How to tile this

[Phil_D]

Had my first go at tiling yesterday and happy with the result wasn’t much but probably took me 1.5-2hrs to do! Just got the grouting to do

Going to do the utility this week but I’ve a few things I’d like to figure out first. This is the space to tile:

I want to go up the walls on the sides, a slither under the window sill.

1. I’m unsure if I should go into the window reveal or not?

2. How high should I be going? Can see previously on the left there was maybe 3 rows of tiles, should I catch the sockets? Maybe even the light switch (probably 6 rows)

3. As the tiles are bevelled what’s the method of internal and external corners? It’s almost like I need to mitre the tiles so they fit neatly.

4. Is it inevitable that I’ll end up with a small piece of tile somewhere? With the cooker splashback I laid them out to ensure I didn’t but with the corners it seems like it’s potentially unavoidable

Cheers gents!

 

[DanAir]

I went into the window reveal in my bathroom but I was going for fully tiled floor to ceiling all round. For a utility I think it might look too clinical.
For external corners you usually use a plastic strip which is convex found in the diy tiling section.
For narrow strips on back wall...choose the corner which catches your eye the least and start form the opposite end with a full tile.
For power socket tiles needing a chunk cut out rather than a strip,score with a handheld tile scriber then break off carefully with pliers or tile nibblers.
Btw... Always start your first course 1 tile up on a level baton making sure there is enough room for tile and grout left below. When all tiles above are well stuck on, remove baton and do bottom row.
Edit: Personally I would tile up until just under the light swich...as high as whole tiles will allow. Start side walls with a full tile...narrow strips go in corners.
Internal corners are left with the usual grout gap between them, not mitred.

 

[rtcosic]

A lot of this would be a personal taste thing.

1. I have done the window reveal in all our tiled rooms
2. That light switch would irritate the bejasus out of me. It's at a different high to the sockets and appears to be forward of the edge of the worktop. Whichever of the two options you state would look odd. How far from the edge of the door is the light switch? Could you tile up to the door frame and down to the floor? I would tile to above the sockets.
3. Tricky! I can see the issue with using the usual tile edging with chamfered tile edges on whole tiles but square edges on the cut tiles and don't have any advice to offer.
4. The usual is to buy 10% over for cutting and waste, but the smaller the area the higher the wastage. Do you have to buy full boxes or will your supplier sell individual tiles? Have you asked about sale or return?

Personally I would be cutting the nose off the window sill, setting the appliances on a little upstand, raising the cupboard legs to get the worktop level with the sill. Avoids a horrid little fragile tile strip and increase the usable size of what is a tiny worktop.
I would also be investigating moving the light switch to align with something or tiling the whole wall it is mounted on.

For tile cutting I use a cheap diamond disc in the angry grinder. Done outside with mask, goggles, face shield, hat, ear defenders and a compressor to blow the dust off me before re-entry!

 

[Burdekin]

Corners and top just get trims and they finish it off nicely. 1 tile high is probably what I'd go for but in reality my wife would have ultimate say.

For grouting if you haven't already got one get one of these: https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Gro...gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=COai1_jX5N0CFUJsGwodj2kCKw

Great wee tool for perfect grouting. Use the rubber trowel to push the grout in, wait to dry a bit and then go over with the grout tool.

 

[cumbriasteve]

First thing I would do is eliminate the need for that little strip of tiles under the cill, never going to look right and do nothing but collect dirt.

If raising the unit is too much hassle I would use a strip of UPVC to match it to the window, most double glazing outlets stock various profiles.

My choice would be 2 or 3 in height.

 

[Burdekin]

You could also glue a strip of 100mm high oak around the edge rather than tiles.

 

[DanAir]

Looking at it again if I were doing it, I would tile up to below the lowest socket, I would ignore the sill/benchtop gap and leave as is and I would go into the reveal.
Just notch the tile around the sill on the right using the nippers.

To get an edging strip with a suitable colour to go with the tiles you will probably find a bigger choice of colours at a good tile Shop. White does yellow slightly over the years.

Don't be scared to not come right to the front edge of the workbench on the sides if it would mean you can use full tiles all the way along and the difference is only slight.

If going into the reveal remember that the edging strip has to stick out from the external corner the thickness of a tile.

 

[addjunkie]

Few options, upstand to match the bench, and replace the sill too with the same as bench.

