If you’re currently working on a tile project in your home, or in the midst of planning one, this article will help guide your efforts to ensure the finished project looks professionally done. While considerable effort will be required to install the tiles, it should be noted that an equal amount of effort is needed to find the perfect trim and field tiles. For those who don’t know or who haven’t gotten to that point in their project, field tiles are those tiles used in the main area - or field - of your project. Trim or border tiles are used around the field tiles.

A Guide to Tile Trim

The intent of this article is not to intimidate homeowners, but rather to draw attention to just how important it is to have a clean application of tile trim in order for your project to look its best. Perhaps the most valuable rule of thumb that you should take away from all of this is to source your trim and field tiles from the same vendor when possible; that goes for designer tile and wholesale tile alike. This helps to ensure a consistent level of quality and an identical colour match between the two types of tile (provided you’re not using an accent tile to trim the field tile). It’s also worth noting that you may experience “sticker shock” when shopping for trim tile as they can cost twice as much as your field tiles. As such, you’ll want to take the added cost into account when you're shopping around.

Similar to field tiles, trim tiles come in a wide variety of different configurations. This means that no matter the application or design you have in mind, you should be able to find a trim tile that works for your project. Edge trim tiles have one or two rounded edges (depending on their placement along the perimeter of walls or countertop) and are used to create a “finished edge”. Be aware that some edge trim is made specifically for countertops, so you’ll want to make sure you confirm before you buy.

And then there’s radius trim tile. What makes this tile unique compared to edge tile is that radius tile contains a rounded lip that turns into a 90-degree angle corner at the edge of the tile. If you’re installing backerboard over the existing drywall, this tile will cover the thickness of the setting bed.

Border & Edging Considerations

There are a number of different ways for you to apply border or edging to your tile project. Generally speaking, one option is not superior to the next, but is generally a matter of personal preference. Let’s take a closer look at each.

●     V-Cap edging: V-Cap edging is a triangular section of tile that covers the rough edge of a tiled surface. The lower “leg” of the v-cap edging tile takes the place of a separate cut tile and faces the front edge of the countertop. Naturally, both the lower and upper leg of the v-cap will need to have back-buttering applied for proper and long lasting adhesion. The nice thing about using v-caps is that it creates a professional look, but doesn’t necessarily require a great deal of skill.

●     Base tiles to complete a tile floor installation: Though non-base tiles could be used to complete a flooring project, those that are specifically designed for this purpose will have a coved foot at the base. These tiles are primarily used at the base of a tiled wall where it’s important to maintain a water tight seal. The coved shape covers the joint where both tiles meet that prevents the penetration of moisture.

●     Borders and accent tiles that spice up tile installations: Border tiles are generally much narrower than regular tile and are used to provide a finished look to an edged surface. Border tiles can be the same style of the field tiles, but they don’t have to be depending on the final look you’re trying to create. Accent tiles often differ wildly from the field tile in order to create an element of visual interest or simply to create juxtaposition. A good accent tile will have a contrasting colour, size, shape, or even texture to create some interesting points of difference.

●     Round tile edges: Unfortunately, you’ll come to find that not all wholesale tile and hardwood flooring manufacturers make edge tiling specific for all the various styles and colours of field tile that they produce. To some, that may be a deal breaker however, if your heart is truly set on a specific field tile, you may be able to fashion your own edge tiles using a masonry stone, provided the tile is soft enough.

Additional Considerations

Installing a tiled floor is not the same as installing hardwood flooring. Generally speaking, tiled floors tend to be higher than the adjacent non-tiled floor, so you may need an adequate threshold bridge to ensure the transition from one material to the other is safe but also looks good. In the event that there isn’t a height difference between materials after you install your tiled floor, a flush threshold will suffice to bridge the two materials. If you do have a height difference and you’re looking for something simple to install, metal thresholds are among the easiest for the novice DIY-er to get into place. These types of thresholds come in a variety of styles and profiles so if you’re looking for something easy that will match your style, a metal threshold might be the way to go.

Where tile and carpet meet, a standard metal threshold will not be enough. Instead, you’ll need a Z-bar to facilitate the transition. Z-bars are a type of metal threshold that stretches the carpet edge to create a professional, finished edge where it abuts ceramic floor tile. When it comes to hardwood, the threshold that is commonly used needs to be fastened to the lower subfloor using finishing nails or screws. If all else fails, you could turn to stone or a synthetic material to create an attractive and safe threshold bridge. If you choose to pursue this option, be sure to ask your supplier for their opinion as to the best material to use based on your tile selection and your existing adjacent flooring material.

Tile flooring can add significant style and sophistication to your home, but it’s important to familiarize yourself with all the small finishing details you may encounter before the project is done. Be sure to check out Sarana Tile for a wide variety of tiles and finishing options.