Tiling around corners and odd shapes is often where even the most confident DIY enthusiasts face their biggest challenges. While tiling a straight wall or an open floor space can be relatively straightforward, the real test of skill comes when you encounter tight corners, curves, or irregular surfaces. These tricky areas require precision, planning, and patience to get right.
Whether you’re working in a bathroom with alcoves, a kitchen with built-in features, or an oddly shaped room, learning how to tile around these obstacles can make or break the finished look of your project. In this guide, we’ll dive into the strategies and techniques needed to navigate these challenges, ensuring that your tiling job looks seamless and professional, no matter the complexity of the space.
Understanding the Challenges of Tiling Around Corners and Odd Shapes
Corners, curves, and odd shapes all pose unique challenges for tile installation. Here’s why these areas can be so tricky:
- Precise Cuts: Unlike flat, open areas where you can lay full tiles in a regular pattern, corners and unusual shapes often require custom cuts to fit the space perfectly. Incorrect cuts can lead to unsightly gaps, uneven grout lines, and a poor overall finish.
- Alignment Issues: In tight or awkward spaces, maintaining straight, even grout lines can be difficult. Without proper alignment, the entire tile pattern can appear off-balance or crooked.
- Uneven Surfaces: Corners and irregular shapes often coincide with surfaces that aren’t perfectly level or straight, which can cause problems with tile adhesion and lead to tiles shifting over time.
Mastering these challenges requires both a clear plan and the right tools. Let’s take a closer look at how to approach some of the most common tricky areas.
Tiling Around Inside Corners
Inside corners—where two walls meet at a 90-degree angle—are a common feature in rooms like bathrooms and kitchens. While they may seem straightforward, achieving a clean, precise finish in these areas takes careful preparation.
1. Plan the Layout Carefully
Before you start cutting tiles, it’s crucial to plan the layout for the entire space. Ideally, you want to avoid having narrow slivers of tile along the corners, as these can be difficult to cut and install evenly. By adjusting the starting point of your tile layout, you can aim to have larger, more manageable pieces meeting at the corner.
- Measure and Dry Fit: Measure the length of the wall and dry-fit the tiles to see how they’ll align. Make adjustments as necessary to ensure that both sides of the corner will have tiles that are large enough to cut accurately.
2. Cutting for a Clean Corner
Cutting tiles to fit inside corners requires accuracy and the right tools. A tile cutter or wet saw is essential for making clean, straight cuts, but for fine details, a tile nipper or a handheld saw can help shape the edges.
- Leave Space for Grout: It’s important to leave a small gap—typically 1/8 inch—at the corner to allow for grout. The grout will fill the space and accommodate any slight irregularities, ensuring a smooth finish.
- Check for Alignment: As you cut and place tiles near the corner, regularly check the alignment with the surrounding tiles. This will help you avoid issues with uneven grout lines or crooked tiles as you move further along the wall.
3. Dealing with Lippage
Lippage, where one tile’s edge sits higher than the adjacent tile, is a common issue in corners, especially if the walls are not perfectly level. To minimize lippage, use tile spacers and a leveling system to ensure that each tile sits flush against the wall. You may also need to apply a little extra adhesive on the back of certain tiles to adjust their height and create a smooth surface.
Tiling Around Outside Corners
Outside corners, where tiles wrap around an edge, present their own set of challenges. In areas like shower enclosures, countertops, or where walls meet exposed edges, maintaining a sharp, clean line is essential for a professional look.
1. Use Bullnose or Edge Tiles
Bullnose tiles, which have a rounded, finished edge, are specifically designed for outside corners. These tiles eliminate the need for making difficult cuts while providing a smooth, polished transition around the corner. If your tile selection includes matching bullnose pieces, these are the ideal solution for outside corners.
- Alternatives to Bullnose: If bullnose tiles aren’t available or you want a different look, metal or plastic edge trims can be used to create a clean, protective edge where the tiles meet. These trims come in various finishes, allowing you to match them to your overall design.
2. Mitre Cutting for a Seamless Look
Another option for tiling around outside corners is mitre cutting, where the edge of each tile is cut at a 45-degree angle to create a seamless join at the corner. This technique requires a high level of skill and precision, as the cuts need to be perfectly aligned to avoid gaps or uneven joints.
