Your photo is not displaying for me, so I'll ask a question...is this a glazed tile? Through body? Or is it stone?

Before I get an answer, I do my own profiling. I do have a set of wheels, they paid for themselves the first time I used them. Nope, never used OCG.

Schluter trim or termination strips? To me the success of them depends on the overall style of the tile. Aesthetically they work in some settings, on others I feel they look out of place. Again, I can't see your photo.

Mongo

Mongo,

Thanks for answering.

Strange, photo shows up on my system - PC, Firefox.

Here's a link to the gallery of photos of tile situation in bath. I hope it works for you.

The photo title "West Wall" was the photo in my previous post.

The tile is Italian porcelain tile, not glossy. It 3/8" thick x 23.5 x23.5 - no diagonal cuts.

Can I ask what seems to be the going rate for edging tile? --of course, here we have the Manhattan factor :>[

Here is a link that might be useful: Photos of bathroom

Guaranteed, in Manhatten it's going to be much more, but my rate for on site bullnosing is 10.00 per piece for straight pieces, and 15.00 per piece for radial pieces.

Now, there are a couple of things to think about with this waterjet company that you might not be thinking about. First and foremost will be the shipping charges. Large format porcelain is not light by ANY stretch, and as such is going to cost for shipping. Secondly, you're going to want to insure the shipment against breakage. Additionally, it would be prudent to have them bullnose a number of extra pieces as "just in case" pieces-- just in case of breakage during shipping, or during installation, or mis-cutting, etc.. By the time you're done that 2.00 a piece is going to balloon on you bigtime.

Now, if you bite the bullet and let your installer bullnose on site, he can cut the pieces to size to fit existing conditions, instead of conditions as they SHOULD be (i.e.-- graduated cuts going up outside corners instead of all the same size because the corner isn't plumb), and then bullnose them right then and there. In addition, then you have an unlimited supply. if your installer breaks or mis-cuts one, uit's on him to make another one, which can be done in about 10 minutes. No big deal.

Tanks, Bill, for the advice (and for the bidet story, that had DW in stitches).

If we go the Ohio company route (no pun intended)DW had a good idea on the shipping --have Walker Zanger send new tiles to them. Cuts down the hassle considerably.

For $15 a cut, I would have the installer do them, of course. For $70, that's more of a question.

I take it you're not a fan of the Schluter plastic edging for my minimalist setup?

Frank

I take it you're not a fan of the Schluter plastic edging for my minimalist setup?

Only when there are no other alternatives. To me, it looks cheesy, but that's personal opinion. I did one master bathroom for a GC's own home a few years ago, and even though bullnose was readily available for his tile, he preferred the look of the stainless Schluter Jolly (bullnose) strips. If you like the look, there's nothing technnically wrong with using them. :-)

Here are pics of the bathroom. If you look close, you'll see the stainless strips. The only place in the whole bathroom where bullnose was used was on the wall, on either side of the window. Everywhere else, including coming down both sides of the shower, were stainless bullnose strips:

Thanks for the picture.

There are so many very interesting layout and design choices that it's hard to focus on just the effect of the strips.
;>)

Frank

One style I think Schluter's strips work with is contemporary. You have large format tile, not a lot of detail...it could work.

Manhattan? I have a place up on 103rd and Riverside. Two summers ago I redid my baths, I ended up doing 6 other apartments in the building as well. Word (not to mention the sound of a wet saw) gets around.

If you do send tile out, can you plan your layout so you can bullnose two opposing edges of the tile, then cut that tile into two pieces and use each piece? Might save some on shipping.

Mongo

Frank,

You mentioned "...Schluter plastic edging..." in a previous post.

May I recommend if you go that route that you go with stainless or with one of the aluminum options? Don't do PVC.

Mongo

How about as an in between those two ideas you try to find someplace somewhat local (ie within driving distance) like in NJ, CT or Westchester county to get the tiles bullnosed. This way you're not shipping clear to Ohio but it might cost less than having someone do it onsite in Manhattan. You could even have WZ send the tiles there and then just go pick them up. There are a million and one stone/tile places around and it might be worth the hassle factor if the price is closer Bill's prices than your installer's prices.