Or if tiling is to be done. Get a batton and mark out your tiles including spacings say a meter. Scratch head and lay the batton out on all surfaces and work out where to stsrt, and finish also trying to remove little cuts.

As your window reveal is uneven itll be awkward to get a match with your cuts either side of the reveal. Id square off the sill and tile it too using plastic edging as mentioned above.

Sockets get removed and tiled behind for me, long screws are available. Tiling halfway up a socket looks knaff.

For socket cut outs I have a tile saw, like an abra file in a coping saw, and support the tile in a workmate so it doesnt crack.

Are your sockets level....if they are not, itll drive you made each time you walk in the room.

As said tile from a batton a full tile up, and butt and scribe into corners and down to bench.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Looking at it again if I were doing it, I would tile up to below the lowest socket, I would ignore the sill/benchtop gap and leave as is and I would go into the reveal.
Just notch the tile around the sill on the right using the nippers.

To get an edging strip with a suitable colour to go with the tiles you will probably find a bigger choice of colours at a good tile Shop. White does yellow slightly over the years.

Don't be scared to not come right to the front edge of the workbench on the sides if it would mean you can use full tiles all the way along and the difference is only slight.

If going into the reveal remember that the edging strip has to stick out from the external corner the thickness of a tile.

My thoughts too.

Nippers on metro tiles is hit and miss. Usually break on me. I use a small wet saw to cut out curved shapes.

 

[Phil_D]

Thanks for the input everyone! Looks like I’ve got a bit more to learn with edging etc. The tiles are £5 a sqm from Homebase so if I screw it up it’s no biggy but would obviously prefer not to have to pull them back off!

Should I be trying to match the grout or tile colour with the trim strips?

 

[DanAir]

What colour are the tiles?

As has been said, for a pro look, the edging goes on everywhere except along the bottom and internal corners.
You will need to mitre the plastic edging corners like a picture frame.

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

What colour are the tiles?

As has been said, for a pro look, the edging goes on everywhere except internal corners.

Had to mitre travertine once. Customers request. Only blessing I built the walls so nice and straightforward.

 

[Burdekin]

I just use a diamond blade in a grinder to cut but means going outside to do them all. We use the same style of tile but white so used silicon in the corners and bottom edge and trim along the top.

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/bathroom-cupboards.74833/page-2#post-1056156

 

[Phil_D]

What colour are the tiles?

As has been said, for a pro look, the edging goes on everywhere except along the bottom and internal corners.
You will need to mitre the plastic edging corners like a picture frame.

There’s a pic in my first post, it was these ones from Homebase:

https://www.homebase.co.uk/metro-grey-wall-tile-25-pack_p398158

 

[addjunkie]

Grout colour and edging colour is a personal taste thing, a friend of mine, borrowed my cutter, when I dropped it off, he said white tiles, grey grout, I said cya and thought thatll look pants, but each to their own.

All done now, its a kitchen, and looks fantastic

 

[eLuSiVeMiTe]

Grout colour and edging colour is a personal taste thing, a friend of mine, borrowed my cutter, when I dropped it off, he said white tiles, grey grout, I said cya and thought thatll look pants, but each to their own.

All done now, its a kitchen, and looks fantastic

Do like white metro with dark grey grout. Very effective.

 

[ajlelectronics]

Do like white metro with dark grey grout. Very effective.

I keep looking at those tiles, but all the finished jobs I see remind me of underground gentleman's toilets at railway stations!

 

[DanAir]

If you can find the edging strips in close to the same grey, personally I would go for that. The edging shouldn't shout out as a contrast....they need to blend in.
Either go white or grey grout.
Myself, I would go white grout for a bit of contrast otherwise it will be a sea of grey.

 

[Phil_D]

If you can find the edging strips in close to the same grey, personally I would go for that. The edging shouldn't shout out as a contrast....they need to blend in.
Either go white or grey grout.
Myself, I would go white grout for a bit of contrast otherwise it will be a sea of grey.

I was thinking ivory or cream for grout but I suppose with a 2mm grout line you won’t really see much of a difference anyway

 

[DanAir]

I was thinking ivory or cream for grout but I suppose with a 2mm grout line you won’t really see much of a difference anyway

As you are using the same tiles, you might want to do the grout the same as the kitchen, so they match. Or white etc for contrast....up to you.