6 Week ICA Tiling Course
Candidates attending this course have two options they may go the ICA
route as shown below
or they may take the NVQ Level which is work based assessment. The options and
the route
best suited to each candidate will be discussed at the beginning of your
course.
This course is aimed primarily at those seeking to earn a living as a tiler
and gain maximum
experience and knowledge of the main areas of the trade, but it is also good
for those who
want to add another skill and gain additional knowledge and experience.
Week One
What will I learn?
The following issues will be addressed in tutor-led discussions:
Introduction to the tools of the trade
You will be shown the tools required for the job and given an overview of what
each tool is
for, when it is used and its correct usage. Some time is spent on the care and
maintenance of
tools. You will also review the most commonly used adhesives. Your tutor will
finish off with
a discussion on the good and bad habits which tilers pick up.
Health and safety
Consisting of a brief background of the Health and Safety legislation relevant
to you.
Getting started
The importance of setting out a quote: principles involved, tips and good
practice, cleanliness,
and dealing with difficult customers. The emphasis will be on cost of
materials, suppliers and
dealing with other trades in the context of how to measure and price your job
and estimate
costs. Finally, there will be a brief theory test on marking out and measuring
areas to be tiled.
What about getting the job done?
Throughout the programme you will gain practical experience on how to tile
around common
kitchen and bathroom fixtures and how to deal with common pitfalls such as
uneven walls,
pipes and sockets. The tutor will begin with a demonstration on how to use the
tools
including: cutting, marking out, and nibbling.
You will gain experience in the following:-
preparing a safe working area and following safe working practices
identify any hazards and how you would rectify them
checking for poor or uneven surfaces
selecting and using appropriate tools and equipment to prepare a straight run
for tiling
selecting and applying the appropriate adhesive and grouting
cleaning tiles after fixing and grouting
Throughout the course you will be encouraged to take photographs of your work.
On each
project you will be expected to plan the layout and measure for the tiles to
be used, and then
provide the estimate of what you determine will be required to complete the
job. On
completion you will be assessed to determine if you are within your estimate.
Remember time
is money and waste means lack of profit.
Week 2
Building on what you learn during your first week, you will go straight into
further
preparation for wall tiling.
You will continue practicing the application of the practical knowledge gained
on wall tiling.
In addition there will be further work on:
marking and cutting tiles to fit around obstacles such as around wash basin
and sockets and
fix tiles to wall area
select and mix grout according to instructions and apply to tiled area using
correct tools and
following correct procedures
clean off surplus grout with sponge
Your two week session will finish with a de-brief with your tutor will conduct
a question and
answer session with students to recap the two weeks of training.
The aim of this course is to give you the basics elements of tiling for use on
your own home
or to add on to another skill which you already have. You will cover the same
areas as with
the two week course and then you will cover the following in weeks 3 and 4.
Week 3
You will develop your skill with wall tiling during week three. An important
skill you will
learn is setting up a datum line using different methods. You will be expected
to mark out the
gauge rod, prepare wall area for tiling, make sure wall area is sound and
remove all obstacles
where possible.
Developing your wall tiling skills
Additional practical experience will include:
fixing battens to wall area around room to begin first full course of tiles
making sure cuts are equal around wall areas- remember to practice cleanliness
of work area.
fixing tiles to wall areas in bathroom and kitchen areas, grout tiles, and
remove surplus grout
before set is complete.
Using theory the instructor will lead a discussion on:
working with Quarry tiles (Limestone, Marble, Mosaics)
pattern tiling and borders with octagonal patterns and wavy edge tiles
Week 4
In week four, if you are comfortable with your progress on wall tiling you can
progress to the
floor. Floor tiling can be significantly more difficult than the wall work so
the level of skill
required is greatly increased.
You will commence with the selection of correct adhesives and grout for floor
tiling and
throughout learn how to use materials economically.
Preparing the Floor
make sure floor area is dry, sound, and dust free
clear area where passable
find centre of floor and lay floor adhesive using correct tool
lay to straight line and continue across floor area (make sure floor is flat
and tiles are spaced
evenly - use spacers when necessary)
make sure there are no raised edges
leave floor to set
Grouting the Floor
check grout consistency before using
practice measuring and marking out around pedestal and WC
use tile saw and hand cutting and nibbling tools to deliver the required shape.
demonstrate cutting and shaping
Finally to help you along your way:
Tips on running a successful business
For those of you who will be looking to start up your own business this will
be a useful
introduction to topics such as tax, VAT, getting an accountant, registration
of your business
with Inland Revenue and opening a business bank account. It will also give an
introduction to
marketing opportunities such as local papers, stores' notice boards, vehicle
signage, sign
boards outside current job site.
Your success depends on your reputation which is based on cleanliness, quoting
correctly,
and giving reasonable estimates for the time of the job and adhering to them.
Week Five
This week will focus on more advanced wall tiling. You will follow a similar
set-up as in
week three but with the introduction of borders and patterns as the main focus
of the week.
You will work to achieve a tiled wall area that integrates the more advance
techniques of
tiling.
Week Six
This final week will focus on more advanced floor tiling. Complex use of
borders and patterns
on the floor area will be the main focus. The accuracy of the laying of tiles
will be stressed as
you need to cut and lay floor tiles without too much wastage to be a
successful tiler.
What you need to bring
You will be required to bring steel-capped boots or shoes and overalls. All
tools and other
material will be provided for the duration of the course. Safety goggles will
be available for
your use.
