Curved-edge tiles for windowsills &c?

[sammyc]

Hi all,

I'm new (I was just googling a query, & had no idea there was an entire tiling forum but you live & learn..)
I'm buying tiles for my kitchen (which I may or may not do the work on myself), & can't understand why I can't just get straightforward ceramic tiles with one curved edge designed for windowsills & other edges that will show, like I have now. My house is 30-40 years old & these are the tiles that were put in when built. All I can find is stuff about tile trims (no ta..) & grinding down your edges(!), is there really not such a thing as tile like my originals? Seems such a simple & obvious idea, it looks fine, & if they could manage it in the 60's I don't see why we've gone backwards since! Anyone know if I'm right and there is no such thing any more?? :huh2: Thanks!

 

[DHTiling]

Johnsons and pilkingtons make these round edge ( RE) tiles....
You can get them in your local CTD store.....

here is a store locator..... [DLMURL]http://www.ctdtiles.co.uk/showrooms.aspx[/DLMURL]

 

[GazTech]

Since the introduction or the tiletrim,manufacturers have mainly ceased to make the round edge ( re ) and the round edge external ( rex ). If you dont like the trims....then possibly mitre the edges .......Gaz
----
Thanks Dave...I dibdn't realize they still made them.....we ceased trading with them both ages ago.....Gaz

 

[Perry]

dave is it just white in 6" they still make ?

 

[DHTiling]

as far as i know pete..it is all the colours they do in 6x6 but they are special order only, not stock items..... i can find out if you really,really,really want me too...

 

[Perry]

just interest used to get other colours but no rexs long time ago lol

 

[DHTiling]

RE,s yes pete..Re.x and Re.xx i don,t know if they still do them...:huh2:

 

[Proper Job]

alright sammy c, you can still get window trims and corner trims made in ceramics !!! But you find hard to get them from your local tile shop, there is not much demand for them anymore, well not in the UK. I have seen a lot in the commerical sector but there special order. In the states and canada they use them all the time to do kitchen work tops, windows and so on. Its hard enough to get bull nose tiles or even jollys.

 

[Unregistered]

thanks to all - & to 'proper job' (cornishman i presume..?!), you mention ceramic trim and so on; just in case i'm talking at cross purposes i do definitely mean a whole tile but with a rounded edge, which i thought (but was not 100% sure) is the same thing as a bull-nose tile...? To be totally clear, if i'm using basic 150mm square tiles i want to finish with a row of same-size-but-one-rounded-edge tiles. Sorry if I've explained badly. Also I have NO idea what a 'jolly' is?!

 

[sammyc]

p.s. that's still me re the above post, forgot to log in...

 

[Proper Job]

sammy c yes i'm talking about full tiles here that are for corners and the bull nose form

 

[sammyc]

ok I see thanks. Still can't imagine why these have become a 'rarity' - seems v. illogical. In my case it looks like a classic case of should have done my homework before I started.... sam.

 

[user123]

You're probably sorted by now, sammy, but my husband and I had been looking for the exact same thing in the past to no avail, I agree with you, progress gone mad....and didn't know about this forum then....a gap in the market surely...? :yes:

 

[Dad]

I just had a nightmare with a job using HR Johnson RE and REX tiles. My client didn't want trims, so I ordered rounded edge tiles from Johnson's factory shop on back order. They arrived as planned, but when I came to fix them, I noticed that the rounded edge tiles were around 1mm to 1.5mm smaller than the plain tiles (on 200mm x 200mm tiles) this looked awful with the planned 3mm grout lines and I decided to abort the job. Johnson's have since told me that the size difference was due to the biscuits for the RE/REX tiles being made in Spain unlike those for he plain tiles. - and they were - quote: "within tolerance" Call me fussy, but I refuse to fit them and have sent the RE/REX's back and will be using trim (against my wishes):mad2:

 

[beanz]

I'm not sure if i'm looking at this the right way or not!?! But if you have rounded edge tiles, for a nicer finish on the outer edge, would the cut not look a bit crap on the inside? Or do you have to find a way to compensate for this when setting out?

 

[user123]

I'm not sure if i'm looking at this the right way or not!?! But if you have rounded edge tiles, for a nicer finish on the outer edge, would the cut not look a bit crap on the inside? Or do you have to find a way to compensate for this when setting out?

To my understanding you would just tile from the edge towards the window, i.e starting with the (by now almost fictitious) beautifully rounded edge tiles. I have seen some of this in old victorian tiled buildings, rich colours, smooth edges, beautiful craftmanship, and the odd bubble in the thick glaze just adds to the authentic look.... yes, I've been a bit of a tile weirdo for a while...:lol:

A bit outside the subject of the thread, but I find it a bit sad, all this globalisation of taste, where we are all supposed to like the same interiors, same colours, same tiles in every new build in every country.....bladibla...am I the only one? :huh2:

 

[user123]

Call me fussy, but I refuse to fit them and have sent the RE/REX's back and will be using trim (against my wishes):mad2:
Well good on you, Dad (?) for caring so much, I think that's just fab.

 

[johnplum]

Yeah it's logical Sammy - the tile manufacturer's are greedy lazy global corporations. You get what they give you, not what you want.

 

[CJ]

Jeez.......answering a 6 year old post. Is THAT a record??

 

[johnplum]

Sorry about the delay, I was busy.

 

[Dan]

Some of the threads in the tiling forum that have had a lot of views are being bumped up into current discussion. Just walk on by if it's not your flavour right now. Perhaps it'll help somebody out one day, and they become members, and then they post a thread, and professional tilers respond, and then you learn something from them...? Maybe?