Make sure the bathroom tiles you select come with the special shapes you’ll need to create a complete, quality installation.

    Most people don’t think about how their bathroom tile will be installed. They make their selections based on the color and style of the tile and what decorative tiles or accents are available and compatible with the primary tile. But not all tiles are available with bull-nosed edges or other special shapes you may need.

    A bull-nose edge is a slightly rounded over edge that has the finished surface of the tile wrapping all the way around the edge so that when it is adhered to the wall, nothing but a finished surface will be seen. Bull-nosed tiles are also needed when the tile must wrap around a corner, such as on a tub deck where the vertical front surface meets the horizontal top surface. Many tiles do not come with this accessory. In those cases, the edge of the tile will appear unfinished and possibly rough when installed. Some tiles, like porcelain tiles, can be rounded over and ground to be smooth by the tilesetter. This will prevent the tile from having rough edges, but many times the color of the body of the tile is not the same as the finished surface. In other words, the color you see on top does not run all the way though the tile. Other tiles, like ceramic tiles, can not be properly ground down to make a rough edge no matter how skillful your tilesetter may be.

    Depending on your particular installation, you may also need tiles that are finished on two edges to form an outside corner. Another problem presented by some tiles is when the tile can not be cut smoothly. On a recent project, we ended up with tiles where the finished surface tended to chip off when cut, no matter what method of cutting the tilesetter tried. Even when he ground down the edge, the rough, chipped edge still showed.

    I would suggest that you discuss the tile installation with your builder and the tile setter before you finalize you tile choice, just to be sure the final installation will match your expectations.

Bill Hirsch

www.designingyourperfecthouse.com

www.williamhirsch.com

    I was discussing shower seats with a client the other day. We were deciding where they should be and how they should be configured.

    The primary reason my clients give me for wanting a shower seat is so that the woman can put her foot up when shaving her legs! Well, there needs to be a reason, so I guess this one is as good as any. Shower seats also provide a nice ledge for shower “stuff” to be set upon. I’m not sure is anyone really sits on them or not.

    I prefer seats that are somewhat triangular and are tucked into the corner of the shower. This keeps them out of the way, but convenient. Remember that the top surface needs to slope a little bit so that water won’t puddle on top or get stuck in the corner. This would be a cleaning nightmare.

    The other thing I prefer is to not have the seat open underneath. It’s easier to build a seat with a simple slab of stone spanning across from wall to wall. But this presents a cleaning problem. Humid air will collect underneath this slab and mold will grow in short order. It’s worth the effort to create a solid block beneath the seat and eliminate this damp, humidity trap. the front face of this “block” would be tiled and then a finished slab of stone, or even tiles, could be set on top to form the seat surface.

Bill Hirsch

www.designingyourperfecthouse.com

www.williamhirsch.com

www.housedesignguru.com