03/11/2026
🚨 PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: DON’T BE LIKE SARAH. 🚨
Today, we’re using our very own Social Media Manager as a shining example of how NOT to approach a DIY project. 🤦♀️😂
👋 Meet Sarah.
Sarah is impulsive.
Sarah has been known to rage quit CHILDREN’S JIGSAW PUZZLES because she lacks the patience to see them through.
So naturally, Sarah decided she was more than qualified to renovate her bathroom using peel-and-stick wall tiles she found on TikTok Shop.
Because apparently watching a 30-second TikTok tutorial now qualifies you for a career in construction. 🛠️
Now, here’s where things get interesting.
Sarah works for a MAINTENANCE COMPANY.
Not just any maintenance company. OUR maintenance company.
Sarah has access to an entire team of experienced tradespeople. Joiners, maintenance operatives, people who actually know what they’re doing.
Did Sarah consult a single one of them before starting?
❌ Absolutely not.
Did Sarah ask our Director for advice?
❌ Not until things went spectacularly wrong and she had to sheepishly beg for help.
Was Sarah encouraged to ask the work group chat?
✅ Yes.
Did she?
❌ Absolutely NOT. She knew fine well she’d get absolutely ROASTED for being such an eejit. 😂
And quite frankly, we can’t blame her.
Let’s review Sarah’s approach to this exciting home improvement project.
📏 DID SARAH MEASURE THE WALL?
No.
Sarah decided measurements were more of a suggestion than a requirement.
She ordered enough tiles to renovate approximately TWO bathrooms.
Unfortunately, Sarah only has ONE bathroom requiring renovation.
An excellent demonstration of how to waste money before you’ve even started.
🧽 DID SARAH CLEAN AND PREPARE THE WALL?
No.
Why would she do something sensible like remove dust, grease and moisture before applying adhesive tiles?
That sounds suspiciously like planning.
Sarah doesn’t do planning.
🧩 DID SARAH CHECK THE PATTERN BEFORE STICKING THE TILES ON?
No.
Sarah discovered halfway through that apparently patterns are supposed to LINE UP.
This resulted in several tiles being applied, removed, rotated, reapplied, questioned, sworn at and removed again.
At one point, the wall had more costume changes than Beyoncé on tour.
🪜 DID SARAH USE APPROPRIATE EQUIPMENT TO REACH THE WALL?
Absolutely not.
Sarah decided a SWIVELLING VANITY CHAIR was a perfectly acceptable alternative to a proper step stool.
Yes. A chair designed for sitting at a dressing table and applying makeup.
There she was, attempting precision wall tiling while rotating like a rotisserie chicken.
Health and Safety would have had an absolute FIELD DAY.
✂️ DID SARAH HAVE THE CORRECT TOOLS TO CUT HER TILES?
Of course she didn’t.
That would imply she’d considered the possibility that walls have corners, edges and obstacles.
🔧 AND THEN CAME THE TOILET ROLL HOLDER.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is where Sarah’s construction career came to an abrupt and humiliating end.
The toilet roll holder was securely attached to the wall.
Sarah needed to remove it.
Simple enough, you’d think.
Except Sarah didn’t have the correct Allen key.
She found one.
It was too big.
Not dramatically too big.
Not even noticeably too big.
Approximately ONE BLOODY HAIR too big. 🤏😭
And so, after all her determination, enthusiasm and questionable decision-making, Sarah was defeated by a tiny hole in a toilet roll holder.
The entire operation has now been suspended while Sarah goes shopping for an Allen key.
An Allen key she will almost certainly purchase in the wrong size.
PROJECT STATUS: ABANDONED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. 🚧
💡 NOW, SOME ACTUAL ADVICE FROM THE PROFESSIONALS AT EVOLUTION MAINTENANCE SERVICES LTD.
If Sarah’s questionable life choices have inspired you to attempt your own peel-and-stick wall tile project, here’s how to do it PROPERLY.
✅ 1. MEASURE BEFORE YOU BUY.
Measure the height and width of each wall section and calculate the area. Check the coverage per pack, account for doors, windows and obstacles, and allow around 10% extra for cuts and mistakes.
Not 150% extra because you got excited on TikTok.
✅ 2. CHECK YOUR TILES ARE SUITABLE.
Not all peel-and-stick tiles are waterproof or suitable for bathrooms. Check the manufacturer’s instructions, particularly for humid areas and splash zones.
Water-resistant doesn’t automatically mean suitable for direct shower exposure!
✅ 3. PREPARE YOUR WALLS.
Make sure the surface is sound, smooth, clean, dry and free from dust, grease, loose paint and soap residue.
Use a suitable cleaner, rinse if required, and allow the wall to dry completely. Prime or seal the surface if the tile manufacturer recommends it.
Adhesive works considerably better when you’re not sticking it to six months’ worth of bathroom dust.
✅ 4. PLAN YOUR LAYOUT FIRST.
Lay out your tiles before removing the backing.
Check the pattern direction, work out where cuts will fall, and use a level to mark a straight starting line.
This prevents the classic Sarah technique of sticking, swearing, peeling and repeating.
✅ 5. HAVE THE CORRECT TOOLS READY.
Depending on the product, you may need a tape measure, spirit level, pencil, straightedge, suitable cutting tool, smoothing tool and the correct screwdrivers or Allen keys for removing fixtures.
Don’t wait until you’re halfway through to discover your toilet roll holder requires specialist negotiations.
✅ 6. USE SAFE ACCESS EQUIPMENT.
Use a stable, suitable step stool or stepladder on a level surface.
NOT a swivel chair.
NOT a wheeled office chair.
NOT anything that turns your bathroom renovation into an audition for Britain’s Got Talent.
✅ 7. TAKE YOUR TIME WITH APPLICATION.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, keep the tiles aligned, press them firmly into place and avoid stretching them.
Check whether the product requires sealing around edges or fittings, and follow any curing or water-exposure guidance.
Remember: peel-and-stick does not necessarily mean peel-and-reposition-47-times.
✅ 8. KNOW WHEN TO ASK FOR HELP.
If you’re unsure about removing fixtures, preparing surfaces or whether your chosen materials are suitable, ask someone who knows what they’re doing.
Preferably BEFORE you’ve covered half the bathroom and lost the will to live.
😂 THE MORAL OF THE STORY?
Don’t be like Sarah.
Sarah had access to an entire maintenance company and STILL managed to turn a straightforward DIY project into a three-act comedy.
We employ skilled professionals for a reason.
And apparently, we employ Sarah to remind everyone why those professionals are needed.
At Evolution Maintenance Services Ltd, we believe in doing the job properly, safely and with the right equipment.
Thankfully, our tradespeople are considerably more competent at DIY than our Social Media Manager.
Sarah, meanwhile, is currently accepting donations of miniature Allen keys, patience and common sense.
Please keep her in your thoughts during this difficult time.
🔨 EVOLUTION MAINTENANCE SERVICES LTD
Leave the maintenance to us. Leave the questionable decisions to Sarah.
