Do you have trim tile to go on the edges? Like a bar liner or quarter round? If you wanted a cleaner look, you should have purchased bullnose tile for the edges.

In this case, I'd find out if your tile has trim to match and use that so you don't have to rip out the current tiles.

Trim tile or not, the outer edges should align. They need to fixt that.

Thanks for your reply @Sabrina Alfin Interiors . We specifically did not want to use a jolly rod or schlueter (is that what it is called)? We have bullnose tile for the top row of tile and for the exterior corners but our architect, who ordered all the tile, didn't getting them for the inside corners. So we have some on hand that they could use now and we could just order more. (The are ubiquitous daltiles.) But I'm not sure I understand how a bullnose in the corner would make a difference. They would still need to cut the non bullnose end to the correct size to fit in the space - right? It would just give a more perfect edge? Sorry I'm not articulating this well at all! I'm totally new to tile install.

Do you agree that just filling the gap in with thin set is not the correct choice?

Tiles in our other bathroom meet neatly in the corner like this without a trim piece. How is something like this accomplished?

Bullnose tile will be cut on the "interior" side, not the edge side, so that you always have the bullnose edge on the outside. Your need 3" bullnose for the shower vertical edges and 6" bullnose for the top (unless you're tiling all the way to the ceiling).

Here's an example of 6" bullnose with the rounded edge on the long side:

And here's an illustration of 3 inch bullnose on the short side:

Your tile installer should be making cuts on the non-bullnose side to create the correct length for the edges.

Super helpful @Sabrina Alfin Interiors I do think we have both of those on hand. So am I correct that the 3" bullnose pieces would then meet in the corner at a 90 degree angle and a seam of caulk would be run between them so that in the end you would not see the bull nose curve in the corner?

I suspect our walls are not plumb enough to have everything meet perfectly in the corner. Our grout lines will be 1/16". Will the uneveness call for wider caulking gaps that are going to look out of place with a 1/16" grout line?

Paul is correct, that's the best way to determine. If it's too wide, have them redo.

I believe Kendrah is showing us a back wall and the adjacent wall will be tiled. The smaller cuts on the back wall should be covered by the side wall tiles, but the large gap where your finger fits in is sloppy work. And thinset does not fill in the gaps. After tiling and grouting, all changes of plane, i.e. verticals in corners, where tub meets tile, are caulked, with no grout in those areas.

Kendrah, I know you are meeting with the GC any minute so I'll say it. Don't mention bull-nose tiles to fix this because he will think you are nuts. Sabrina thought she was looking at an outside edge where a bull-nose tile would be appropriate. Have him show you how the tile on the back wall will entirely cover the gap. If there is one sliver of the gap showing when holding up the tile then have him pop out that one tile and replace it with a longer one.

No bullnose/trim on the interior corners. Those should simply be cut to be flush with the perpendicular wall.

Thank you all for being my group therapy. @Paul F. said:

Have him show you how the tile on the back wall will entirely cover the gap. If there is one sliver of the gap showing when holding up the tile then have him pop out that one tile and replace it with a longer one. Filling unseen gaps with thinset is OK.

This is exactly what he did. And when he held up the side tile and accounted for thinset, it seemed to cover the sloppy edges. He said if there is a sliver of back wall tile that doesn't get covered by the side wall tile they will then pop out the backwall tile and replace it.

Here's a pic of him holding up a tile on the side wall and showing how it would cover the gap. I feel so much better.

That looks fine and will be fine. Just make sure that he understand that every change in plane MUST be 100% silicone caulk and not grout.

I agree that a matching silicone in corners is a good idea to prevent cracks, but I have to admit I have never done it.

Some of the tiles appear to be too close to the corner. There needs to be a minimum of 1/8" gap between the tile and the adjoining wall. That gap does NOT get filled with anything, not thinset mortar, not caulk, not grout.

There also needs to be a gap of 1/8" between the tiles that meet in the corner. That gap is filled with a flexible sealant, such as silicone.

@catbuilder I'm confused by your first and second paragraph. They should like the same thing to me but I know they are not. Perhaps I just need more sleep... can you clarify?

I suspect our walls are not plumb enough to have everything meet perfectly in the corner.

It certainly looks like the walls aren't plumb. The cut tiles seem to vary in size. The framing should have been corrected and plumb before the backer board went up. And some of the tiles look like they are snug to the corner without a proper gap. If they are indeed snugged in the corner, cracked tile is likely to happen in the future...like in the spring & summer when the humidity increases.

From what I see, I would not be happy.

On the first wall that gets tiled (the one you are showing that is already tiled), there needs to be an 1/8" gap between the tile and the adjoining wall. (The adjoining wall is the wall that is 90° to the tiled wall) Some of the gaps that you show appear to be larger than that, which is ok if the tile on the adjoining wall will cover the gap, which is what you are showing with the hand holding the tile. Some of the tiles (such as the 3rd and 6th rows up) appear to be actually touching the adjoining wall. That would not be acceptable, as there needs to be an expansion gap of 1/8" there. Additionally, the gap has to stay a gap and have nothing in it. It appears that there is thinset mortar filling the small gap next to the tile in the 9th row up. That is not acceptable.

When tiling the adjoining wall, there needs to be an 1/8" gap between the tile on that wall and the tile on the first wall that was tiled. That gap gets filled with a flexible sealant (which should not be forced in to fill the gap to the wall).

You always need an expansion gap at the inside corner. The first gap you will have is between the tile on the tiled wall (wall 1) and the adjoining untiled wall surface (wall 2). The second gap is between the tile on wall 2 and the tile on wall 1.

The required gap would be filled with backer rod if you wish to become a Certified Tile Installer. Just saying:)

I spoke with the installer and in my limited Spanish understood - "Yes, there is space." Not a very detailed answer. I will check in again with the project manager on Monday to see how much space and if any backer rod was used.

CTEC refers to the standard known as EJ 171. heres a closeup of proper inside corner backer rod expansion gap detail for any homeowners reading along that want to make sure their contractor gets it right.

You all have been really great with your tile know-how. I have another question for which I started a new post. I'd be most appreciative if you could hop over there and give some input.

Tile Wall and Floor Gap - What would you do?

@Sabrina Alfin Interiors @Paul F.@Mint tile Minneapolis @Creative Tile Eastern CT @catbuilder I'd love to hear from you all!