How to Tile Around a Door

Trim Frame to Tiles

• 1

  Place a tile on the floor next to the door jamb. The tile will establish the correct height for trimming.

• 2

  Remove enough of the door jamb's molding so the tile can slip underneath. With a backsaw against the tile as a guide, saw the molding. Do not cut into the framing studs behind the molding.

• 3

  Slip the tile under the molding to determine whether you will need to trim the tile around the framing studs. Mark any cuts you need to make using a marking pen.

• 4

  Put on a pair of safety goggles and line the tile up on the wet saw miter gauge. Turn on the saw and make a series of parallel cuts to the stop line you drew on the tile. Turn the saw off and remove the waste pieces between cuts using a pair of tile nippers.

Trim Tile to Molding

• 5

  Copy the door molding profile with a template gauge, a tool that consists of a series of metal rods which can accurately conform to curves and details. Template gauges are readily available at home centers and hardware stores.

• 6

  Line up the tile to determine where it will meet the door jamb molding. Trace the profile onto the tile with a marker using the template gauge as a guide.

• 7

  Cut a series of parallel lines into the tile using a wet saw. Stop the cuts about 1/8 inch short of the profile outline. Remove the waste between the cuts using a pair of tile nippers.

• 8

  Trim the tile to the profile outline by grinding the material with a carbide grit sander. Use gentle pressure. The tile should fit up against the molding, fitting the profile precisely.