Don’t allow your tile guy to do your curb like the photo on the left! You will be much happier with the finish on the right!
Subway tile can look incredible when your installer uses the little details that come along with professionalism and foresight.
Your shower curb is a very important, but often ignored part of your shower.
What is a shower curb?
It is in the front of a shower, you step over it to get into the shower, and it holds the water in. If you have a glass door, it sits on top of the curb.
A lot of tile curbs I see have a full piece at the front of the curb and a small sliver where it meets the floor. Often time, people will want their curb top trimmed with bull nose (tile with a rounded side that finishes the edge of tile) which adds a lot of different pieces and many different grout joints.
I am opposed to that because of the amount of action the top of your curb sees. That's where your shower door will sit and a ton of water will be hitting that spot, so I want as few pieces as possible!
The best option is a hard surface curb, like a piece of granite, but when you may be on a budget or a time crunch, the best option are White Schluter PVC profiles as edging.
I also plan ahead and cut the curb to size so there are full pieces on top of the curb.
For the front of the curb, instead of a sliver at the bottom where the curb meets the floor, I'll split the distance and use two full pieces which is MUCH more visually appealing.
Doing this takes PLANNING!
I have to remember to cut my curb down according to the size of the tile plus the waterproofing. Depending on how you are building your shower, wood curbs or foam, this can be very challenging. We use foam so it’s no big deal. Just a little addition and subtraction and BAM.
I always say, a good tile guy thinks 10 steps ahead and 20 years in the future because little details like this will improve the overall look and function of your shower.
This is how you should finish your shower curb for a much more functional finish and aesthetically pleasing look.