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Kate van Niekerk of Tile Africa offers the following advice when choosing a tiler:
Word of mouth – Ask friends, family members and neighbours for referrals, or ask prospective tilers to provide references from jobs they have completed. Be sure to ask about their experience, and ask them to describe previous jobs – this should give you an idea of whether they can manage a project the scope of your renovation.
Quotes – Be sure to get at least two quotes before appointing a tiler in order to compare costs. The lowest quote is not necessarily the best quote though – make sure that you are issued with a written description of the work to be done. Has the tiler qoted you for surface preparation? Will they purchase the tiles and materials or will you? What total area (square metres) does the quote cover? Will the tiler clear away the rubble at the end of the job? Get a written guarantee on the work too, in case anything goes wrong.
First impressions – Consider whether your prospective tiler's appearance was clean and tidy and whether they remembered to take off their footwear before walking through your home/premises if wearing soiled overalls. Think about how they communicated with you and whether they explained things clearly as this will be the standard you can expect throughout the job. Use your gut instinct about whether you trust them.
Communication – It pays to spend a little time making sure that you and your tiler both agree on exactly what is going to be done – the height of the tiles, any patterns to be used, where the trim is going and so on. A little communication upfront can save a lot of argument later.
Materials – Check the quality of the adhesive, grouts etc to be used by the tiler to ensure they are fit for the use on your project as use of the wrong materials will cause the installation to fail. It is best to avoid having to trace your contractor months or years after the project has been completed.
