How to Finish a Ceramic Tile Edge
Many people get confused when it comes to finishing the edge of a tiled counter top. They think they will have to cut little rectangles of flat tile and glue them to the front-facing edge of the counter top. Luckily, tile manufacturers make special tiles called bullnose edge tiles for giving edges a nice finished appearance. The most common bullnose edge tile has a top and bottom glazed curved edge. When it's set in place, it covers the raw edge of the adjoining field tile. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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1
Trowel on tile mastic (tile glue) to the front-facing edge of the counter top and to the counter top as well. Use the grooved edge of the trowel to cut grooves through the mastic. This is done to ensure good adhesion between the counter top and the back of the tiles.
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2
Using the same trowel, butter on an extra amount of mastic to the back of the bullnose tile. Use the trowel's sawtooth edge to make additional grooves in the mastic.
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3
Set the bullnose against the face edge of the countertop and place a field tile flat on the counter top. Align the top of the bullnose edge tile with the edge of the field tile so that the edge tile is as high as the glazed face of the field tile. Press on the face of the bullnose tile so that it makes good contact with the face edge of the counter top while pressing down on the face of the field tile.
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4
Repeat Steps 1-3 along the entire edge of the counter top.
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Tips & Warnings
You can choose to leave a gap between the bullnose edge tile and the field tile which will be filled with grout, or you can press them tightly against each other. If you're going to leave a space for grout, then use tile spacers--little plastic tabs--to keep all tiles in the installation evenly spaced.
Don't allow mastic to ooze up in the space between tiles. If it does, then take a wood skewer or wood popsicle stick and clean out the mastic so that the grout has a space to be worked down into.
