Tile Edges: Should You Mitre Them or Use Trims?

This question comes up a lot, and sadly often after it’s too late. This is what commonly happens: you choose beautiful tiles, your tiler installs them, and you come back later to find he has put a horrible chrome trim across them! I want to help you avoid this, so if you are doing any kind of tiling, read on.

What am I talking about?

Where two tiles come together at an external corner, this edge needs to be resolved somehow. Imagine the front edge of a bath, a tiled step, a window sill, or a shower niche – this is the edge we’re talking about. There are two main ways to resolve tiled edges: mitre the edges or use trims.

Mitred edges

Shower niches showing mitres at the front edges

This is where both tiles are cut at a 45 degree angle so they so they meet together neatly in a right-angle. The edge then has a thin join that looks similar to the other lines of grout. 

I love mitred edges and they are always my first choice. They are stylish, minimal and luxurious. They don’t distract from the tiles themselves. Any good tiler can do mitred edges, but it’s a bit harder and takes a bit longer, so it’s usually an extra they charge for. 

The problem is, many tilers want the easy way out, especially when they are under the pump to finish a job quickly. Which means they often prefer to install trims instead of mitred edges. You might have to be firm to get your mitred edges. Which is why it’s really helpful if you discuss it at the quoting stage, before the job actually starts.

The down side of mitred edges is, because the tile is cut quite thin, it is more prone to chipping. Chipping isn’t such a big issue in something like a shower niche, but it is more likely an issue if you are tiling stairs. So think about your application and the pros and cons. 

Another issue that can come up – if your tiler is not experienced at mitred edges, or reluctant to do them, they might end up being done poorly and look messy. Worse still, they could have a gap that allows water in. So look for an experienced tiler who is happy to do mitred edges. A good tiler will be proud to show you images of their previous work.

Using Trims

Shower tiles with trims on the front edges

If mitred edges are not in your budget, that’s okay. The other options is using trims, sometimes called ‘strip edging’. This is where a strip of plastic or metal is applied to the tile edge to cover it. Trims are available in lots of different colours, styles and thicknesses. Some people make a feature of them by choosing a contrasting colour. Or you can try and match it to your tiles so it isn’t as noticeable.

Often tilers will use standard chrome trims by default, but these aren’t very attractive, so make sure you think ahead and communicate what you really want. And always ask to see a sample of the trim the tiler is thinking of using.

Trims do create a stronger edge and prevent chipping, but remember the trim can get damaged too. It won’t chip like a tile, but when banged and dinged a lot it could look worse than a few tile chips. Especially if you get powder coated trims, because over time, the power coat might start to chip off. This is particularly relevant for stairs, which take more of a beating than say a shower shelf.

The big downside is trims don’t look nearly as refined or stylish as mitred edges.

Conclusion

I much prefer mitred edges for a better aesthetic. Your tiler might try and convince you not to have mitred, telling you trims will prevent chipping, but I think a few chips here and there still look better than trims.

Mitred edging will cost you more, so if you don’t have the budget, that’s okay. But do think about your trims, don’t just settle for standard chrome ones.

And talk to your tiler/builder early, during the quoting phase of the job, so everyone knows what is expected.

Engineered Stone and Silicosis

In Australia we are are mad for engineered stone. It has been THE material of choice for bench tops for a long time. It has cornered the market as a durable and affordable bench top option. It’s understandable, because it has many advantages: a huge range of colour and pattern, and many look similar to natural stone, but with better functionality and price.

The ‘New Asbestos’

You may have heard the media lately talking about silicosis. This is a deadly lung disease linked to engineered stone. Hospitals around Australia have seen a rise in new cases of silicosis, and these cases are specifically in people who work with engineered stone.

Silicosis is caused by breathing in tiny pieces of silica, which is a mineral found in many materials, but especially engineered stone, which has 95 percent more silica than natural stone. When these materials are cut, ground, or blasted, the dust is breathed in by workers and it damages the lungs. It is irreversible and deadly. Hence why engineered stone is sometimes called ‘the new asbestos’. 

The dangers of inhaling this silica ‘death dust’ are widely known, and in Australia we have had measures to reduce exposure since the 1930s. Things like powerful extraction fans, water spray systems, and respirators. There are specific masks that tradies must wear and dry-cutting the stone has been completely banned. But sadly, the disease is showing itself more and more frequently. Some cases are even in young tradies in their early twenties!

A Changing Industry

It is changing what was a booming industry. Some groups claim silicosis is entirely preventable through safe workplace practices. While others are lobbying for a complete ban on engineered stone altogether. When lives are at stake, I can see how a ban is feasible, just like the ban on asbestos. There are also currently class action law suits against stone manufacturers. Like with asbestos, this is a slow-burning disease, so the number of cases today could be just the tip of the iceberg.

Pricing of bench tops is therefore affected. Manufacturers have to implement more expensive safety practices, pushing prices up. In Queensland, there have been crackdowns on working conditions with audits and fines. And stone masons are leaving the trade at an alarming rate, meaning those that stay are charging ‘danger money’.

