an interview with Jonathan Zammit; Proprietor, ZJ Tile Laying
Jonathan Zammit, founder and owner of
ZJ Tile Laying has been in the sector since the age of 11, when he would help his father and brother with the family business. From a young age, Jonathan understood that he wanted to follow the passion which his father had instilled in him for tile laying.
Jonathan had attended the Lorenzo Manche trade school in Floriana, where he spent all five years of secondary school. “I learnt the technical aspects of the job there, as well as the hands-on skills at the workshop. The experience I gained with my father’s company from a young age was also fundamental for my professional development,” he explained.
He had started out with tiling bathrooms, which is still, to this day, the most common type of job which customers commission him to do. “My father has since retired and at the age of 23 I decided to set up shop independently,” Jonathan said. After he started building a name as an independent contractor, he soon began getting requests to install the tiling for entire apartments and later houses as well as entire apartment blocks for property developers. Nowadays Jonathan carries out an array of both residential and commercial projects, tiling walls, stairs and floors. ZJ tiling also handles floor tile removal as well as laying.
“We use a water cutting machine to cut the skirting to measure, so that we get a high quality end result that looks factory made”
“We currently have a number of projects for stairs where we cut and install the tiles, including the skirting, according to the customer’s specifications. We use a water cutting machine to cut the skirting to measure, so that we get a high quality end result that looks factory made,” he said.
Jonathan explained that he installs tiles on both concrete subfloor (“torba”) as well as screed. “The use of screed makes it easier for us to be perfectionists in our job. However, when we work on subfloor, we use a levelling tool (which includes a laser guide) so as to get the job done right. We guide the client with the options that will yield optimal results,” he said, explaining that ZJ Tile Laying tailors each job to the individual client’s designs. Similarly, Jonathan and his team can work with or without the use of spacers, when installing tiles. “You definitely need spacers when laying larger-sized tiles. In an ideal scenario, we would always use spacers – as this guarantees job uniformity and stability.
In addition to delivering for a quality job, Jonathan is well aware of the importance of meeting clients’ deadlines. “By nature of the job, timeframes vary according to the size of the property we are tiling. Generally, it takes us 2 to 3 weeks to complete an entire apartment, provided we have everything in place. Planning out a project properly is important for us, as it enables us to complete a high quality job, efficiently,” he said.
“In an ideal scenario, we would always use spacers- as this gurantees job uniformity and stability.”
From a one-man show, Jonathan has taken ZJ Tile Laying to a fully-fledged team, over the 14 year company lifespan. He currently employs four well-trained professionals. “They know the trade well and they know the standards I expect from them. Most of the team members have been with me since the company’s inception,” he explained.
Jonathan’s passion for the job and his hands-on approach ensures that he is always abreast about developments with the projects his team is working on. He is keen to regularly go on site and personally monitor the results of the team’s jobs himself. ZJ Tile Laying operates with its own vans and tools. “We keep updated with technological innovations in the field, as well as the latest products and this often means that we can provide superior results to our end customer.
Quality and client satisfaction are key deliverables in our trade, together with respecting timeframes and offering our clients value for money,” Jonathan stressed. Passionate about the trade and proud of the company he has built himself, Jonathan wants his team to deliver jobs of which they can be proud.
“Quality and client satisfaction are key deliverables in our trade, together with respecting timeframes and offering our clients value for money”
Jonathan’s abhorrence for shoddy workmanship was evident throughout this interview. Understandably enough, he is hardly thrilled to be commissioned to resolve problematic foundations and works done by other parties. Furthermore, “experience has taught me that more often than not, the way to solve a problem caused by unprofessional tiling is to remove the tiles and start afresh. Unfortunately, this will result in a considerable increase in costs for the client,” he said.
To support him in delivering to customers’ satisfaction, Jonathan is adamant about buying the best raw material on the market. “I want to deliver a quality job and so I need quality products to reflect this ethos,” he explained.
“I am somewhat of a perfectionist, which I balance with a practical approach, without compromising on aesthetics”
ZJ Tile Laying holds its clients in high esteem. “We respect our customers and their property. We work in homes, villas as well as commercial establishments so we make sure to take care of the property and never damage any furniture that is already on site,” Jonathan said.
He added that his team members ensure that they clean up behind them, to leave the work site in proper order, with the least inconvenience for clients, especially when they are living in the home they would have tiled. When asked to give an example of their attention to customer care, Jonathan cited that team members who smoke would not dream to do so on site, out of respect to their clients.
“I am meticulous about my work. Truth be told, I am somewhat of a perfectionist, which I balance with a practical approach, without compromising on aesthetics,” he confessed. Jonathan is determined to continue building on his track record of professionally completed jobs. “Professional workmanship and ethics are fundamental values for us.
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