Tiling around a window - when edge trim fails

[Doehead]

Hi all,

Our first ever DIT attempt at tiling (the bathroom) has stalled now that we've reached the window wall. The tiles going round the sides need to be cut to size, and this means having the cut edge meeting the window.

The plastic edge trim we've got is failing to hold the tile snugly when fed a cut edge. Given a non cut edge, it's fine, but with a cut edge it can't hide the cut and looks, well crap. It just doesn't seem to allow the tile to "slot in" properly as the non-cut edges have a slight bevel to them which must help.

What other options do we have? Tiling it as a 90 degree corner and tiling into the window too is no good because the sill is so shallow; barely an inch or so, and we'd still have the problem of trying to hide a cut edge.

When the tiles are cut, the cut edge itself is a different colour from the glazed side so leaving them bare looks crap too.

Help! :-)

[Lurch]

On Sat, 01 Sep 2007 16:10:13 GMT, "Doehead" mused:

'Slot in'? They don't slot in, they butt up to the edging.

Cut them at 45 degrees and mitre the tiled edges into each other.

[Doehead]

This stuff does. It's like a half-pipe shape...and wraps just far enough around the edge of the tile so that it forms a lip over the edge and hides the side. The tiles certainly don't butt up flat against anything. It's just standard edging from B&Q.

[Lurch]

On Sat, 01 Sep 2007 17:47:21 GMT, "Doehead" mused:

Sounds awful. You sure you've not got the wrong size?

[Doehead]

No, it's the right size. And works fantastic against a normal edge. It's just useless with a cut, ever so slightly rough edge (cut with a saw btw).

[John Rumm]

Sounds like you need a deeper trim, they are available in various sizes.

[Stuart Noble]

Sounds like the cuts aren't accurate enough. Forget the saw and get a cheap scribe and snap cutter

[OldBill]

....

Sounds like the problem to me too. One tries the tile against trim in the shop, it should just cover the edge. Any gap will be filled with grout. Ask the nice man in a real tile shop e.g. JustTiles in Reading.

[The Natural Philosopher]

use emery paper or a tungsten carbide permagrit like block to feather he cut edges.

[George]

So grind the edges with a chamfer on the grinder.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Yup..thats easier when the edge wont be seen. Run it up against the tile saw at an angle.

[The Medway Handyman]

That doesn't mean its the right size. Its meant to cover cut edges, thats its raison detre.

Homelux make the tile trim for B&Q and they do it in 6, 8, 9, 10 & 12.5mm.

The stuff in B&Q is the 6mm, how thick are your tiles? Maybe you need 8mm trim?

[Doehead]

I wasn't aware that it came in 8mm. Our local B&Q only does 6, 9 and 12mm and the 9 was too deep by far, even with adhesive bringing the tile up a bit. We choose the 6mm stuff by holding a tile against it in the shop...of course now that I actually look at the boxes for the tiles, they state that they're 7mm. I guess they were only fitting due to the bevelled edge.

8mm it will have to be (I hope). If I can find any.