Hi there - exactly the same thing happened to us and I was devastated to see the aluminum strip. like you, this wasn't discussed. So disappointing when you pay so much for a new bathroom. Can you tell me whether you ended up painting over the strips? I'd love to hear what you ended up doing and how it looks, four years on. My sister says she is sure we can paint over them. But I"m so disappointed as it's not the look we were after. We are stuck with our bathroom company who are also doing our bigger downstairs bathroom so at least I can make sure they use white edging around our window. many thanks

number two is definitely the wow factor, but methinks number one is more practical. Think in term of you in the pool and your partner.friend in the spa,,,,,,trying to converse or even share a bottle of wine. (yes yes..I know we shouldnt drink wine in a spa.......but come on.. we all do it).

Hi Chris, The Jolly edge will look the best if you are using Porcelain Tiles. If your Mitred Jolly edges are cut and grouted properly you should not have a problem with chipping. Your tiler can cut all the mitres on the factory edge and set their saw so it preserves a small amount of that edge so to avoiding a sharp point (which otherwise is vulnerable to chipping). If you can't find a tiler with a diamond saw machine like a Hasqvarna with sliding overhead arm, which can do your Mitre cuts, then you could try marking out all your cuts and take these tiles to a stone mason (granite fabricator) near you and ask them to do these cuts for you. A stonemason experienced in fabricating large sheet Porcelain tops such as Neolith or Quantum+6 would also be a good place to start as these will know how to treat your tiles. Hope this is of help. Regards, Malcolm

From our experience builders are not big fans of shower niches, particularly if located close or directly under the shower head. From the builder's pov, a niche is more likely to leak and cause a call back during the warranty period (assuming the work is warranted). Grout is porous and therefore will allow water/moisture to penetrate to the substrate, which may cause an issue on a mitred joint. Understand your issue, particularly if the niche is in line with the grout line of the tiles abutting it; the change of substance from grout to sealant will be noticeable. Common practice for corner joints is that the tiler would use some form of extruded aluminium or plastic profile to act as a flashing and to also help align the tile joint. The flashing will help prevent moisture from penetrating the substrate, however a caulked joint will be far more effective. Would suggest using a hybrid sealant instead of a silicone based caulk. The hybrid product is better performing. Use a sealant that is colour matched as close as possible to the tile or to match the grout used elsewhere. Good luck.