You've already ponied up for WZ tile, IMO it would be a shame to cheap out on this detail. You're right that I think the 4" wide edging strips are not really right for the look you're going for. Anything other than the custom bullnosing won't do the rest of the design justice. Of course it's always easier spending someone else's money but you've come this far, you don't want to "cheap out" at the end.

Thanks so much for the good advice, Mongo, Bill and kg.

Mongo,
If I had known that you service NYC, I would have contacted you from the beginning.

"Disintermediation" is the $64 word used for cutting out the middle man in economics. Well, that's what we've decided to do here. We got nervous when the tile expert we were talking to kept raising his price from $20 to $35 and per linear foot and beyond. I don't blame him, I have kids in college too.

On the John Bridge forum a DIYer quoted someone we all know here:
"Thank you, Mike! When I headed into that project I took Bill Vincent's saying "Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you're probably right." to heart. I thought I could do it and now I know I can." It seems that bullnosing is not difficult, and in fact is something anyone can do.

So instead of the expensive, highly experienced tile guy we were going to interview, my contractor contacted the other contractor the moonlighting guys we were unhappy with work for. So we've deleted the more irresponsible young man and added a middle aged guy who is mature and knows what he is doing.

For the bullnosing, for about $300, including shipping we got a 1/2" premium diamond profile wheel (our tile is 3/8") from DRP enterprises and a series of diamond polishing pads from 50 grit to 500 grit. We are going to have our helper, who has essentially no tile experience, learn how to do the bullnosing by practicing on tile fragments.

We have learned that he has to use goggles and a good respirator, which we will get from Grainger. We will use a variable speed sander, and he will have strict instructions not to go over 2 or 3,000 rpm. If the finished edge is too glossy, we will use dilute muriatic acid to make it matte.

Apparently, bullnosing is so simple you can evev do it with making straight cuts, 45 degrees, 22.5 degrees and so on and then finish it with sandpaper -or, if I understand correctly, just use sandpaper. So getting the blade makes us big spenders.

My general contractor was so impressed by the prices being quoted that he is considering becoming a tile layer himself.

What spooked me is that every time I did not shout out in pain, the guy kept finding a way to increase his prices. It seems to me a serious pro is worth what the market pays him. But it should all be upfront, like John Bridge used to say that his work commanded $600 a day. (Of course, NYC would be more.) That way the customer can decide that he wants to hire a qualified professional and then both parties can concentrated on what the job requires.

But there is a fine line between "Pay me for the value I bring" and saying "Stand and deliver!" But if you own a home or anything nice in Manhattan, it's all too often the latter.

Just yesterday, an HVAC guy quoted a price for redoing an air handler installation. He then tried to read my eyes to see my reaction. Then next time he mentioned a price, it was $1,000...

Apparently, bullnosing is so simple you can evev do it with making straight cuts, 45 degrees, 22.5 degrees and so on and then finish it with sandpaper -or, if I understand correctly, just use sandpaper. So getting the blade makes us big spenders.

My general contractor was so impressed by the prices being quoted that he is considering becoming a tile layer himself.

Okay-- with porcelain, it's not that bad. It takes an awful lot to screw up a piece of porcelain bullnose. In addition, you can use marble pads which aren't quite as expensive as getting set up with granite pads (about 1/4 the price). You can let your GC know, though, that bullnosing stone has a little more involved with it. it doesn't take much at all to work on a piece of stone just a bit too long and crystalize the edge of it. Then, the only thing you can do is throw it away. Also, with reference to granite, as I said before, the pads are much more expensive, but you also need a variable speed grinder, because single speed grinders spin way to fast and would crystalize the stone in a matter of seconds.

There's alot to it. It's more than just having the right tools and going thru the grits to get to the finish you want. believe me-- I'd be just as happy NOT to make another piece of bullnose ever again. For the time it takes me, I'm actually LOSING money with the prices I charge. Additionally, when I'm done my hands feel arthritic as hell for about a day later.

Matter of fact, you let your GC know, if he were up here, I'd send him all MY work!!