Tile Edge Trim – How to Choose It and Install It (Updated)
If you’d like to find out all about tile edge trim, you’ve come to the right place!
This is Steve with SKG Renovations (Steve’s Bio). In this post I will be providing you with an assortment of tile edging options and some helpful installation strategies.
And it gets better!
I will also go through a real life installation example to show you how it’s done by a professional.
Below is a list of the topics we will cover. They are all links so please feel free to skip down to any section that interests you.
If you’d like to find out all about tile edge trim, you’ve come to the right place!
This is Steve with SKG Renovations (Steve’s Bio). In this post I will be providing you with an assortment of tile edging options and some helpful installation strategies.
And it gets better!
I will also go through a real life installation example to show you how it’s done by a professional.
Below is a list of the topics we will cover. They are all links so please feel free to skip down to any section that interests you.
Summary of the topics:
Product Types
There are four main types of tile edge trim that can be used to finish the perimeter of your tiling installations.
These include stone trims, porcelain or ceramic trim tiles, as well as plastic and metal trims.
These come in various configurations depending on the product and their use, but the metal tile trims (metal tile edging) and stone trims are the most popular.
Alternative to Bullnose Tile
If you are not excited about using a standard tile edge trim profile, you can use real or engineered stone instead. This is one of the fastest growing tile edge trim ideas, quickly displacing the standard tile edging options.
Capping a shower pony wall or framing the inside of a shower niche with polished stone creates a beautiful high end finish, and also provides a great alternative to bullnose tile.
The stone material is quite thick (a choice of either 2cm or 3cm thickness) so it offers the opportunity to create a finished trim by polishing the outside facing edge.
This strategy is becoming more popular because it creates a very compelling seamless look and is easier to install than other trims. It can also produce a beautiful modern or classic finish depending on your choice of stone.
The downside is that it can be significantly more expensive than a standard tile edge trim installation due to the high cost of the material and fabrication.
You should also keep in mind that these types of stone installations require very accurate measurements and a skilled stone fabricator to cut and polish the stone pieces.
Ceramic Tile Edge Trim Profiles
Ceramic tile edge trim profiles can have a finished square edge, or more commonly a larger radius bullnose edge.
These types of tile edging were common in modern designs during the 1980’s and early 90’s but are no longer popular in todays modern bathroom designs.
There are some unique modern trim tiles available today, but they are usually special order items and generally quite expensive.
In contrast, it is quite common to see these tiles in more traditional design schemes these days.
The attached image shows a ceramic trim tile being used very nicely around a tiled shower niche in a traditional bathroom design.
Metal and plastic tile edge trims
Metal tile trims and plastic tile edge trims come in several profile shapes and colors, but plastic is the least popular of this group because they do not stand up well to abrasion.
The metal tile edging is by-far the most com