Motivation for Learning to Bullnose Tile
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A DIY bullnose profiled travertine tile bathroom surround.
Ooh, ahh! That’s a pretty bathroom. Would you like to wash your hands here? I would!
A remodel can run you into the six-figure range if we go insanely crazy with the budget (should I even call it a budget at that point?…if you are on this website with that kind of budget, I commend you!). Aside from buying your house, a remodel of the kitchen or a bathroom can be the next largest big ticket item.
How do you fight the battle of limited money and the desire of unlimited awesomeness? You are constantly trying to find your perfect balance between cost savings, function and eye candy. If you are into DIY, one way to do this is learning to bullnose tile.
What is a bullnose?
Bullnose is a type of profile edge on a tile. It is a 90 degree curve as opposed to a 90 degree corner of a tile. It is a popular finish edge on many countertops and edges of shower and tub enclosures. A rounded corner is also a nice look on window sill tiling and tile baseboard as well as any other ideas you can conjure. It also makes a tile surround corner “nicer” if you run into it accidentally. The example picture above just barely captures a glimpse of the tile surround on the bottom left, highlighting an outside corner of tile.
DIY Profiling has Major Benefits!
The cost savings on this DIY skill is high. As for how much you can save, check out this post for a mathematical argument for learning how to profile the edge of your tiles. Scroll to the section on “Opportunity Cost/Savings”. As explained in greater detail, I saved at least $600 on DIY profiling 60 feet of bullnose edge on the travertine surround in this first bathroom alone. Once you have your own set of tools and perfect your skill they can be applied to any number of future projects. This could net you savings well into five figures! You now create options to invest elsewhere: upgrade other pieces of your current project, and/or remodeling an additional room due to the money left in your pocket by making your own bullnose.
Would you rather buy this bathroom or the bathroom pictured at the beginning?
In addition, the extra attention to detail gives a room a more luxurious feel. If you like it, imagine how it will appeal to a potential tenant or future homeowner. Not only will you save money and get to enjoy it right now, but it will also make you more money in the long run.
What personally motivated me towards learning to bullnose tile?
When I first started out on my rental property I was pretty cash-strapped. This early project had a lot of upfront costs with no incoming money for a significant amount of time. I knew I wanted granite countertops. I also had a laundry list of other items needing to be fixed and remodeled at the same time. With that in mind, I could not afford granite slabs and the fabrication cost. I decided to go the tile route. I spent a little extra money to have the granite tiles profiled at $10/foot for 16-20 feet. Suffice it to say, I treated those two boxes of tiles like fine china! I still remember installing the corner tiles with a bullnose on *gasp* TWO sides.
Master plans anticipating all exposed tile edges with a bullnose profile.
While I spent the extra on the professional edges, I still had a dramatic bathroom surround planned out in my head requiring many more times the amount of bullnose on travertine tile. This is one of the main reasons I bought the DeWALT D24000. It handles a 6″ profile blade. I also bought a variable speed grinder and a set of diamond polishing pads for finish work. I acquired these handy tools with the intent to learn how to do a professional looking bullnose on my own.
Setting Aside Some Jitters
I was extremely nervous about messing up the countertops. Not having done this type of work before, I was not confident in my ability to learn quick enough to make my first attempt at a polished edge look professional. I knew I did not want to compromise on the kitchen and bathroom countertops since they are used daily. Even if you are not directly looking at the counter and just trying to put a pot away, you can still see a mistake in your peripheral vision. Little things like that which are juuuuust a little off does not sit well with me. This is especially true when I am the one making the product.
I don’t like shoddy work. At. All.
I test software whose end use is protecting lives. I do not compromise on quality even if it is just aesthetic. So until I knew without a doubt that I could create a straight edge on a rounded curve with a mirror finish, I opted to spend a little extra on the pieces that count the most.
Where to Spend a Little Extra
Part of my profile-making confidence problem was I did not have scrap material to practice (FYI… that problem is definitely solved!*). Lame excuse, I know. There were so many moving parts while planning this remodel it did not occur to me. In retrospect, I should have just bought some extra tile and cut it up like crazy. For instance, I did this when I was learning how to use an electric brand on wooden wine balancers (Enbiggen the picture over there to see that handiwork! <—).
My bigger problem of learning to bullnose tile, achieving a quality finished product, is also solved. I have since developed a workflow that works wonderfully after many projects with some pretty spectacular reveals.
Note: My original draft of “Learning to Bullnose Tile” became a “TLDR”/ effort post. This post was originally slated to include an explanation on how to actually profile tile in addition to all the lessons learned along the way. So, I am breaking this post up into a series:
How to Bullnose Tile: Two Options
Sanity Saving DIY Bullnose Tile Trim Tips
*So if you have a need for scrap tile and live in the area, let me know and I can help you out!
