Porcelain tile on steps

12 years ago

Right now I have marble with a bull nosed edge on the edge of the steps. There is a two-step down from a foyer into the dining room and family room as shown in the pictures. I want to replace the marble with a Porcelain imitation stone that will be in the foyer, steps, dining room and family room. All the porcelain bull nose I've found is only 3 inches wide which would require a seam 3 inches from the edge of the step which seems very ugly. Is there a solution or do I have to use a natural stone?

Featured Answer

Darzy

12 years ago

marty...why would you want to replace this beautiful marble with imitation stone? Spend you bucks buying beautiful other items. :)

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Comments (13)

qam999
12 years ago
Maybe you could clarify your goal in changing the marble as the current installation looks great. Also, for a high end result I'd recommend finding the best tile installer in your area, buying samples of all your tiles, and getting the installer to consult on site as to options. There are a lot of different tiles out there and a lot of different ways to finish edges.
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532renos
9 years ago
hi....i hope someone can help me with this deadlock dilema. we too have similar steps from the entrance to the main foyer(leading to the staircase, living room and kitchen areas), in our home. currently the step is made up of carrera marble slabs(2 large peices with one seam). We are now renovating the first floor, including changing the flor tiles, and this step is a headache! leveling the foyer is just not an option....and we dont want to draw too much attention to those steps. the only options we were presented with is A. to order new slabs (either marble, granite, porcelain etc), which will also have to be 2 pieces bc of the width of the steps. this option is very costly in materials, and means having a break in the tile design from the entrance to the foyer (bc our tiles do not come in such large slabs); B. the contractor suggests just using the same tiles as the entrance, lining the step tiles with the floor it meets. this means grout lines at every 24 inches...... please can anyone help? thanks
PRO
Cinar Interiors, Inc.
9 years ago
If you're wanting to save money, having a grout joint every 24" isn't bad. If money isn't a worry then contact a stone fabricator and have them fabricate the steps. The profile/body of your steps may have to be adjusted/modified for the thickness of the fabricated steps.
532renos
9 years ago
thank you Cinar interiors. i am already off budget (who doesnt?(; so adding step/structural adjustments as well as slabs may just be too involved but I'll consider it. thank you.
smileythecat
9 years ago
532nrenos, you can always start your own post.
532renos
9 years ago
thanks I may do just that because I'm struggling with this dilemma (sounds silly with so many more real issues in life), but we're spending so much time, energy and money- it would be a shame to end up disappointed with hating one of the first things you see when entering our home);
532renos
9 years ago
before I do that, can anyone here comment on using mosaics (like a backsplash accent tile) on those 2 steps...obviously not something slippery ....this would be aesthetically beautiful, eliminating the grout issue and may even add some characters to the entryway??....or is this a big no no? ty
Beth H. :
9 years ago
532, start your own post and please post pics of the steps. thx
Beth H. :
9 years ago
Marty, that real stone is beautiful. why go through the cost and hassle of replacing it with fake??? Is it the upkeep that worries you?
marty8222
Original Author
9 years ago
Actually we are in the middle of the renovation. This is my thinking. We have a very open floor plan and the kitchen flooring dictates other flooring. I would never consider anything other than porcelain for a kitchen. Everyone with wood or stone lives to regret it. Also, the new porcelains are such good imitations of natural stone, even the contractor could not identify the real thing. But we are using real limestone in the foyer because that can bull-nosed for my 40 feet of steps. Don't talk me out of it, everything is on order and paid!!
Beth H. :
9 years ago
then as to avoid tripping hazards on the steps, I would run something darker along the step edge. when it looks the same, people don't notice the step and can fall. can you do the actual steps in the limestone, or maybe a darker shade of the tile you are using? you could also do them in wood, or even the wood bullnose piece.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Perfect nosing profile, riser and tread match, and no grout.

Oh, and "something darker along the step edge" too.