Random Bathroom Questions that I cannot find answers to...

[Sateryn76]

Two quick questions:

1 - The shower stall I'm tiling is 4.25" while field tile with a 4" band of blue and green glass mosaic around the top. How do I end the mosaic band at the front? There is no bullnose for this tile, so do I just end it with a white bullnose like the rest of the rows? Or should I run it to the end - the tile is a standard depth, and the straight edges would be high enough that they wouldn't be poking everybody all the time.

2 - Do I run the wooden, painted baseboard right into the front of the bathtub with or without a corner block? I honestly can't remember how it's done, and our other bathrooms are designed in such a way that they are set in, or otherwise don't meet up with baseboard.

Thanks in advance - it is very easy to find answers to basic questions, or an in depth look at a particular task, but finding answers to these random questions has turned out to be difficult!

[Ed Zotti]

Two quick questions:

1 - The shower stall I'm tiling is 4.25" while field tile with a 4" band of blue and green glass mosaic around the top. How do I end the mosaic band at the front? There is no bullnose for this tile, so do I just end it with a white bullnose like the rest of the rows? Or should I run it to the end - the tile is a standard depth, and the straight edges would be high enough that they wouldn't be poking everybody all the time.Hm, tough one. If you're thinking you'll end the 4" band of mosaic with a 4.25" square white bullnose piece, that's going to look strange - at minimum you'll want to cut the the piece down to 4" tall with a wet saw. But that's still a kludge, obviously. Where are you buying your tile? A good tile design shop should be able to suggest a one-off bullnose or other decorative element that would be more in keeping with the mosaic tile. I installed a mosaic band at chair-rail height in my bathroom (and it was an honest to God mosaic, with handcut tiles to make an ivy pattern), and to conceal the top edge used a 1/4x1/2 painted pine trim strip. It looks fine, although not suitable for a shower stall. As I think about it, what I'd want if I could get it (and I'm not sure I could) is a bullnose 4" tall by and inch to a half-inch deep, the same color and texture as the dominant color in the mosaic tile. Assuming you haven't already bought the tile, I'd check with a good tile shop and see what they could suggest here.

2 - Do I run the wooden, painted baseboard right into the front of the bathtub with or without a corner block? I honestly can't remember how it's done, and our other bathrooms are designed in such a way that they are set in, or otherwise don't meet up with baseboard.Not sure I follow - do you use corner blocks to avoid having to miter the corners of the baseboards? If so, my initial thought is that you want to skip the block - it's more a convenience for the carpenter than a design element, and with only one baseboard butting into it rather than two, you'll have one flat side showing, which to my mind isn't especially attractive. Possibly I misunderstand what you're asking, however, and it's always chancy to offer advice without seeing what you're talking about - do you have a picture you can link to?

[Sateryn76]

Hm, tough one. If you're thinking you'll end the 4" band of mosaic with a 4.25" square white bullnose piece, that's going to look strange - at minimum you'll want to cut the the piece down to 4" tall with a wet saw. But that's still a kludge, obviously. Where are you buying your tile? A good tile design shop should be able to suggest a one-off bullnose or other decorative element that would be more in keeping with the mosaic tile. I installed a mosaic band at chair-rail height in my bathroom (and it was an honest to God mosaic, with handcut tiles to make an ivy pattern), and to conceal the top edge used a 1/4x1/2 painted pine trim strip. It looks fine, although not suitable for a shower stall. As I think about it, what I'd want if I could get it (and I'm not sure I could) is a bullnose 4" tall by and inch to a half-inch deep, the same color and texture as the dominant color in the mosaic tile. Assuming you haven't already bought the tile, I'd check with a good tile shop and see what they could suggest here.

Not sure I follow - do you use corner blocks to avoid having to miter the corners of the baseboards? If so, my initial thought is that you want to skip the block - it's more a convenience for the carpenter than a design element, and with only one baseboard butting into it rather than two, you'll have one flat side showing, which to my mind isn't especially attractive. Possibly I misunderstand what you're asking, however, and it's always chancy to offer advice without seeing what you're talking about - do you have a picture you can link to?

Thanks Ed! I like your idea of a color-coordinated bullnose. I think this is my answer to this one. My "tile shop" is Menards, so I'm making this up as I go along.

Re: the trim question - I phrased it badly; ignore what I said about corner blocks.... So, the baseboard runs along the bottom of the wall and hits the corner. In any other corner, it would be a corner block or miter cut or whatnot, because it's just another wall. In my bathroom, the other side of that corner is the front of the tub. So do I just jut the baseboard up to the front of the tub? I'm mainly thinking about moisture issues...

About your mosaic pattern - how challenging was that? I think tile mosaics are incredibly beautiful, and I've toyed with the idea of making my own. But the information available makes it seem like a huge pain in the ass, even for a simple random floor border, particularly when it comes to questions of durability and cost. How hard would it be for a relative novice to put in a Greek Key pattern border with 1" tile?