- 1). Select a wall tile that has accessory tiles available. Most popular tile types and colors will have a bullnose as part of the tiles available for that style. Often a bullnose tile will be narrow and rectangular in shape with the bullnose edge on the long side of the tile. A corner bullnose tile will be square with two rounded edges to allow a bullnose to round an outside corner.
- 2). Install your field tile so that the outer edge is straight. Often a tile installer will screw a straight edge to the wall making sure it is perfectly vertical. He then installs tile up to the side of the straight edge ensuring that all of the edge tiles will be perfectly in line. All deviations in the tile alignment are taken up in the corner where they will be less noticable.
- 3). Install your bullnose tile from the bottom of the wall upward after removing the straight edge. In many cases the bullnose will be a different size and shape from the field and accent tiles. In some instances you will need to choose how the tile may relate to other tile patterns on the wall. This is best solved by dry fitting the bullnose and marking where the tiles will fall on the wall with pencil.
- 4). Space the bullnose tile so that the top tile lines up with the top field tile if you intend to round the corner with a corner bullnose and install standard bullnose across the top of the field tile. Lay out the tiles first so that you can determine where to make a cut if you need to match the top tile placements. In general, cut tiles that are least visible.
- 5). Install bullnose if edging tile is not available. An edging tile wraps from the top of a countertop over the edge to the face of the counter top. Measure from the front top corner of the counter top and add the thickness of the mortar. Draw a pencil line on the countertop and screw a straight edge fitted to the pencil line. Tile away from the edge of the straightedge toward the backsplash using whole tiles. Make any cuts at the back corner.
- 6). Remove the straightedge and tile the bullnose tiles so that the rounded edge curves toward the front edge of the countertop. Tile the front edge with field tile that are cut or cut the away side of the bullnose tile and direct the curve of that tile downward. This creates a rounded look along the top and bottom of the front edge. You may need to use tape to hold the edge tiles in place until the mortar hardens.
- 7). You can cut thick tile, such as a travertine tile, along one edge to create a taper. This angled cut will not be polished but if the tile is matte finish the tape will look nearly identical along the cut as the top surface of the tile. The taper can be cut using a wet saw with a diamond-tipped blade designed for cutting tile. It is generally not a good idea to cut glazed tiles on an angle as the unfinished surface will be vulnerable to staining and it will appear dull against the glazed finish tile.
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