It was inevitable that Mark Exley would become a tiler. Back in the 1960s, dad was a tiler. So were his uncles and other family members. And they were good tilers. So when the time came to think about what he’d do after leaving school, Mark chose tiling.
While at St Peter’s High School in Burnham on Crouch, Mark did extended work experience with his dad, learning the basics and laying the groundwork for a successful career.
At 16, Mark worked full time with his dad, who was sub-contracting for established London-based tiling specialist companies. Together, they worked on tiling projects for supermarkets, railway stations, prestige residential developments and heritage restorations.
A few years later, Mark was sub-contracting for WB Simpson & Sons, the leading specialist tiling contractor in the South East. Mark’s CV read like a “who’s who” of big-name projects – Battersea Power Station Phase 1 – one of the largest construction sites in Europe, the Eurostar International terminus at London St Pancras, the Aquatic Centre for the 2012 London Olympics, Wembley Stadium, the O2 Arena, Gatwick Airport, Stansted Airport, London City Airport, and Birmingham Airport. But it wasn’t all new-build projects. Mark’s skills meant he was chosen for heritage tiling at St Pancras Chambers hotel.
As Mark honed his tiling skills, WB Simpson & Sons encouraged him to apply for the Master Craftsman status awarded by The Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers. This Livery Company was established in 1568, hence the old-English spelling of “tylers”. It encourages high quality workmanship and the training of future generations of craftsmen
The opportunity to apply for Master Craftsman comes only every three years. It took Mark four years to compile a portfolio of work that encompassed ceramic wall and floor tiling, sand and cement fixing, mosaics, murals, stairs, arches, columns, pools, and geometric tiling.
On achieving this prestigious award in 2022, Mark Exley became an Award-Winning Master Tiler – one of only eight in the UK!
Mark is also a member of The Tile Association, an independent trade association representing the UK tiling industry promoting professionalism and technical standards in the tiling industry.
If you’d like to talk to Mark about your tiling project, get in touch for a chat.
How Mark Exley became an award-winning Master Tiler
about Exley Tiling
It was inevitable that Mark Exley would become a tiler. Back in the 1960s, dad was a tiler. So were his uncles and other family members. And they were good tilers. So when the time came to think about what he’d do after leaving school, Mark chose tiling.
While at St Peter’s High School in Burnham on Crouch, Mark did extended work experience with his dad, learning the basics and laying the groundwork for a successful career.
At 16, Mark worked full time with his dad, who was sub-contracting for established London-based tiling specialist companies. Together, they worked on tiling projects for supermarkets, railway stations, prestige residential developments and heritage restorations.
A few years later, Mark was sub-contracting for WB Simpson & Sons, the leading specialist tiling contractor in the South East. Mark’s CV read like a “who’s who” of big-name projects – Battersea Power Station Phase 1 – one of the largest construction sites in Europe, the Eurostar International terminus at London St Pancras, the Aquatic Centre for the 2012 London Olympics, Wembley Stadium, the O2 Arena, Gatwick Airport, Stansted Airport, London City Airport, and Birmingham Airport. But it wasn’t all new-build projects. Mark’s skills meant he was chosen for heritage tiling at St Pancras Chambers hotel.
As Mark honed his tiling skills, WB Simpson & Sons encouraged him to apply for the Master Craftsman status awarded by The Worshipful Company of Tylers and Bricklayers. This Livery Company was established in 1568, hence the old-English spelling of “tylers”. It encourages high quality workmanship and the training of future generations of craftsmen
The opportunity to apply for Master Craftsman comes only every three years. It took Mark four years to compile a portfolio of work that encompassed ceramic wall and floor tiling, sand and cement fixing, mosaics, murals, stairs, arches, columns, pools, and geometric tiling.
On achieving this prestigious award in 2022, Mark Exley became an Award-Winning Master Tiler – one of only eight in the UK!
Mark is also a member of The Tile Association, an independent trade association representing the UK tiling industry promoting professionalism and technical standards in the tiling industry.
If you’d like to talk to Mark about your tiling project, get in touch for a chat.