- Precision Tools Needed: A wet saw with a mitre cutting capability is essential for achieving clean, accurate mitre cuts. While it can be time-consuming, mitre cutting produces a sharp, professional finish that’s worth the effort, especially in highly visible areas.
3. Check Alignment Continuously
As with inside corners, ensuring that the tiles on both sides of the outside corner are aligned is crucial. Use spacers and a level to make sure the tiles are placed evenly around the corner. Small misalignments in the early stages can become more noticeable as you continue tiling, so it’s important to catch and correct any issues early on.
Tiling Around Curves and Odd Shapes
Curved surfaces, arches, and irregularly shaped spaces add character to a room, but they can also make tiling more complex. Cutting tiles to fit these areas requires patience and the right approach.
1. Use Smaller Tiles for Curves
When tiling around a curved surface, such as an arched doorway or a rounded shower niche, smaller tiles or mosaic sheets are often the best choice. Smaller tiles are more flexible and can more easily follow the contour of a curve without the need for excessive cutting.
- Mosaic Sheets: Mosaic tiles come pre-mounted on mesh backing, making them easier to bend and fit around curves. The individual tiles are small enough to adapt to the shape, while the mesh provides stability during installation.
- Cut Larger Tiles Into Smaller Pieces: If you’re using larger tiles but need to fit them around a curved surface, consider cutting them into smaller sections. This allows for more flexibility in shaping the tiles to match the curve.
2. Make Templates for Odd Shapes
For irregularly shaped areas, such as alcoves, niches, or around built-in fixtures, it’s helpful to create a cardboard or paper template of the space. This allows you to transfer the exact measurements and shape onto your tiles before cutting, reducing the risk of errors.
- Trace the Shape: Use a piece of cardboard or paper to trace the outline of the irregular area. Cut the template to fit, and then use it to mark the tile for cutting. This technique ensures that the tile will fit perfectly into the odd-shaped space without the need for multiple cuts or adjustments.
- Dry Fit First: Before applying adhesive, dry fit the tiles in the space to ensure they align correctly. Adjust the cuts as needed to get the best possible fit.
3. Cutting and Shaping Tiles
Cutting tiles to fit around curves or odd shapes requires precision tools like tile nippers, which allow you to chip away small sections at a time for a more controlled cut. For larger cuts, a wet saw with an adjustable guide is useful for creating smooth, clean lines.
- Tile Nippers for Fine Adjustments: Tile nippers are great for making small adjustments, particularly when you need to round off corners or shave down edges to fit a specific shape.
- Diamond-Tipped Blades for Tough Materials: When working with harder materials like porcelain or natural stone, diamond-tipped blades on a wet saw or grinder are essential for making accurate cuts without cracking the tiles.
Tips for Achieving a Professional Finish
Whether you’re tackling inside corners, outside corners, or irregular spaces, the key to a professional-looking tile job lies in the details. Here are a few extra tips to ensure a flawless finish:
1. Take Your Time with Layout
Proper planning is critical for complex areas. Take the time to measure, mark, and dry fit tiles before committing to any cuts. Rushing through this step can lead to costly mistakes that are difficult to correct later.
2. Use a Level and Spacers
Maintaining even grout lines is especially challenging in tricky areas, but using tile spacers and checking for level frequently can help. This ensures that your tiles are properly aligned and evenly spaced, even in tight corners or around curves.
3. Choose the Right Adhesive
In complex areas like corners or curves, it’s essential to use the right type of adhesive for the job. A high-quality, flexible adhesive allows for minor adjustments and can accommodate movement in the tiles, preventing cracks or shifting over time.
4. Work in Small Sections
When tiling around tricky areas, it’s best to work in small sections to maintain control. Apply adhesive and set tiles for one section at a time, giving yourself the flexibility to make adjustments as you go.
Conclusion: Mastering Complex Tiling Projects
Tiling around corners, curves, and odd shapes requires more than just patience—it demands precision, the right tools, and a clear plan. By understanding the unique challenges posed by these areas and taking the time to plan and execute your project carefully, you can achieve a professional-looking finish in even the most complex spaces.
While tiling straight, flat surfaces might seem manageable, the skills required to navigate corners and odd shapes highlight the importance of experience and attention to detail. With the right approach, your finished tile project will not only look beautiful but will also stand the test of time.
