TWO inventive businessmen are set to help DIY enthusiasts and tradesmen alike with the tiling.
Martin Hemmingway, of Mirfield, and Lepton-based Mark Sykes worked on their inventions independently – but have now come together to promote their products through the Huddersfield branch of B&Q.
And they hope that the retail giant will introduce their products to its stores across Yorkshire – and even further afield as spring approaches and the home improvement market takes off.
Martin’s product, the Tile Tracker, was developed predominantly for the building trade and arose from his own experiences in the industry in which he has been working for 25 years.
Martin began developing the Tile Tracker while working as a fitter for B&Q – and coming across problems fitting tiles in houses hit by flooding. “The traditional way of doing it wasn’t working,” he said. “I already had a few ideas in my mind, so I developed a Tile Tracker for my own use. My colleagues were so impressed with it that they suggested I make some more.”
Martin said: “Tile Tracker provides a fast and efficient way in which to tile on an absolute level no matter what ability the operator may hold. The TileTracker has been trialled and tested with skilled users and the feedback has been undeniable, even where fixtures and fittings are in place.”
The system allows the user to set out any tiling project without the need for batons by setting the track unit against the wall to be tiled and setting the level and height using the adjustable legs.
The Tile Tracker takes the weight of the heaviest of tiles available to buy including slate, natural stone or even marble.
Most Read
Mark’s product is the Multispacer, a multi-functional tool which allows users to avoid problems such as uneven tiles, raised tile edges and incorrectly spaced tiles.
Mark, a chartered surveyor, said: “Multispacer is designed to ensure that what can go wrong with any tiling job, doesn’t. It's tough, resilient and very easy to use and enables you to correct any errors before the adhesive sets.”
Mark said he came up with the idea after having some tiling done at home. “The ‘professional’ tiler who did the job was a very nice chap but the end result left a lot to be desired,” said Mark.
“Although most of his work was okay, there were some obvious, simple mistakes which a professional tiler just shouldn’t make. They were the type of errors that DIY tilers are always making and which I've seen hundreds of times in my profession.
“So, the thought that every would-be inventor has sprang to mind – there must be a tool available to help tilers avoid making the most common mistakes. I decided to try and design one; and after a lengthy evolutionary process, I came up with the Multispacer.”