Buzz
Elevate your niche with a contemporary touch by opting for a sleek alternative to bullnose tiles
Integrating a niche into your shower wall not only enhances its visual appeal but also offers practical storage space—it’s perfect for housing shampoo bottles! However, if bullnose tiles with their rounded edges don’t align with your desired modern aesthetic, explore these alternatives. Here, we offer installation guidance for two options—metal (Schluter) trim and mitered tile—and present three other potential options to consider.
Essential Information
- Opt for Schluter trim to conceal the raw edges of your shower niche tiles and provide a sophisticated frame for the niche.
- Create mitered cuts in both the niche tiles and the adjacent wall tiles for a seamless appearance that seamlessly integrates the niche.
- Consider utilizing full-thickness natural stone or glass tiles to showcase the slender edges of the niche tiles, or explore the option of custom-made bullnose tiles.
Procedures
Using Metal (Schluter) Trim
Opt for metal trim to achieve a modern aesthetic and provide a sleek frame for your shower niche. Metal trim, commonly known as Schluter trim, offers both contemporary style and distinctive framing for a shower niche. Some of the trim is embedded beneath the tile in the niche, while the visible part defines and safeguards the corners where the niche and wall tiles meet. Installing Schluter trim is also more user-friendly for DIY enthusiasts compared to some other alternatives to bullnose tiles.
- An 8-foot (2.4-meter) section of basic Schluter trim, typically sufficient for most shower niches, starts at around $10 USD, making it an economical choice.
Fit the surrounding wall tile flush against the niche's edge. This means the wall tiles should not overlap the opening of the shower niche or leave any gap. Instead, align the surrounding tiles directly against the edges of the yet-to-be-tiled shower niche.
- Tiling a shower niche is usually not a task for novice tilers. Therefore, we'll assume in this guide that you're already familiar with tiling. However, if you're new to tile installation, Mytour has got you covered! We offer comprehensive guides on installing tile, tiling walls, tiling showers, and finishing tile edges, among other helpful articles.
Trim the Schluter trim to fit the niche's perimeter. For a standard rectangular (or square) shower niche, you'll need to make 45-degree cuts. Utilize aviation snips (tin snips) to remove the trim's 'legs' (the flat, perforated area to be embedded in thinset mortar) at each cutting point. Then, employ a table saw or hacksaw to make the 45-degree cuts through the visible part of the trim. Exercise caution and cut slowly to avoid damaging the trim.
- After cutting, dry-fit the trim pieces inside the niche using masking tape to ensure a proper fit. Remove the trim and tape once you're satisfied.
Secure the trim pieces in place by embedding their legs in thinset mortar. Apply thinset around the inner edge of the niche's perimeter to a thickness of approximately 1⁄8 inch (3.2 mm). Press the legs of each trim piece firmly into the thinset, making minor adjustments as necessary by wiggling, sliding, and tapping the pieces. Remove any excess thinset from the visible side of the trim.
- To assist with positioning, use masking tape strips on the trim's face, especially at the corners.
- Once installed, the visible side of the trim will meet the surrounding wall tiles, slightly overlapping the niche's perimeter edges. This overlap will cover the side edges of the niche tiles.
Position the bottom, side, top, and back of the niche. Apply a layer of thinset—approximately 3⁄8 in (9.5 mm) thick for 1⁄4 in (6.4 mm) thick tile—on the niche's bottom, then place the ledge tile. Align the front of the tile with the back of the visible side of the trim. Repeat this process with the side tiles, followed by the top tile. Finally, install the back tile.
- If the tile sits slightly above the top edge of the visible side of the trim, press it more firmly into the thinset. Conversely, if the tile is slightly lower than the top edge of the trim, remove it and add additional thinset.
Opting for Mitered Tile
Opt for mitering for a seamless appearance that integrates the niche into the wall. Mitering entails cutting the edges of two perpendicular tiles (such as the tile on your shower wall meeting one of the niche's side tiles) at approximately 45-degree angles to align them without exposing their sides. Mitering around the niche's perimeter provides a contemporary look and seamlessly blends the niche with the surrounding wall tiles, offering an alternative to bullnose tile.
