Getting metal trim flush? - Tile Advice

[Kasheen]

Hello folks,

I've got some aluminium tile trim here which is going to go horizontally along the top of some border tiles.

I've run into a bit of an issue though, how do you get the top of the trim perfectly flush along the whole wall where there might be very slight bumps (the type that when tiling you'd just correct with a tiny tiny bit more adhesive)? For instance, if I was using a white pvc trim I could silicon the top edge (or use grout?) - that way you wouldn't see any tiny gaps between the top of the trim and the wall.

I don't think that this would look right with aluminium trim though, so what's the secret? I've tried pins but they don't grip the wall so well. Again its just at these tiny tiny dips so whatever I use to close the gaps has to be pretty strong because the aluminium doesn't bend quite as easily as plastic.

Thanks!

P.S Incase it makes any difference the trim is the one that looks like a flat strip when it is installed - Square Edge I think.

 

[kilty55]

hi kasheen,i assume your tiles are dado height?

 

[Alan.P]

Decorators caulk and paint, if the walls are painted that is, you'll never see it if the gaps are as small as you say, if they're bigger then maybe the wall could be skimmed ??

 

[kilty55]

ok,im assuming you mean your tiles are dado height,if the gaps are big i would get the wall plastered above it

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

Hello folks,

I've got some aluminium tile trim here which is going to go horizontally along the top of some border tiles.

I've run into a bit of an issue though, how do you get the top of the trim perfectly flush along the whole wall where there might be very slight bumps (the type that when tiling you'd just correct with a tiny tiny bit more adhesive)? For instance, if I was using a white pvc trim I could silicon the top edge (or use grout?) - that way you wouldn't see any tiny gaps between the top of the trim and the wall.

I don't think that this would look right with aluminium trim though, so what's the secret? I've tried pins but they don't grip the wall so well. Again its just at these tiny tiny dips so whatever I use to close the gaps has to be pretty strong because the aluminium doesn't bend quite as easily as plastic.

Thanks!

P.S Incase it makes any difference the trim is the one that looks like a flat strip when it is installed - Square Edge I think.

Hi, is this trim a listello? any pics?

 

[Kasheen]

hi kasheen,i assume your tiles are dado height?

Hi there, yes half height, dado height... whatever it's called!

Hi, is this trim a listello? any pics?

I hope I'm allowed to put links to products on this forum... this isn't the exact trim that I'm using but it is the same idea: Picture of the trim here.
I'm basically using it to cap off the top of the tiles - don't like the white PVC or Metal quadrant stuff. Its really about a 1mm gap or less sometimes an inch or two wide (only at some points of the trim). Are you wanting pics of the gap?

Decorators caulk and paint, if the walls are painted that is, you'll never see it if the gaps are as small as you say, if they're bigger then maybe the wall could be skimmed ??

The walls are painted white. I was thinking of using white silicon and hoping that the silicon in the gap would look like part of the wall but I'm not sure how that plan would work out... thought I'd see if there was some trick to achieving flushness first. Other previous tile installations around my house have had the trim either siliconed or possibly grouted to the wall on the showing side.

 

[DHTiling]

You can use wedges to hold the trim in place till the adhesive sets.. then caulk the top in..
0 - 5 mm Wedges x 500


What are tile wedges?
These will save you lots of time and therefore money. Used for wall tiling in situations when you are putting bottom cuts in above any uneven surface like rough concrete etc. Using bits of card board and tile nibblings is OK But takes ages. if nothing is used the tiles keep slipping, especially when they have a thick layer of adhesive on them. The trick is to use a wedge instead but obviously you can only insert it the thickness of a tile. Turning it to the side over comes this problem. (see 'in use' picture) Micro adjust the height up to 5 mm. Use on top of each other to go over 5 mm. Great for marble wall tiling where each piece varies slightly and standard spacers will not work REUSABLE

Bag of 500

Weight 240g


'in use' picture

 

[macten]

I'd use the caulk mate - white silicone will be messy and you can't over paint it.

 

[david campbell]

decorators caulk for me as some silicones can't be painted over

 

[The D]

decorators caulk for me

 

[Kasheen]

Ok, seems caulk is winning so far then. I know 1mm is a small amount it's just that I basically can't figure out a way to keep it completely flush while my fixing method dries. I had drilled some tiny holes in the fixing strip and then used panel pins to nail it to the wall but like I said they didn't grip the plaster enough to keep it completely flat. I can keep it flush with the tiny gaps though so I guess I know what to use to fill them now.

@Dave - Thanks for the tip on the wedges, I'm not so much having a problem keeping the trim in place height wise though, more a case of keeping it pushed extremely firmly against the wall at those tiny dips. (Maybe I've miss understood the wedges?)

 

[mattburlinson]

I was shown to use a light grey silicone seal over the edge of the straight edge. It was a common problem when I used this trim extensively on jobs in NZ. Walls had already been decorated but a neat trick of applying the silicone, spraying with a soapy water solution and then striking off with a lolly stick meant flawless results and no painting in and no gaps!

 

[DHTiling]

Ok, seems caulk is winning so far then. I know 1mm is a small amount it's just that I basically can't figure out a way to keep it completely flush while my fixing method dries. I had drilled some tiny holes in the fixing strip and then used panel pins to nail it to the wall but like I said they didn't grip the plaster enough to keep it completely flat. I can keep it flush with the tiny gaps though so I guess I know what to use to fill them now.

@Dave - Thanks for the tip on the wedges, I'm not so much having a problem keeping the trim in place height wise though, more a case of keeping it pushed extremely firmly against the wall at those tiny dips. (Maybe I've miss understood the wedges?)

If you have yor tiling flat then the trim should be flat as well and no need to try and hold it back tot he wall shape.. you caulk this bit in as above and the wedges hold the trim in place flat till the addy sets.


So you are trying to bend the trim back into the dips..?

 

[The Legend; Phil Hobson RIP]

As above caulk for me too

 

[Kasheen]

So you are trying to bend the trim back into the dips..?

Yes. But thinking about it now this also leaves me open to the possibility of it not covering the whole tile because the tiles are flat because I defeated the small dips with some adhesive (and the tiles are pretty large so they've bridged the gaps anyway).

Ok caulk it is... hopefully my "skills" are up the task - gonna have to lay off the caffeine . The trim has a handy film protector on it right now though, I imagine I could apply the caulk and pull off the protector like masking tape to make a nice edge.

Anyway, once again this forum is pretty amazing for the speed of responses so thanks all .