Software
Houzz Logo Print
maxee123

Bullnose tile...unfinished edge

9 years ago

Just noticed that the bullnose pieces of the porcelain tile used in our shower remodel are unfinished on the edge. Whereas, other tile throughout house, the bullnose pieces have a finished glaze edge. Is there a reason, these porcelain bullnose pieces have a raw edge?

Thank you very much.

Comments (10)

  • PRO
    9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You have bigger problems than an unfinished bullnose edge. Your tile appears to be adhered to "greenboard" which is not waterproof, is not code, and will fail. I see no evidence of any topical type waterproofing either. This job is an apparent do-over.

  • 9 years ago

    Behind the tile is the orange board, starts with a K. Can't remember the name.

    think you probably will know. Hope that is an okay product for waterproof. Is it?

    Thanks so much for advice.


  • 9 years ago

    Just looked up, it is called Kerdi. Thinking that is a great product. I am wondering if you have any advice on the bullnose tile?

  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    You describe them as "bullnose pieces". Are you simply describing their location on the wall in that they are used as a vertical trim piece? Or are they advertised and sold as bullnose pieces?

    With a typical manufactured bullnose edge, the surface texture, color, and sheen of the tile surface should continue across the bullnose edge profile.

    It looks like your installer simply used field tile in a trim tile
    location. Some tile lines don't include a true bullnose profile. Did your guy simply install the factory edge of a field tile facing outwards? Or did he cut field tile down and use them in a bullnose location?

    It makes sense to ask the installer.

    Through-color porcelain tile can be profiled on site, but the sheen of the profiled edge usually will not match the sheen on the surface of the tile. The color can be an exact or a close match. But it's tough to match the sheen of a cut edge with the "polished" factory surface of a porcelain tile.

    With natural stone, the edge can be profiled and then polished to match the sheen of the factory surface.

    Despite how it happened, I'd recommend giving added consideration to the edge on the bench in terms of having that edge eased if it's too raw.

    maxee123 thanked MongoCT
  • 9 years ago

    Typically a bullnose for a glazed porcelain tile will have the bullnose edge factory-painted, rather than glazed. It looks like that's what you have.

    maxee123 thanked catbuilder
  • 9 years ago

    Our bullnose looks just like yours. I ordered it myself (using my tile setter's account) and ordered what he told me to order. Bull nosed tile. What came is not the bullnose you see on ceramic tile. It's not curved at the edge with the color continuing. It's exactly what you're showing. That edge is smooth - not like a raw cut edge, but it is not the same color or curved over. Hopefully you can zoom in on this picture and see. This is Crossville (brand) porcelain tile.

    maxee123 thanked Debbi Branka
  • 9 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    One of the places where I'm ordering my tile sells bull nose pieces which are rounded, but they are not glazed like the surface of the tiles. They say that they are painted, but should no more care than the rest of the tiles.

    What the owner of the place told me is that they fabricate those bullnose peices here in the US, although the tiles are from Spain. I checked the (Spanish) website of the tile manufacturer, and they do offer a bullnose, but it isn't what the US distributor is distributing.

    It seems to me that a number of manufacturers don't make bullnose tiles any more, or the US distributors choos not to offer them. And some distributors improvise and have something made locally.

    maxee123 thanked grannysmith18
  • 9 years ago

    We are going to use Schluter strip to finish our bathroom tile edges since the field tile's edge is unfinished.

    maxee123 thanked User
  • 9 years ago

    We did not use bullnose pieces (not available in the profile I wanted) so instead we had the tiles polished on the vertical and horizontal side depending on the install location.

    maxee123 thanked Katrina Tate