Plan to miter and overlap the surrounding wall tiles before tiling. Mitering a niche requires careful planning from the outset of the shower tiling project. Not only must the tiles surrounding the niche be mitered beforehand, but when installed, these same tiles should overlap the niche's edges by the thickness of your tile (plus the thinset mortar underneath) to create a 90-degree angle where the mitered wall and niche tiles meet.
- When designing your shower tile layout, account for this overlap in the surrounding wall tiles. For example, if you're using 1⁄4 in (6.4 mm) thick tiles with a 3⁄8 in (9.5 mm) bed of thinset, the surrounding wall tiles should overlap the niche's perimeter by 5⁄8 in (16 mm).
Utilize an angle grinder for efficient miter cuts in tiles. Although it's typically recommended to cut tile with a tile cutter, wet saw, or tile nippers, none of these methods are suitable for miter cuts. Instead, use an angle grinder equipped with a diamond blade. Although cutting miters freehand requires practice and may result in some wasted tiles, it's the most effective method.
Secure the tile and prepare for cutting with the angle grinder. When mitering tile with an angle grinder, safety and precision are key. Begin by donning work gloves, long sleeves, pants, hearing protection, and safety goggles or a full-face shield. Once properly equipped, firmly clamp the tile so that the edge to be mitered extends slightly beyond the work surface.
- Review all grinder instructions thoroughly before use.
Position the grinder for cutting and bring it up to speed. Hold the grinder with both hands, utilizing the side handle. Angle the flat side of the circular blade just beyond 45 degrees relative to the underside of the tile's edge. Activate the grinder and allow it to reach full speed.
- Take your time to position the grinder correctly before initiating the cut.
Trim the underside of the tile's edge without excessive grinding. Gently press the flat side of the blade against the underside of the tile's edge, applying consistent pressure. Move the grinder back and forth gradually to evenly remove tile material.
- Leave approximately one-fourth of the tile's thickness intact along the mitered edge instead of sharpening it. This precaution prevents the mitered edge from becoming too delicate and prone to breakage.
Refine the miter using a polishing pad and sanding block. While the tile remains clamped, exchange the grinder's diamond blade for a 200-grit polishing pad. Employ the pad to smooth and refine the miter cut. Conclude the process by using a 60-grit diamond sanding block to further refine the miter.
Tile the mitered tiles around and inside the niche. Begin with the surrounding wall tiles, installing them as usual. Subsequently, install the niche tiles in the sequence of bottom (ledge), back, sides, and top. Adjust the amount of thinset mortar on the niche tiles as necessary to align them precisely with the surrounding wall tiles.
- We'll assume you possess some tiling proficiency if you're undertaking a shower niche project. However, if you require guidance on tiling fundamentals, peruse our resources on tile installation, wall tiling, shower tiling, and edge finishing.
Exploring Alternatives to Bullnose Tiles
Natural Stone Tiles. Unlike standard ceramic tiles with exposed edges, natural stone tiles maintain a consistent appearance throughout, making them suitable for all parts of your shower niche. The exposed edges of natural stone tiles can serve as a decorative frame for your niche.
- You can opt for uniformity by using the same tile for both the shower and niche, or choose to make the niche stand out by using a distinct tile.
Glass Tiles. Similar to natural stone tiles, glass tiles offer a consistent appearance throughout their thickness, allowing you to showcase their sides as a framing element for your shower niche. Whether you prefer a cohesive look or want to highlight the niche, glass tiles are a versatile option.
Custom Bullnose Tiles. If the absence of bullnose tiles is the issue, consider creating custom bullnose tiles from standard ones. This approach is feasible for tiles like glass or natural stone, which have a consistent composition. However, it's advisable to enlist professional help for this task.
- Although skilled DIYers can attempt this with the right tools, it's generally better to have a professional handle the customization.
Useful Tips
Materials Required
Installation of Metal (Schluter) Trim
- Aviation snips
- Table saw or hacksaw
- Thinset mortar
