The journey so far – 26 years in business
Samuel Rex – Director
I started my apprenticeship in wall and floor tiling. Seven years later in 2007 I decided to set up my own company up as S J Rex Wall and Floor Tiling.
I remained as just a tiling service for the next 10 years and gained a good solid knowledge base of the building industry. I was always eager to learn more – not just about my trade, but all the different trades that accompanied it. In particular bathrooms and kitchens, and the way these rooms worked ergonomically and aesthetically.
Along the way I have met a vast number of tradesmen and have maintained good relationships with the best of them. Always collectively prioritising the highest of standards, and quality of workmanship. We now use these people as the approved and vetted trades that make up the other people in the team ( plumbers, electricians, plasterers, carpenters etc)
Anyone who has encountered the various characters within the building industry will confirm that there can be a vast gulf in quality, price structures and levels of workmanship. My aim for the company has always been to produce the best standard of work we can. And to maintain a reputation for producing the best quality possible.
In 2016 the company expanded and was set up as a limited company and offered complete bathroom renovations as well as just wall and floor tiling. I decided to use the design skills and overall knowledge base that I had accumulated. Then mixed this in with a bit of common sense and the key ingredient honest open communications and a desire to produce the best most affordable service we can.
Using CAD computer design, along with our existing relationships with trade merchants and trades men, we formed a complete managed installation service as well as just supplying the tiling side of projects.
The main benefit in the way we approach a project is that we have the knowledge to ensure the background structures are reliable. The problem we were repeatedly facing was in the preparation of the room. Structurally – boards, walls and floors were bouncing and flapping. Things were massively out of level or didn’t have the necessary stability.
Modern products require much different specifications to accommodate the weight, and size of much of the larger tiles available today. Also the ever more popular style, of walk in tiled wet areas needed to be properly addressed to avoid expensive leaks. The bad projects we viewed were often at a stage where it was too late to properly resolve the issues.
By working from the knowledge of how to achieve the best finish, and by getting everything properly in place from day one. I found that we could achieve much better standards of quality. This also avoided the bulk of the problems that caused a bad installation later down the line.
Along my path in the building career of twenty years, I have seen what works and what caused problems. This experience, coupled with a strong desire to deliver a top quality-service, along with attention to detail and patience, means we can aim to always produce the best possible work and have happy customers.
– Samuel Rex, Company Director