There might be bullnose pieces available for corner edges. My similar porcelain had that option but they are in smaller cuts than my LFT wall pieces so not as clean of a look. For a cleaner look schulter makes edging strips.

The number one best way to avoid this ? Hire smarter. You have a novice going novice on your investment. There are professionals available for this type work, they wouldnt allow this to happen and would have planned this detail out, it would all have been spelled out in your contract before you arrived at this point.

One of 4 alternatives should have been used--

1) bullnose is the best of the three, and always the first recommendation.

2) this one can still be used, although it'll be tough with the tile already installed, and that's to polish the edges. I can't tell if that's glazed or thru body color porcelain. if it's thru body color (color AND veining runs all the way thru the body of it), your installer could polish it to look just like the face. If not, he can still give it a finished look.

3) Schluter bullnose edging strip. Although I'm not a big fan of introducing another material into the tile field, it IS a viable alternative, and some people prefer it.

4) Lastly, and this should be used only as a last resort-- and that is to miter the two edges. The reason I say last resort, is because it tends to leave sharp edges in an area where most times, there's alot of exposed skin. It also leaves a weak edge that can be chipped easily later.

Thank you all for the responses. I thought I had done my homework, received great recco's from people I know. I think the contractor may have used a person not as familiar with this large tile (duh). The good news is the contractor will do whatever I want him to do to make it right. This is porcelain tile ... so I'm uneducated about bullnose for porcelain--- the marble picture above is awesome but is that real marble? I don't think you can 'finish' the edges right for the porcelain... I really don't know.

My contractor said to consider a large piece of granite remnant or stone that could 'blend' with the porcelain. Again, I don't know ... this is such a bummer, but at least he's willing to make it right....but shouldn't HE know how to make it right? so frustrating. I've spent so much time googling this topic.

Oh and I had a typo - the tile is 12 X 4...

wow it did it again.. 12 X 24.... geeeezzzzzzzzz

The picture of a bullnose example is porcelain not marble. It is I marmi Calacatta from tile America they carry bullnose in their line. If you have a full body, i.e. the pattern is through out not just on the surface it can be made like a bullnose with polishing. If it is not full body than no. If you ordered the tile from a tile store it might be worth a call to see if they have bull nose in your pattern. or shop for a similar tile in bullnose.

link to porcelain marble 3x12 bullnose. http://www.besttile.com/Tile-Collection.aspx?cid=14&pid=503&type=3

Good luck!

My pet peeve with tiles is exposed edges, so I did similar research to Daylily to avoid this in my bathroom projects. I don't like the Schluter edge, so I chose tiles with available bullnose, quarter rounds, liners, etc. or found those options in a different tile that complemented the field tile.

In my master bath I used a "calacatta gold" porcelain 24x24 tile on the walls. The edges on the niche were finished with a glass quarter round that complemented the tile.

Porcelain edges CAN be finished. ALthough it's easier using dry granite polishing pads on an angle grinder, your installer can also use increasingly finer grades of sandpaper, as well. I've done this more times than I can count. I've even made my own bullnose with thru body porcelain.

Thatmuch, what is that saying about assumptions? Oh that's right they make an a$$ of you.... I see a lot of judgement from you retrospectively but very little advice or help.... The real pros, Sophie, pal , Bill Vincent, joe, tundra, creative tile, oops I forgot mongo and millwork, etc all mix their strong and yes often valid but hard to hear opinions with good advice before and after the money has been spent not just criticism after the fact. You might carry more weight if you took note of their example.

edited to add, this was in response to subsequent posts that have since disappeared and not in response to his top post...

I've used Schluter - but you need to use it sparingly. Not on ever edge.

I hope that as larger format porcelain tile continues in popularity that manufacturers will respond to this problem and make bullnose and trim pieces.

I try to talk people out of tile without trim pieces if there are going to be issues with exposed edges. One way to deal with it is to avoid as many extra edges as possible (like avoiding niches and just worrying about edges at the edges of the layout.)

My sales rep (when I ordered a bunch of unusual trim and bullnose pieces) said that people rarely order tile with trim pieces anymore because everybody is into the large format (which often has none). He said people will be halfway through tiling and call asking what to do about cut edges. So apparently it's a common problem. We see it in here often enough, so you are in good company.

Geoffrey-- I tend to agree with you. But I've done a couple of master baths where the homeowner (in one case, the GC's own home) KNEW there was bullnose available, but preferred the Schluter bullnose strips. Different strokes for different folks. Know what I mean? :-)

I like the Jolly rather than the Rondec for a Clean finished edge. It comes in so many colors that the shiny metal shouldn't be the ugly by default choice. Bullnose is nice too, but not as clean lined and modern. The Schulter, done properly, is a really nice design accent.

I rest my case. :-)