Tiling around windows without trim challenge

[K613]

Hi everyone, this is my first post, although I've been gleaning advice for some time - thanks
I'm not a pro tiler, but have done a fair bit of tiling for myself over the past couple of years with good results. In the next couple of months I'll be renovating the bathroom in our new house, including tiling the whole room.
I am hoping that one of you pros might be able to give me some advice on tiling around the window? I know about the edging trim and have used it successfully in the past. In my view it's quick, clean and looks good. However Mrs613 isn't very keen on it. She says it's plastic, cheap and nasty looking and should be reserved for public toilets... Mrs613 doesn't hang back when she doesn't like something
As we know, the customer is always right...
So, I'm looking for a good way of tiling around the window without using trim. Does anyone have any suggestions?!
Mrs613 (who is not originally from these shores) claims that a popular technique in her homeland is to mitre the cuts around the outside corners, similar to the outside cuts of eg skirting board - or that's how I understand it anyway. Does anyone know if this is possible? I guess it would have to be done with an electric cutter, although Mrs613 was talking about filing the mitre angle?!!??! If it is possible, would it work with a ceramic tile - I can imagine it with natural stone, but don't see it working with ceramic?
I suggested plasterboarding over the window, but that didn't go down well
Any suggestions/advice would be much appreciated. As I'm effectively self taught, perhaps there is something obvious that I simply don't know about??
Thanks in advance
K613

[beanz]

Why not go for the metal square trim? Much classier than the plastic trim IMHO.

You can mitre the cuts with a wet cutter, but ceramic tiles will leave very sharp edges.

[pjc]

yes mitre em can be done with a wet saw but i used to do it with a chisel and rasp always rub the cut edge down with a little glass paper and always put the full tile over the cut one cant be that hard done it on my first wall tiling job self taught :Pete

[Alan.P]

Hi K613 to TilersForums.

I'm wih beanz on this one, a nice small profile metal trim to suit your tile type

Failing that, I have mitred ceramic and natural stone as your proposing, and as the other guys have said a good wet saw will / should have an adjustable table to do just this, the ceramic can be tricky depending on the tile's, as has been said, watch out for sharp edges.

Hope that helps.

[pjc]

if done properly the edges wont be sharp much classier than metal trim

[beanz]

I'd like to see how you do it Pete, as i can't quite envision it!?! I'm not sure what you mean by "put the full tile over the cut one". It's probably really simple, i'm just not seeing it lol!

[pjc]

no i dont think you are mate your local can show you no prob

[K613]

Thank you to all for your replies, really grateful.

I agree that the square metal trim is much better than the round plastic trim and will suggest that, but not sure it will win approval.

I'm really interested to hear that some of you have mitred the corners and that it can work. I see what you mean about taking off the sharp edges with glass paper. This may not even be too much of a problem with the tiles we have in mind as they are a very matt ceramic, so possibly won't go too sharp.

But I'm also not sure what you mean by pulling the full tile over the cut one... I would have thought that both would have to be cut at 45 deg to make a square corner. Perhaps I'm being thick now? You wouldn't happen to have any photos that you could post would you Pete - perhaps if you'll be doing some joints like that in the near future (I won't be starting for another few weeks)?

I'm also interested in what you mean by doing them with a chisel and rasp? Do you mean that you cut them square and filed the angle you needed? I'm probably showing my inexperience here!

Thank you all again.

K613

[pjc]

put the full tile edge to cover the cut tile as you would a butt edge

[peckers]

As previously said a wet saw is the best way for doing mitres, Or You can cut your tile with a manual scribe then use an angle grinder to grind away the biscuit to give you your 45 angle, then you can rub down the edge of the glaze with a carborrondon stone to remove sharp edges, when you install the mitred tiles leave your self a grout gap so this can be filled with grout..

[Alan.P]

put the full tile edge to cover the cut tile as you would a butt edge

Nope, got me as well pjc, sorry.

[andy-p]

look k613 you just have to show to mrs613 who the boss is ..... mmmm happy mitring mate

[pjc]

does this help

[doug boardley]

if I'm mitring 45 dgs, I always make sure that I've got a millimetre spare from the face, ie my cut might need to be 500mm, I'll make the mitred cut 501mm then I can plane off the 1mm with my wet saw (at 90 dgs) and not have an edge like a cuttlefish.

[beanz]

no i dont think you are mate your local can show you no prob

Cheers for the offer Pete, i appreciate it, but i think i got it from the drawing now.

And i quite like Doug's idea of cutting slightly over then trimming back too.

Cheers guys

[pjc]

would take to long imo

[dagger]

if mrs does not want trim you have to mitre,
and if you are doing it yourself with no time constraints the two "jollys" aka "mitres" can be greater than 45 degrees so cut the tiles without touching the glazed edge then rub the angle greater than 45 without touching the glaze.

it depends on what material you are working with how long it takes but it will work in the end!

[365drills]

WITH




WITHOUT

[doug boardley]

to be fair Richard, the one without trims doesn't do justice 'cos ot the slithers and brick bond

[dagger]

to be fair Richard, the one without trims doesn't do justice 'cos ot the slithers and brick bond

the window has not been centred correctly, granted.
and the bottom pick shows a joint that should no be there at the top but hey its mitred well!

but the photo shows the effect!

[dagger]

a mitre:



look at the external.

finished mitre:

[hillhead]

The mitred cuts are a hell of a lot slower,do look great when well done.
I have done a few mitred and a couple for sure i underpriced.

[dagger]

The mitred cuts are a hell of a lot slower,do look great when well done.
I have done a few mitred and a couple for sure i underpriced.

Evryone underprices a mitre, to get it right takes skill or TIME!

nothing more!

[doug boardley]

this is a square edge trim that i changesd from a mitre, worked well in this instance imo

[doug boardley]

the nibs on this bathroom were mitred, each looks well, but on the bath one< I had concerns about the safety aspect of it ( that's why I changed to a soft square mitre)

[dagger]

this is a square edge trim that i changesd from a mitre, worked well in this instance imo

although its not the same thing, that is the neatest overlap i have ever seen,
it loooks like a mirror!

[dagger]

the nibs on this bathroom were mitred, each looks well, but on the bath one< I had concerns about the safety aspect of it ( that's why I changed to a soft square mitre)

very nice work Doug!!

that last drawer would have been nice in the shot!!!!!

[K613]

Thank you again everybody. This is all really useful and especially having seen the photos I am convinced that (as usual) Mrs613 was right and our trim days are behind us!
Presumably a lot of customers settle for the trim because they either don't know that something better exists or they don't want the extra cost (time) of mitring? Perhaps both?

I think I get the principle, so I will experiment with some scraps and see how it goes, but you have all given me a lot of confidence now, to know that it's possible and how good it can look.

All the best guys and thanks again
K613

[beanz]

Have any of you tried mitring on the Plasplugs MasterTiler Wet Cutter? Just wondering as you have to mitre with the tiles face down on this cutter (don't know if that's different to more expensive cutters, but i imagine it is...), and that's gotta scratch them to hell surely!?!?!

[andy-p]

if mrs does not want trim you have to mitre,
and if you are doing it yourself with no time constraints the two "jollys" aka "mitres" can be greater than 45 degrees so cut the tiles without touching the glazed edge then rub the angle greater than 45 without touching the glaze.

it depends on what material you are working with how long it takes but it will work in the end!

you must be an old guy dagger, i seem to remember when tiles used to come with mitred edges the boxes were marked "jolly" is that right ??