But It’s Not all Doom and Gloom!

These kinds of upheavals mean manufacturers are putting more research and development into alternatives, which is a good thing. And the seriousness of silicosis means more and more renovators are looking for other options. Thankfully there are a lot already available.

Here are some other bench top options that aren’t associated with silicosis:

• Metal bench tops such as stainless steel and also zinc is becoming more popular.

• Tiles. I’ve seen tiles done really well. If you’re worried about all the gout, there are some really big tiles available these days which means fewer grout lines.

• Timber has been around for ages and when sealed properly makes a beautiful bench top. Bamboo is a newer type of timber considered more sustainable.

• Concrete bench tops are also gorgeous. No longer considered purely industrial because you can get so many different aggregates and tones. Note, cutting concrete can contribute to silicosis, but not as much as engineered stone.

• Porcelain sheets are super-durable and heat resistant. And you can get a natural-stone look without the price tag.

• Sintered stone. A newer product with a similar look to engineered stone but it is bonded with heat rather than resins, so it has very low silica content. Dekton, and Neolith are two popular brands. 

• I’ve recently become a fan of recycled glass bench tops. Yeh, I know it sounds strange, but check out Betta Stone. This is an Australian company who use recycled glass to create bench tops that look surprisingly similar engineered stone. They have no silica and are sustainable – double win!

Conclusion

Silicosis is not a pleasant subject, but we should all be aware so we can make informed choices. I hope you have fun exploring other options for your bench tops. You can discover wonderful things when pushed to look beyond the obvious choice. Plus, you can feel good knowing it’s safer for tradies.

Things to Talk to Your Tiler About

In bathrooms renovations there are lots of different parts that have to come together in the right order. There are details when it comes to tiling too. Often people choose their tiles and then feel like the hard work is done, but there are still things to stay on top of. If you’re doing a larger renovation, many of these will be managed by your builder, but if you’re managing your own tiler, these things are important to think about.

Your Tiler’s Qualifications

Make sure your tiler is qualified. It can make a big difference. A tiler that is well-trained, neat, and professional is going to do a much better job than slap-and-dash. And you're less likely to encounter mistakes or problems. The old rule of ‘you get what you pay for’ applies here. If your tiler’s quote for the job sounds too cheap, then it probably is.

Check Before Tiling

Check everything has been done properly before tiling. Is the plumbing in the right place? Is the electrical were it should be? Has the waterproofing been signed off? Is the heated flooring installed properly? Sounds kinda obvious but these things have to be right before the tiles go over the top.

Pattern and Layout

There are loads of different patterns you can lay your tile in to achieve different looks. You need to communicate this to your tiler. You can show them images or do a little drawing, anything to be clear. Also make sure your tiler knows which tile goes where. Again, seems simple but the last thing you need is your feature tile going on the wrong wall!

Setout

This often confuses people, but if you don’t think about it, you can be disappointed . Setout is different to tile pattern and layout. It means working out the areas to be tiled using actual tile sizes, including the grout width. For example, you might want the wall tap to be centred on a tile, so the tiler has to work out how to start at the floor level to achieve this further up the wall. Or you might have long tiles and you don’t want tiny little cuts in one corner, so the tiler has to balance the setout with half-cuts at each end.

Tile Mix in the Box

Sometimes there are shade variations in boxes of tiles. A good tiler will therefore mix up the tiles from different boxes to spread the variation around. It also helps if all your tiles have come from the same batch. Ask this question when you purchase them and check the batch numbers on the box when they arrive.

Tile Faces

This means how many different patterns are printed on the tiles. For example, a tile that’s designed to look like marble needs more faces to look good because it’s mimicking the variation in natural stone. This can vary from one face on really basic tiles, to up to 30 in premium ranges. You should ask about faces before you buy your tiles, but you also need to talk to your tiler when laying them. Encourage them to separate matching faces for a more realistic look. A tile with only five faces can still look good if it is laid well.

Edges and Corners

Think about this long in advance; before you even sign on with your tiler. I always recommend  mitred edges. They look so much better than metal edge trims! But mitred edges take more effort from the tiler, and therefore they cost more, so you have to make sure this gets included in your quote from the start. 

Grout

It’s often an after-thought but it it’s important because it can really change the look of your room. Use a contrasting grout to emphasise the tile pattern, or match the grout to the tile for a more seamless look. Make sure your tiler is using the right colour grout – check it’s the one you actually specified. Some tiles require more or less grout width. Talk to your tiler about what you want.

How Neat are They?

This is an interesting one because no tradie wants you to watch over their shoulder. But you may have already noticed that good trades clean up after themselves. For a tiler: check they protect your tapware before wiping abrasive grout around it. Cover your bath so they don’t scratch it when they climb in. Another subtle but important thing: ask them not to wash waste down your drains. Grout waste will block your drains and you can imagine what a headache that is, long after the tiler has left site.