mediocre or just plain crap training centre. This very same lottery also applies to customers who are after a trades person in any trade (we\'ve all seem builders, plumbers, tilers et al with 20 years \'experience\' still making bodges and balls ups AND getting away with it!!!! If those in the industry, especially with experience on many fronts, or time served feel there is validity to at least exploring the reasons for an association then a certain amount of trust should be given to allow then to do this. Findings can always be discussed and questions can always be asked - open mindedness allows the creation of many things and also the solving of many problems. It is only by looking at all aspects of an argument that progress can be made, afterall freedom of speech is what our forefathers fought and died for!!!! Sometimes we need to see a bigger picture and this can be done through the exchanging of ideas. I would very much like to see where this association can go and how it can represent all those within the tile industry and also all those it serves. \'What the fool doesn\'t understand he mocks, thinking he\'s showing superiority; where in fact he\'s just displaying latent idiocy.\' It is good to be skeptical but not to the point that it limits you - if you have a point of view (good, bad or indifferent!!!) that you think can make a difference to our industry then please bring it to the table. Toots Oct 23 2006, 02:26 PM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just a forum question with answers, this topic can be found at http://www.tileforums.com/index.php?showtopic=2410 Evening lads Put a post on earlier in the week saying that i was thinking of doing the PITT course early next year and the response i had back was good, thanks!! Ive noticed that alot of you seem to do the plumbing side of things too is that because there isnt enough demand for tiling just on its own or there is more money to be made doing full bathrooms? Would like to hear your comments. Thanks 2tile ……………………………………………………………………………….. Hi 2tile Its pretty simple really once you become a tiler soon things start cropping up in kitchens and bathrooms where you need or could do with a knowing a fair bit about the plumbing side of things. This knowledge in turn gives you the ability to do complete bathroom refurbs not just the tiling for which you earn more money. So I like many others have been back to PITT to do the plumbing course to enhance my skills. Like the tiling course I have never looked back and I have paid for both courses over and over again. I am sure others will agree. Tilinglogistics Kev ……………………………………………………………………….. Cheers Kev Thought that would be the case! And i know big money can be made in the bathroom game as i have a mate thats just done 4 years of evening classes to do his plumbing but he still works full time in a factory to scared to go it alone and to be honest ive seen his tiling and its not the best to say the least but saying that hes never had a complaint, so it shows i guess the training you have needs to be good but i guess you need to have the get up and go attitude to make it work........... Got to be honest the thought scares me sh**less at the mo...............!!!!!!! 2tile …………………………………………………………………………. You are not the first and you won\'t be the last mate. I don\'t think there is a single person on this Forum that wasn\'t scared the first few times but it soon passes with Paul and Jase as your fairy Godfathers to ring if your stuck or if you are really stuck you can ring the Fairy Godmother Steve. Bibi4now Kev …………………….. Kev is spot on in what he says. There is more money to be made in full bath refits if you do it all than the sum of just either tiling it or plumbing it. There is plenty of work out there and there are customers who are discerning and who are prepared to invest more for a quality job, their problem is finding the right person. 90% of my work comes from recommendations from satisfied customers and I get 100% of these jobs I look at. Tiling and plumbing gives you far more control over your projects and gives you far more options to choose from. 2tile you will be fine after your first job, we all have to start somewhere but you will be surprised at what you can achieve, just take a picture of the grin across your face when you complete your first jone!! Toots ……………………………………………. Cheers Toots One step at a time i guess the only problem with me if im going to do a job it has to be spot on im abit of a perfectionist....... and everyone says thats my down fall because it slows me down but surely in tiling thats a good quality to have, you can normally tell when someone takes pride in their work. P.S Live in Kidderminster (Worcsershire) what would you say the going rate for this area is? 2tile …………………………………………………………….. 2tile. When you have done the PITT course, do some jobs in your spare time first. Don\'t get me wrong, you will still be awake all night sh*ting yourself, but it makes it alot easier when you finally go for broke and set up full time on your own.