Trim After Tiling

[Gazza1]

Hopefully someone can advise on a far from perfect situation.

A professional tiler has just tiled my kitchen but around the window ledge (where vertical wall and flat ledge meet) he did not use trim. The edges of the tiles are exposed. It's no doubt a matter of taste but to me it doesn't look good.

It's a shame because otherwise the job is okay. I was out when it was being finished and stupidly assumed trim would be used around a window.

Is there any way that plastic white trim can be added once the tiling has been completed or is there any other sort of solution that would mean that I don't have to remove the tiles and pay to have that part re-tiled?

 

[Bill]

It would depend if the tiles need a trim to finish off the look. Some tiles do not need one. Any chance of a photo, please?

 

[Qwerty]

Any trim retrofitted will stand proud and not look right. Only real option would be to remove one course of horizontal tiles and refit with trim

 

[Andy Allen]

Not many glazed edge tiles around any more so a trim is standered practice the tiles on the cills would have to be removed to fit the trim.

 

[Gazza1]

Thanks for the replies To, Plan Tec and Andy.

Here's a picture. The tiles have a rough splash style glazing on the edge that isn't complete and doesn't fit with the colour or spread of the glazing on the face of the tile.

 

[Qwerty]

Thanks for sharing @Gazza1

I mean no offence, but that is no professional that has tiled your kitchen! Those handmade tiles should never really be tiled in a stacked (standard set) layout. The uneven surfaces creates those unsightly uneven grout joints you see. I personally would have brick bonded them and most likely mitred the edges with no trim.

I take it they are the Cotswold style handmade tiles or has my late night drinking with neighbours last night affected me more than I first thought!?

 

[Martyn Leeds]

Think I would've raised the cill height by a bit of plasterboard, to rid the cut on the right, and left I presume..

Ps.
He's been lazy by not bothering with trim - or even having the decency to at least give you 2 options - trim or no trim..

 

[Gazza1]

Thanks Plan Tec.

To be fair he did recommend brick bond but, not knowing about these things, we went with the advice of someone else on the layout.

They don't actually look too bad elsewhere to my untrained eye (see photo) but the window is a problem I think.

They aren't hand made - just Topps Tiles branded factory mass produced!

Is there anything simple I can do to make the window section look better?

 

[Alan.P]

As stated earlier, one way around it would be to take the windowsill and reveal tiles off, fit trim and re-tile.

 

[Qwerty]

Topps Tiles

Yes, these are "handmade" tiles. Mass produced, but handmade effect.

You could grind back the face of the edges, cut the trim and glue the trim face to the tile edge, but the end finish will be just as unsightly as what you have now. They are ceramic and fairly soft really but would be very time consuming!

Or you could remove the tiles and fit trim and tiles back.

 

[Bill]

Those tiles should have a wide joint on them too..... to hide the irregular size of the tiles........ these tiles do not NEED a trim but it is a choice you should have had.

The white gout is also highlighting the joints......personally, I would used a grey grout.

 

[Just Rizzle]

did the guy do it on a labour only price, and you supplied the materials?

 

[Gazza1]

Thanks again guys.

Aside from the window it looks much better in the flesh than it does in the photos. Not sure why this is - I suppose in person the eye is probably not drawn to specific parts of the pattern but instead takes in the whole thing.

I supplied the tiles but the tiler supplied everything else.

I didn't know about joint sizes (wasn't told about this) and definitely was not given a trim option (which I why I assumed a trim would be fitted).

Not sure I can now justify the expense of fitting a trim and getting another tiler to install it (a different one).

You live and learn I guess although I imagine you guys are experts and probably perfectionists too (which is a good thing)

Not sure what to do now. It does look much better in person than in the photos though and many DIY tiling jobs I've seen look much worse

 

[Ian]

It wouldn't be a huge job to remove the tiles in the window reveal and replace once a trim had been fitted, as someone has already mentioned, it'd be worth adding a piece of plasterboard to the cill while you're doing it, to lose the small cut at the bottom of the side reveals.

 

[Alan.P]

it'd be worth adding a piece of plasterboard to the cill while you're doing it, to lose the small cut at the bottom of the side reveals.

Then you gonna have to re-do the windowsill bottom cuts as well Bri but yeah, another option

 

[Andy Allen]

Won't the tiler come back and re-do the cill with trim..

 

[Gazza1]

Won't the tiler come back and re-do the cill with trim..

I suspect not - just a feeling. I would probably approach someone else in any case.

Aside from the cill the walls aren't bad - the photos don't do justice to the fact that it looks okay and maybe even pretty good. I think the overall effect of the lines of columns takes the eye away from irregularities within the columns. I did notice irregularities in the grout lines but only because I was looking and to be honest I didn't notice that the lines weren't straight until it was pointed out.

It would have been better to have bought regular edge tiles but the pros and cons of different styles, finishes and colours together with my naïveté meant we went for these ones.

I wonder how much I would be looking at to ask someone to fit a trim to the cill.

 

[Andy Allen]

Depends how much patching needs doing after removing the tiles.
I would allow and charge half a day for that.

 

[lizzardtong]

I know schluter makes stainless steel retrofit trims.

 

[Old Mod]

I know schluter makes stainless steel retrofit trims.

That's how I nearly cut my thumb in half,
trying to retro fit a plastic trim! Haha
I don't retro fit trims anymore! Haha

 

[Just Rizzle]

this may not be every ones solution but have you thought about may be painting the edges take a tile to a paint shop and they may be able to mix you a paint to match the glaze covering then if that's not to your liking then replace. merry xmas

 

[Italy]

Thanks again guys.

Aside from the window it looks much better in the flesh than it does in the photos. Not sure why this is - I suppose in person the eye is probably not drawn to specific parts of the pattern but instead takes in the whole thing.

I supplied the tiles but the tiler supplied everything else.

I didn't know about joint sizes (wasn't told about this) and definitely was not given a trim option (which I why I assumed a trim would be fitted).

Not sure I can now justify the expense of fitting a trim and getting another tiler to install it (a different one).

You live and learn I guess although I imagine you guys are experts and probably perfectionists too (which is a good thing)

Not sure what to do now. It does look much better in person than in the photos though and many DIY tiling jobs I've seen look much worse

experts and probably perfectionists too...........
that my clients tell me.
(almost all)

 

[The D]

try this Edge Protection > Stainless Steel

 

[Diggy]

They seem to have a glazed edge , so trim is down to personal choice really , which he should have offered you in fairness. Again as regards the layout stacked or brick is up to the customer. Agree the joints are far to small , with a wider joint I also think the edge of the tiles would have tied in better to the overall effect ( if they are indeed glazed ).
All that said, to add the trim , I'd pop off the whole cill and reveals to achieve your desired finish , can't see it being to much off a problem myself .Couple of hours , few extra tiles and a little bit of care and attention should sort it out.

Diggy :0) - Merry Xmas all by the way!!!!!

 

[GAZ5518]

Joints tooooo tight... Personally "don't spoil the ship for a ha'p'orth of tar"..
Chop out the sill and reveals , trim or mitre and replace... Never accept 2nd best.....it'll always bug you...

 

[White Room]

this may not be every ones solution but have you thought about may be painting the edges take a tile to a paint shop and they may be able to mix you a paint to match the glaze covering then if that's not to your liking then replace. merry xmas

I know a tiler that does that.....

 

[Italy]

45 ° no ?.
in Italy many times to cut even 45 ° with the grinder.
antonio makes them with your eyes closed (lol)

 

[Chris Gibbs]

I would take the cill tiles off and fit a granite window cill instead.would be a nice feature and take your eye away from the joints.

 

[GAZ5518]

Your easiest most cost effective way of dealing with it is to paint edges as others have mentioned.. Albeit a compromise..

 

[Cghunter]

Its not just the sill, the whole edge around the window is the same. They should have been mitered! Paint it