The mitres touch
By envy bathrooms
When it comes to creating a luxury bathroom that has that high-end designer finish, the devil really is in the details. One of those details that can’t be underestimated for its sheer effectiveness in transforming an ordinary bathroom into a high quality one is the mitred tile edge. The result of using mitred edges is a bathroom whos corners flow, giving that minimalist feel. After all, you have just chosen the perfect tile, you don’t want to be visually taken away from that.
So, what is a mitred tile edge? A mitred edge is a technique that can be used on any external corners where the tiles need to wrap around. The tile edges are cut back underneath at a 45-degree angle. These angles are then butted together to form a 90-degree angle so only the tile face is visible and appears to wrap around the corner. This method leaves a very discrete and neat finish to the edge, which is then sealed with colour matched silicone. This allows your tile to shine as the hero, rather than drawing your eye to tile trim.
The mitred edge can be used anywhere in the bathroom where you need to have a 90-degree external corner. This may be in the edge of a nib wall, when returning tiles into a window reveal and even in the shower around a niche or shelf. It will create a more seamless look and enhance the space, so undeniably worth optioning up to mitred edges.
There are some shortcomings of the mitred edge, however. So, what are they? Firstly, as the tile has been cut back at a 45-degree angle, the edge can be a bit more fragile, so extra care needs to be taken around these edges. Next, not all tiles can be mitred. For instance, if you have selected small mosaic tiles that need to be wrapped around an external corner, then this edge is possibly not the solution. If this is the case, but you still want the high-end finish of a mitred edge there are options that we can offer when designing your bathroom. Lastly, they do cost more due to the higher labour rate of cutting the tiles at an angle.
If you do not want the added expense of mitred edges, or are concerned about potential damage to the edge, then despair not, there are alternatives. Enter tile trim. Tile trim is the typical selection to finish edges, and is a strip of either aluminum or plastic that butts up to the exposed edge of a tile to finish it off neatly. This way of finishing an edge has added durability and costs less due to the lower labour required. Like everything in life, however, there is a trade-off. Tile trim only comes in a select few colors. As such, depending on your tile choice, this will make all your edges more visible and may draw your eye from those beautiful tiles, or amazing vanity.
We here at envy bathrooms can’t get enough of mitred edges. The way they enhance a room is just not achievable with tile trim. It is one of the tools that can be used to up the level of the finish quality within any space. We understand, however, that this option is not for everyone or for every situation. So, with this information, we hope you can now choose what option is best for your project.