Advice: Lay 12mm Travertine with or without edge trim?

[GSInot]

Hello,

I've been reading posts all afternoon, looking at bathroom brochures & popped into B&Q to look at there (crap) selection of tile edging beads.

Please help! I can't make my mind up!

My dilemma is, i've tiled the shower enclosure floor to ceiling (on Aquapanal) see photo :



I don't know whether to :
a) Do my cuts all the same, all the way up, (so tiles will finish at blue line)
or
b) Above shower door frame, cut tile so finish is flush with outside edge of
shower door frame? (red line)

& with both options to bead or not to bead........that is the question?

Same dilemma here, as walls are painted & to cover small gap left at bottom of boards, i've cut some strips as a skirting.....
Should I leave the bare edge on show & fill the holes of the edge with ivory grout? or fit a bead?



I've looked at beads but don't really like 'em, but if the pro's always fit em? I will.
If I do use a 12mm edge bead, what colour is best suited/most commonly used with travertine?
Walls are Magnolia (vinyl matt bathroom paint)
But chrome fittings & a white suite so white & chrome are obvious options too?

Advice greatly appreciated, wifes run off! So no one to advise on aesthetics .

 

[lancenotalot]

Edging with natural stone is a def no no IMO,the whole effect is spoilt by using trim.

 

[GSInot]

Cheers Lance, i'll leave bare stone edges & grout, just wanted a second opinion.

 

[Lower]

The problem with bare edges and grout is that its difficult to paint up against the grout line and get a straight line.

 

[GSInot]

Thanks for reply, I've still not finished it off, too busy with other stuff.
I always paint first mate so thats not a problem, I wouldn't want to get paint all over my new tiles & suite

 

[lancenotalot]

The problem with bare edges and grout is that its difficult to paint up against the grout line and get a straight line.

Not if your any good with a paint brush

 

[GSInot]

I agree, when it comes to repainting the room I don't really see what difference it will make painting up to the edge of a bead or a tile.......

 

[Lower]

If you use a 'bead' of grout along the top edge of a tile to hide the raw edge instead of a trim, you don't get a hard line to paint up against.

Even with the best painter in the world will find it hard to cut in a straight line along this edge.

I did exactly this with some slate tiles in the kitchen where i used a section of slate tile to act as a skirting and then grouted the top edge in to the wall.

My wife, who has a very steady hand and it very good at cutting in, hard a really hard time trying to cut in a straight line because you're cutting in on a curved surface rather than the edge of the tile.

 

[lancenotalot]

I use a filling knife to square the grout up so its not so curved.

Cutting straight lines is to do with getting the right speed and having a worn in brush,the slower you go the more wobble you will get.
Before moving into tiling I was a painter for about 18 months and cutting in is something that comes with practice.A bit of painting in your house and doing it every day is a world of difference

 

[GSInot]

Ah I can see your point Lower, i didn't mean a bead of grout mate. You are talking about putting a chamfered bead of grout along a tile edge? To hide the tile edge completely?
Sorry I seem to have confused you by saying bead & grout....

What i meant was, filling the small holes with grout on the straight edge of the travertine tile prior to fixing to the wall. Travertine is quite holey, & allthough these are honed & filled, they do not hone & fill the edges....well not on these anyway.

I have done it today. Filled the straight (factory cut edges) with ivory grout, let it go off then i wet & dried the edges smooth as a babies bum. The edges are still perfectly straight & square so wont be any probs painting up against these.

And as we say in Bolton...."jobs a fish!"
Looks fine, I was just asking what is the norm "to bead or not" as I've not laid 12mm stone tiles before & have used beads in the past with ceramics.

Thinking about your comment Lower regarding your job, I think you'd get a perfect edge by using the "silicone sealant trick"? ie mask just above tile, grout, immediately remove masking tape, let it go off abit (like you do when plastering) then run along the bead with a wet steel scraper?
might be worth a try?

Thanks for all comments, job done

 

[Lower]

My slate grout/cutting issue is done and dusted but i've been following this thread with interest because i'm in the process of refitting my bathroom and also have a whole load of travertine tiles to fit. I've been pondering the beading/grout question myself having had the difficulty cutting in in the past.

The tiles i've got are also only honed and filed on the main face, not round the edges, so thought i'd get a crap finish if i leave the bare edges as the edge of the tiling.

Have you left a thin layer of grout all along the egde of the tiles as well as filing the holes or just filed the holes?

 

[GSInot]

I've just filled the holes with Ivory grout (same grout as I'm using) & wet & dried the edges with 240 grit paper, so basically I've honed & filled the edges.
Its abit of work but at the end of the day it saves money on the trim beads & now its done it looks good.

Good luck with your job & I hope the thread may be of benefit to anyone else pondering what to do.

 

[GSInot]

Tip:
Also just to add, some tile edges I found were more holey then others, so I simply chose the edges with fewer holes to fill to be "on show"