Remodeling Your Shower: How to Transition From Tile to Drywall
It’s funny – most people, no matter how familiar they are with home improvement, never really think about how they should finish the tile edgings when they meet the wall until they’re actually at that point. Then they begin asking all the questions: Should they just stop? Grout the spot? Add a metal profile or commercial edging? What would be the costs?
The easiest way to transition from tile to drywall will be using what’s called a Schluter Profile — it is a material often used by professional builders and usually adds a metal accent to your finish. These are premade metal bars that are designed to fit over the tiles’ edges.
When it comes to tile-to-wall transition, there are many questions needed to be asked. For example: what look are you going after? What is your budget? Are you comfortable enough with tearing certain parts out and switching in a different backing material, or are you directly tiling on top of the drywall?
These are all factors that can affect your final edging option that will complete the tile to drywall transition in bathroom remodeling, and this guide is going to walk you through the process, so next time you know what you are doing before you even start planning.
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The Beauty Of Tiled Showers
First of all, why would anyone remodel their shower and put in tiles? Well, the answer is actually quite simple. Besides the endless possibilities in texture, imagery, and other aesthetics tiles bring, tiles are durable and moisture-resistant. This feature extends your shower’s lifespan, and you never need to worry about walls catching mold.
Also, tiled walls are a lot easier to maintain and clean. There are plenty of products designed for tile-cleaning, while drywall has been notorious for being difficult. On the other hand, tiles are one of the most affordable solutions compared to other water-resistant materials, such as marble. Tiling a bathroom could cost you as little as $25 per sqft, and even cheaper if you are doing the installation yourself.
Common Challenges Going From Tile To Drywall
However, the transition from tile to drywall has been a specific challenge that frustrated endless home improvement DIY-ers. The biggest challenge when it comes to tile to wall transition is how to keep the edgings natural and fitting of overall decoration style. Another challenge is when your walls aren’t square-shaped, which requires additional cutting and mitering of the tile and the chosen edging solution to create a smooth transition.
Ways To Transition From Tile To Wall
The end-goal of doing any tile-to-drywall transition makes the edging look as smooth and natural as possible. For example, it surely wouldn’t make sense to put a huge chunk of pastor in your newly-remodeled shower room.
When doing the transition, it’s essential to focus on the overall visual appearance you want your bathroom to have. That is how you find the most suitable edging solutions.
Popular Edgings Options
The most popular edging option is a Schulter Profile, or Schulter Edge Trim. It creates a beautiful, modern metal accent by covering the raw tile edges with a pre-cut bar. Schulter Profiles is also one of the most affordable edging options. The pricing range from $10 to $30 depending on the length needed to complete your tile to wall transition.
Schulter Profiles will create a slightly raised transition with a sleek finish, perfect for those interested in having a minimalistic, futuristic shower room.
Alternative Edging Options
Not everyone is into metal accents. Luckily, there are many alternatives available. For example, glass pencil liners can build a clean transition from tile to drywall, and the cost begins at $6.
Another popular alternative is the marble edging. For those looking to go retro and elegant, these affordable edgings start at $10 and come in different colors and textures. However, pricing can easily reach $45 or more due to the luxury nature of marbles.
Creative Solution For Smooth Tile-To-Wall Transition In Showers
But what if you don’t want to use any edgings at all? What if… that’s just not your thing?
Luckily, there is a creative solution for people who’d prefer to go a different route.
Full Tiling Solution
One alternative is to cover all four walls with tiles in your shower or bathroom. You can switch between different colors and textures for a more vibrant look, and you don’t need to worry about transitioning at all. The only drywall left when you choose the full-tiling route will be the ceiling.
Some individuals choose to smooth out the popcorn texture on their bathroom ceiling; others prefer to cover the ceilings with tiles as well. But at the end of the day, it’s all about creating a smooth, seamless transition, so your remodeled shower doesn’t look unfinished.
Cost Of Installation
If you decide to hire someone for shower remodeling, the labor cost is typically something around $500 for a regular-size shower. Overall, you are looking at a minimum of $700 to complete your project when you add on the material cost. However, a professional handyman will take care of everything from tiling to transition and save you time and money in the long run.
In addition, the shape of your bathroom, the size of the remodeling area, the materials you prefer to use, and any specific request will all affect your final cost.
Do It Yourself
If you prefer to do the remodeling yourself, it’s not as difficult as some may think at all. Most shower drywalls are clean and smooth enough to be directly used as a backing board for tiling, and all you really need to invest in are tiles and the proper edging tool.
All of the edging solutions provided in this article will come with installation guides. You simply need to follow the instructions to complete a smooth tile to drywall transition.
Tools Needed To DIY A Tile-To-Wall Transition
To complete the transition from tile ts to drywall, there are a few necessary tools. You will definitely need rulers and pencils to draw the outline of your tiling area, tile cutters, and tile nippers to properly miter the tiles.
In general, it will take you approximately 8-10 hours to complete tiling and the transition if you are doing everything by yourself.
Cost-Saving Tactics
Throughout the entire shower remodeling process, proper tiling is the most challenging part. The tile to drywall transition? Not so much. After all, it’s just about putting in edgings. Therefore, many homeowners choose to combine professional labor and DIY work.
A good approach will be asking a professional handyman to handle the trickier tasks, such as mitering around challenging corners. Once that is done, you can take care of the rest yourself. So, have you thought about what look you want to go with?
Related Questions
Should tile be flushed with drywall?
What do you use to stick tile to drywall?
Do you put adhesive on tile or wall?
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