How do you tile at the corners of a wall?
Question:I'm tiling my shower/tub area in the bathroom and I don't know exactly how to put the tiles at the point where the wall tile will meet the tile on the window sill and jams. Right there it makes a corner, but I'm not sure just overlapping the tile looks that good. Any ideas?
Answers:
You're right. Just overlapping the tile at outside corners only works in certain situations and with certain tile. In your case, I would use bullnose tile designed specifically for that purpose. Bullnose tile has one or two sides that are curved on the edges to give the outside corner(s) a smooth finished look. If you are using 4" square tile then you can usually get the same 4" square tile but with one side having a curved finished edge. Otherwise, you may have to get a rectangular bullnose tile to work with your design. Although the color may be different, find one that compliments your other tile. Use this same bullnose anywhere you need a smooth finished edge such as the border around the top and/or sides of your tile surround.
At the window, you can use the bullnose either on the wall side or the jam side. One or the other. Either way, the bullnose should overlap the edges of your other tile. Good luck and I hope this helps.
To mark for the cuts, hold a whole tile on top of the installed tile next to the cut, may have to use tape to hold it there, then mark the cut using a whole tile held against the corner or sill or whatever you are trying to fit against. May have to mark more than one direction. Cut with a wet saw.
There are various ways to do it. A butt joint at a right angle (inside angle, as between the back and side walls of the shower) is acceptable, although inside corners are available. Outside corners and tri-corners are also available for most tile, and can be used where needed. A large home supply store can advise further.
I just tore out a tile job (installed about 1978) that had gone bad, and replaced the tub enclosure with a melamine plastic-Fiberglas three piece unit. It appears to be satisfactory, and will certainly be more waterproof than the tile was.
More Related Questions & Answers...