Tile School: How to Take on Bathroom Trim

You’ve finally found the perfect tile for your bathroom. Before you buy, don’t forget about tile trim. Because our tile has unglazed edges, it’s important to consider how your tile will look when it meets a transition or the edge of the installation,

For a finished look throughout your bathroom, we recommend completing your bathroom project with trim. Read on for the tile trims Fireclay offers so you can get everything you need to finish your bathroom design flawlessly.

Pro Tip: Trim measurements are taken by linear foot instead of a square foot. To calculate how much tile trim you’ll need, simply add the length of each side of your wall and/or floor that needs trim coverage and divide by 12 (don’t forget to order 15-20% overage).

Popular Tile Trim Options for the Bathroom

Glazed Edge

Glazed edge tiles are one of the most simple ways to finish a tile installation in your bathroom. As the name suggests, these are ceramic tiles just like the rest of your installation but have a glazed long edge, short edge, or both.

Here you'll see the exposed edge on top of this bathroom backsplash features the same stylish blue-green glaze as the rest of the install.

Tile Shown: Flagstone 2x4 Sheeted, Glazed Short Edge Trim // Design: Jessie + Brian De Lowe of House of Honey // Image: Mellon Studios

Bullnose Edge

Bullnose trim features a rounded, glazed edge providing an effortless transition between the tile and your wall. We also offer corner bullnose, which is rounded on both sides. Be sure to always specify which sides and or corners you need rounded.

Shower tile niches are very popular in today’s design. The trio of shower niches below are finished with bullnose trim.

Tile Shown: Dawn 2x6, Bullnose Short Edge Trim // Design & Image: Heather Hunsinger

Quarter Round

Quarter round trim is a thin tile that will also hide the tile’s unglazed edge and is used to turn an outside corner, on a shower niche or pony wall for example, or to finish the edge of an installation.

This shower tile niche is bordered by quarter-round trim with mitered corners.

Tile Shown: Dawn, Vintage Leather & Tusk 4" Hexagon // Design & Image: Claire Thomas

Flatliner

A flat liner piece is primarily decorative. It can be used on the edges of your backsplash or as a decorative accent within the tile layout.

With its glazed long edges, flat liner is often used to top off a tub surround, laid perpendicular to cover the unglazed short edges of vertically set tiles as seen on this soothing green tub surround below.

Tile Shown: Salton Sea 2x8, Flat Liner Trim // Design: Carian Design // Image: JP Remodeling

Round Liner

Round liner, like flat liner, is a great way to top off backsplash or partially tiled wall with a decorative detail. The roundliner is thicker than tile, creating a rounded lip.

This bathroom backsplash features a round liner trim. With the wall paint matching the tile glaze, the decorative trim helps punctuate the top of the backsplash.

Tile Shown: Eucalyptus 3x3 Sheeted, Round Liner Trim // Design: Autumn Hachey, TWENTY-TWO TWELVE, You Should Stay Here // Image: Michelle Johnson

Cove Base

Make sure you consider how to treat your tile once it meets the floor. Although not necessarily a must, a cove base trim, where one edge is slightly curved outward, can accommodate where the tile meets the floor for a smooth transition.

A cove base tile can be used as a transition from wall tile to tile flooring, wall to tub edge, and countertop to backsplash. In this bathroom, a cove base joins the wall and floor tiles for extra water protection and a smooth transition.

Tile Shown: Tumbleweed 4x4, Squiggle Plein Aire Motif // Design: Kim Wolfe // Image: Joseph Bradshaw

Finger Cove

Finger cove trim is like the inverse of a quarter round trim piece. Where a quarter round bends around outside corners, finger coves curve around the dihedral of inside corners.

This bathroom was part of a historic preservation project and the homeowners wished to preserve the original white tile. Featuring a finger cove corner already, the new grey tile followed suit for a perfect pairing installed more than a century apart.

Tile Shown: Cyclone 3x6, 1x6 Finger Cove // Design & Image: House of Brinson

Architectural Molding

Our moldings offer a decorative trim to achieve a traditional aesthetic. Inspired by classical architecture, molding gives your space a distinctive finishing touch that feels elegant and luxurious.

If your aesthetic is classic and sophisticated, decorative molding can lend architectural distinction to your space, as this white subway tile powder room proves.

Tile Shown: Tusk 3x6, Polias Cap // Design & Image: Tori Wesszer

You will never get a more custom look than with Fireclay Tile. If you need help choosing the right trim for your bathroom project, simply call, chat, or fill out our Design Assistance Form and one of our talented Design Consultants will get back to you shortly.