DW wants our bathroom to be unique. I installed a tumbled tile floor, and that’s a good start. I have not discussed thiswith her, but I was thinking about removing the cheap base and door trim, and using stone tiles for that too. Probably rip the tiles to 3″ wide.
The base would be easy, and not too unusual. But what about the door trim? Would you bond it to the drywall and door frame with thinset? I would use grout caulk between the tile and the frame, and grout the joints.
What about screwing a rip of 1/4″ hardie to the studs, and letting the tile extend past it maybe 1/4″, and then grout caulk that gap to the door frame?
“When asked if you can do something, tell’em “Why certainly I can”, then get busy and find a way to do it.” T. Roosevelt
Replies
I've used tile capped with a small (3/8"?) nose and cove for baseboard moulding. I'm not crazy about the look, but alot folks love it. I'd be hesitant to use tile as door casing. I imagine the constant opening and closing of the door would create enough vibration to continually crack grout joints.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Painted or stain jams? From an asthetics standpoint, paint could look good against the stone or tile, . . . . stain????? JMHO??
The base and trim are painted. Problem is that they are 2-1/2" colonial builder-standard, and look cheap.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
If you bullnose the trim .... Only you can decide if it will look good . But then your wifr will have to agree or you will be one unhappy pup.
And she will probably say "well can you put it up first so I can see if I will like it or not". LOL!!!!
You know . . . sofa on the blank wall, now try it under the window, now under the . . .
I'm with JD on the door vibration cracking out the grout.
Brings to mind a kitchen table my sister just bought. Tabletop is a wood frame with inset tiles. Instead of grout they used colored silicone.
Just an idea, looks quite durable.
see if they offer a matching factory bullnose ...
if not ... rip and dress with a grinder then belt sander.
for around the door ... I'd just PL Premium the tiles ... I'd hold them in place temp either with 2 4d nails under each ... or maybe try double stick mounting tape to hold till the adhesive sets. I've set plenty of swanstone shower surrounds that hold tight with the factory supplied tape ... again .. held until the adhesive sets.
Me ... I'd run it all the same thickness ... the base and casing.
Then ... miters all the way around.
I'd just go right over the drywall ... and caulk the tile to wall and tile to jamb seams.
Take a pic.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
At first I couldn't see the attraction to using tile for casing, but I have been on a few jobs that had bathroom tile from head to toe, including up around the door jambs and it was good. Hardi backer, a high end thinset and standard tiling practices is what I'd use.
I have on many occasions used tile as a base, usually using Scluters Rondec as a bullnose. Here is where a mastic would be fine, you're just sticking tile to drywall.
However the door casing I too would have to disagree with. One way to solve it could be to use wood for the casing amd use a complementary tile in the corners as a rosette, perhaps even with a wooden block behind it or a wood frame around it tying the two media together. (See HDs Tiling 1-2-3 book on page 148 for one example)
Using tiles as corner or rosette blocks is kinda how the idea started. Then I thouight about old buildings with stucco walls, and how the doorways and arches were (visually) framed with stone or tile, and thought it might look good.
I think I'll carefuklly remove the trim from one door (there's three in the room) and see how it looks with tile.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt