How to end shower tile?

14 years ago

I don't know how to describe my shower other than it's U shaped but obviously is squared. A glass door will be at the opening from corner to corner. My questions is, does the tile wrap the corner outside the shower or do you end the tile with a bullnose at the corner? I hope I'm making sense. I'll have to take a picture.

What is the preferred way? I'm going for classic timeless.

Thanks.

Comments (7)

bobb_2010
14 years ago
It all depends. A picture is worth a thousand words.
bill_vincent
14 years ago
No it doesn't. I know what you mean-- your shower is basically a 3 walled alcove, and it can be done either way-- framed with bullnose, or the bullnose ending at the opening.

Here are showers for two brothers I've done in the last year. One I framed, and the other we just ended the bullnose right at the edge of the opening. You decide for yourself which way you like better. Both are (obviously) acceptable:

Framed:

Unframed:
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bobb_2010
14 years ago
Must say in this particular case, the framed one looks better.
sherwhy
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks Bill, yes a 3 wall alcove. Our builder did not explain the options. He did not have the drywallers finish the edges (corners) of shower with that metal corner. So our only option was to wrap the tile. It would have been ok in the master but in the other bath, one wall is flat while the other turns so wrapping the tile on one side will make it look uneven, in my opinion. The drywallers are coming back to finish the corners. Anyway, I was hoping to see pics of it both ways. Thanks for posting them.
bill_vincent
14 years ago
Not for nothing, but I specifically asked the drywaller not to add the corner beads, either. In fact, I went in on the second shower, long before they were ready for tile, and put up the cement board, just so the drywaller could cap the cement board with the dry wall, and then my tile could be brought out flush to the raw cut edge of the drywall. Later, after I was done installing the tile, the drywaller came back, and mudded the drywall to the back of the bullnose with taping compound so there was a seamless transition.

I don't car for tiling to corner beads if it's at all avoidable. More times than not, those things go up way out of plumb, making my job that much tougher to make the corner look good.
sherwhy
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks Bill! That makes sense to put the cement board up first and then tile up to the cut edge of drywall. Our cement board is still laying on the floor in the family room and drywallers are done mudding and taping. Now I don't know what to tell my builder to do.

What would you recommend?
bill_vincent
14 years ago
Hold the cement board back just a hair, and put the bullnose up so it's about 1/16" proud from the sheetrock, and then they can still mud off the bullnose with taping compound. That's what I did on this one, also for the same person I did the other one without the "picture framing"):

In this one you can see it around the ceiling--

In this one, on the left side--